Desirable traits: tips on enhancing your resume for executive roles
Taking time to perfect your resume is a crucial step toward landing the executive job you desire. When considering the job application, you want to focus on how your leadership skills, industry experience, and professional achievements qualify you for a leadership role. This begins when you submit your resume.It's important to remember that hiring managers sift through hundreds of resumes, so if you're applying for a c-suite position such as chief executive (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO) or similar, highlighting your relevant skills and experience is critical.Charlotte Hasler, Recruitment Manager at Reed, looks at some of the ways you can build a desirable resume to help land those executive roles.Q: What are employers looking for on a resume?A: Decision makers in search of their next executive-level hire are looking for that all-important impact. They’re looking to hire someone who’s going to add value, drive business growth, reduce costs, streamline operations, increase productivity in staff performance, and deliver key results. The most effective way to promote this is by referring to achievements throughout your resume – be specific including quantifiable information. It’s worth adding a summary section to each of the most relevant jobs to reinforce your impact.Q: What do achievements emphasize?A: It’s clear that executives are expected to deliver results and add value to the organization, which means you need to go beyond merely stating your job responsibilities on your resume and showcase your accomplishments. Clearly state what it is you’ve achieved, with clear emphasis on how it impacted the company, added value to your portfolio and helped you develop into a senior member of staff. Evaluate what you’re proud of, what challenges you’ve managed to overcome, how the company has changed/developed because of your actions, and how you’ve performed in line with your targets. It's critical to quantify your achievements for maximum impact. Some recruiters often overlook the achievements section, but it’s one of the best ways to give your resume that competitive edge.Q: What about leadership skills?A: At an executive level, your primary responsibility is to lead the organization towards sustained growth, while effectively managing people. Because of this, employers looking for c-suite professionals want to know if you have the ability to motivate, inspire, and guide teams to achieve not only their individual goals but also the wider organisation's ambition."To make your resume stand out, it's crucial to highlight your key achievements and quantify the impact you've had on previous businesses."Charlotte HaslerRecruitment Manager, ReedSpecify how you’ve managed teams, your leadership style, and the results you achieved. As a rule of thumb, include relevant key skills such as strategic planning, team building, communication, and decision-making in your personal summary or when describing previous roles.Q: Is resume customization important?A: At the executive level, I highly recommend customizing your resume for each role to highlight your suitability. At this point in your career, you’ll have years of experience, knowledge and skills, but it’s about knowing which areas of your work to highlight.To present a strong application, you'll need to thoroughly understand the requirements and expectations of the role, so take time to analyze the job description. Don't forget that hiring managers are looking for someone to meet their needs – not the needs of the applicant – so be sure to tailor your application accordingly.Q: Should relevant industry experience be included?A: Businesses in the market for a senior executive want to know if a potential applicant has extensive industry experience or can show evidence of transferable skills. Industry experience can come in a variety of forms, including work experience, voluntary work, courses, qualifications, and certifications. If you’ve completed any leadership courses from accredited bodies or a reputable business school, shout about them – they can enhance your resume, as can any relevant courses in the desired field. Degrees or higher qualifications should always be included, particularly if you have an MBA or equivalent, along with affiliations to chartered institutes or other industry bodies. Any qualifications gained outside of the role will go a long way to proactively show your dedication and commitment to a job or sector, which is something that hiring managers hold in high esteem.Q: How long should a resume be?A: Many executive-level professionals struggle to keep their resume to a readable length; we recommend limiting it to two or three pages. While it can be tough to know what to cut down, you can keep a resume concise by:Focusing on achievements and impact at previous roles rather than a detailed description of job responsibilities.For any past experience – usually from 10-15 years ago – the date range, company name and job title will suffice. It's recommended to still include the basic details of your earlier career, as hiring managers are often interested in the career path you’ve taken.Streamlining sections that don’t need to be so wordy. Consider using bullet points to get your message across.Q: Does wording matter?A: Absolutely. Careful attention should be paid to the way your resume is written – as the way you articulate yourself will help employers understand more about you. Your resume should grab an employer’s attention, emphasising your skills and accomplishments. Also consider your word choices – phrases such as ‘directed company vision’, ‘implemented strategic change’, ‘managed large teams’ and ‘delivered successful results’ will help convey the impact and results of your work, when used with quantifiable data such as team sizes and results delivered."When applying for executive roles, your career history and track record play a key part."Charlotte HaslerRecruitment Manager, ReedA well-polished resume will set you apart from other candidates by highlighting your strengths, skills and ability to fulfil the role requirements, while ensuring that you have the best opportunity to secure an interview and, most importantly, the job.Are you looking for your next executive level role? Submit your resume and work with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today.
From manager to director: taking the step up
What makes a great director? How do you know if you’re ready to take that next step up in your career? How important are qualifications at that level? These are just some of the questions we asked Graham Wilson, Leadership Wizard and Founder and CEO of Successfactory. Watch the short video interview or read the full interview below: Q: What makes a great director?A: When it comes to leadership, the only thing we can control is our behavior. The rest of it is about other people deciding whether they want to follow. Going from a manager to a director, you’ve still got to be an authentic person. You should strive to be who you are, and the more you are really yourself, the more people will trust you. The more people trust you, the more likely they are to follow you.You've got to have the capability to create a high-performance environment where success is inevitable. I think quite often we're very good at setting goals and giving direction, but we then don't spend enough time to actually remove the barriers that can stop you from being successful. You've also got to get comfortable, particularly in today's world, with the volatility of the marketplace. You’ve got to be comfortable with ambiguity and leading without knowing all the answers.Additionally, you can’t be a successful director without a great team around you, so your ability to build teams is fundamental. When someone says to me:‘Is that person a great director?’, I say:‘Well, let me have a look at the team around them’. Being a good director means almost making yourself redundant, because you want the team to be delivering on the business, which will give you time to do the strategic thinking.Finding the balance between strategy and culture is also key. You can have a great culture, but with a poor strategy, you'll fail. And if you have a great strategy with a poor culture, you'll also fail, so seek out both.Ultimately, if you can build a high-performance environment, remove the barriers, you're authentic, can inspire action, can communicate with meaning, are good at storytelling, can unleash innovation in the organisation, then you’re in a great position. A great director drives the business forward with empathy, courage, and care, and realizes that at the end of the day, it's all about people.Q: Are there different skill sets needed for being a manager and a director?A: Skill sets are important and mindset is also really important. From a management point of view, you're more focused on the here and now, and the status quo, and making sure the business is efficient and effective, making sure that people are aligned behind the strategy, and actually driving the business forward.As a director, you’ve still got to do the same sort of role, but it requires a slightly different skill set and a lot more strategic thinking. What I find with a lot of managers in the first stage of moving into that role, is they find that it’s a big step as they’ve got to get comfortable with the fact that they’re paid to think, they’re paid to look at a strategic level, not just an operational point of view.Also, it's a different type of power. When you're a manager leading your team, you have a certain amount of positional power, whereas when you're a director working in a large organisation, you're often working across different functions and you're having to look at a holistic view of the business, so you also have to start to influence in a different way. Therefore, building your influencing and networking skills is really important. I think you should always have a relationship with every person in the business, plus all your key customers.In summary, there are some subtle differences, but from a management point of view, I would say it's more about the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. Whereas at leadership and director levels, it’s more about the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from a cultural point of view.Q: Does being a good manager mean someone will naturally be a good director?A: I think you are going to get a lot of people who are more naturally gifted to think in a strategic way and are big-picture thinkers. But I'm not a big fan of the idea that you're born to be a great leader or born to be a great director. I think it requires hard work.If you don't change the way you operate, focus on developing your skills, and start to think about things differently, then you will probably fail.Sometimes what can happen is people go to a leadership meeting and represent their part of the business, whereas they should be thinking and talking at a more strategic level across the whole organisation. I think you've got to be able to be comfortable with that and be able to make that shift. If you don't, then you might have been an amazing manager, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make a great director.Q: How will someone know if they are ready for the next step up to director?A: One of the key things that is important in a corporate organization is you cannot be promoted unless you've got a great team around you. Because if you take yourself away, then there might be an impact on performance. I think one way to look at it is if you can say: ‘I've developed my team, my team is a high performance, I have a successor in place who can take over my role, I'm prepared to develop and grow and shift my thinking into a more strategic role’, then you’re likely ready.And having that flexibility of mind to know and recognize that it's not just a promotion and doing the same as what you would do now on a bigger scale; it's a different context. I think you’re ready when you're willing to adopt a new style, a new approach while still being authentic, you're really good at strategic thinking, you understand what strategy really is in today's world, and understand that it's a learning process, and how to be able to communicate with meaning.A good manager will do everything technically correctly hit every KPI and get good results, whereas a great director will do all of that through their team but will also be able to give meaning to the strategy.So, ultimately, I think a great indicator is when you're comfortable storytelling, you're comfortable presenting, you're feeling comfortable with ambiguity, you're comfortable without knowing all the answers, you're great at facilitating groups, and you feel comfortable moving out of your subject matter expertise area and thinking more holistically around the business, both internally and externally, in the short term and long term.Q: What steps should someone take if they want to progress to director?A: You've got to understand your rationale, your reason why you want to become a director. I think we can sometimes fall into the trap of it being money orientated and not recognising that it is a different role that requires a different level of resilience. You’re accountable for a bigger part of the business, so you've got to be comfortable with that. So certainly, building your resilience would be really important, and you want to start doing that now.Being able to cope with pressure and perform in mission-critical situations is key, and develop what I call ‘the six pillars of resilience’, which is really understanding your purpose and what you really want out of life, what commitment you're prepared to give, how you want to live your life, and would a director position give you that.The second thing is, how much energy and vitality do you have? Do you sleep well? Eat well? Do you practice mindfulness? Are you exercising and fit enough to be able to take on a more strategic role?Also, you want to start building your support network now. You want to have good relationships across the business, make sure that you are persistent and can manage from an emotional intelligence point of view, and also start to develop conversational and storytelling skills.I would suggest that you start that journey now. Get yourself a good coach, a good mentor, and start to think about what makes a great director. Who are some of the directors that you admire both inside your own organisation, and in other organizations as well?The starting point has to be, ‘What's my reason why?’ then work backward from what great looks like and think ‘What am I going to work on that's going to help me to move into that director role’, and make sure you get the right support to make that happen.Q: How relevant are qualifications, or are soft skills more important at that level?A: Bit of both, really. In terms of leadership, you are measured on your results, so it's not just what you know, it's more about what you do with what you know. I think what academic qualifications do, is give you some rigour in thinking, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to be successful. One of the things you ought to be thinking about as a director is, ‘What is it I need to do and be to be successful now and in the future?’A challenge with a lot of qualifications is that they are often backward-looking. They’re research-based and based on what people did in the past. You've got to be really careful about which qualifications you go for. I think some people tend to just grab the MBA badge or whatever qualification it is, but for me, it's more about how you apply that knowledge.You want to be thinking,‘How do I learn and grow and develop a great way of operating so that I build that credibility and deliver results?’I wouldn't discourage anyone in completing a qualification if that's something that you feel would benefit you, but I think the key really is about developing your softer skills such as your influencing skills, your persuasion skills, and negotiating skills.One of the things we teach on our programmes is helping leaders to develop an authentic leadership brand. Look at your self-awareness and who you are, build on your strengths and create a leadership brand. If you can do that, that will certainly outweigh the qualifications.Q: What's the one piece of advice you would give to someone who is looking to progress into a director position?A: Be you. Be really comfortable with who you are.Don't fall into the trap of trying to copy someone who you admire and someone who has been successful in the business, because they've been successful in the past and what you've got to do is carve out your own way of doing it. I think that's probably my top tip - be authentic, be real, be courageous and confident enough to be able to bring your real self to work, because the more real you are, the more influencing power you have. Which means that people are more likely to trust you and are more likely to follow you and do great things.If you are looking to take that next step in your career or looking for a talented professional to join your business, get in touch with one of our specialist consultants today.
What are soft skills?
Worried that your lack of skills is letting you down?Soft skills are important in a range of different roles, helping you do everything from negotiating and selling to managing your schedule. You probably have several attributes already that you’re simply not using to your advantage. You just need to learn how to back them up.To find out how to make the most of them, here’s our guide on soft skills – and how they could help land your next job.What are soft skills?Soft skills are general attributes that aren’t specific to a job or industry.They’re usually self-developed, meaning no training is needed to build them. And because they can be applied to many different roles, soft skills are always desirable – no matter what field you’re working in.List of soft skills Soft skills are a combination of many different things, including social skills, character traits and employment qualities. As a result, the number of soft skills is almost endless. Some of the most common examples include: Communication skills Leadership Problem-solving Critical thinking Team working Flexibility Resilience Negotiation skills Why are soft skills important? Although hard skills might be important in some industries, soft skills are important in all of them. They’re what help us bond with other people around the business and fit well within the company culture. Without them, even someone with the right qualifications could end up alienating themselves in their role, or not having the right mindset to do their job effectively. They’re also what help distinguish us from other potential candidates when we look for a new position. What are the advantages of soft skills? One of the biggest advantages of soft skills is that they don’t limit you to working within one industry. They are transferable skills, allowing you to demonstrate your personality and effectiveness to prospective employers, even if you have limited experience in their field. For example, your excellent communication skills may have made you good at selling. But many other sectors outside of sales require people who can communicate well – whether it’s by attracting new customers, building relationships with suppliers or working effectively in a team. Also, everyone has some form of soft skills. They require no formal training and are usually picked up through previous positions or experiences – meaning you might already have some great attributes you can use to your advantage. What are the disadvantages of soft skills? Although they’re valuable, soft skills won’t always be enough to get you the job. Some industries require more formal qualifications or experience to get your foot in the door, and without these prerequisites, your soft skills may not be enough. Soft skills are also extremely difficult to measure, meaning some employers don’t appreciate their true value until you’ve actively been able to demonstrate them. How do I demonstrate soft skills on my CV? It’s never enough to say you have soft skills – you need to back them up. When it comes to writing a CV that means adding practical examples to show times when you’ve put your soft skills to good use. For example, stating you have good problem solving skills sounds fine. But saying ‘good problem solving skills, demonstrated when I successfully overcame X’ will come across much better to employers – not to mention add value to your CV. And the best part? A list of desirable skills will already be provided for you in the job description. All you need to do is prove them. If you struggle to think of good examples, use the STAR technique to help get you started. Can I learn soft skills? Soft skills are self-developed. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t be taught. There are a wide range of courses out there to help you improve everything from your organisation skills through to your public speaking. So, even if it’s not something you’re particularly strong on right now, there’s no reason you can’t get better. Figure out what skills you think you need to improve, find a course and get started.
Improve your hiring strategy with AI interview tools
Unleashing the potential of AI in recruitmentArtificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the recruitment field and altering how businesses recruit. Here are a few methods through which AI can boost the productivity and efficacy of the recruitment process:Automate repetitive tasksA key advantage of utilizing AI recruitment instruments is their capacity to automate monotonous tasks. Such tasks may encompass sifting through resumes, arranging interviews, and dispatching subsequent emails. AI makes tasks easier, giving recruiters and managers more time for important parts of hiring.Streamline candidate screeningConventional screening techniques can be lengthy and prone to human mistakes. AI can quickly analyse many resumes and identify the best candidates using predetermined criteria. This not only speeds up the screening procedure but also ensures that we don't miss any candidates.Gain valuable insightsAI can offer crucial understanding that aids recruiters and hiring managers in making knowledgeable choices. Predictive analytics can anticipate a candidate's work performance and similarity with the company culture. It will help the hiring manager to understand if that job applicant is a good fit for the business.AI recruitment instruments can also scrutinize a candidate's social media accounts to understand their character and principles. This understanding can assist recruiters in making more impartial and data-oriented recruitment choices. Learn more about social media screening.An inventive use of AI in hiring is the creation of interview questions powered by AI. This tech employs machine learning algorithms to scan the given criteria and produce pertinent interview questions. The system takes into account the job title, skill set, and experience level. It then generates questions that accurately evaluate whether a candidate is suitable for the role.Introducing Reed's interview question generatorReed's interview question generator generates interview questions using AI algorithms, based on criteria given by the employer. It's a powerful tool.The tool has a simple interface, allowing employers to enter job details and get a list of questions. You can download the list in a Word document for your interview.You can also copy it to send to a colleague or use it in another document. The tool helps hire managers in many ways. The tool helps hiring managers in many ways.Employers can access Reed’s interview question generator online here.Tailoring interviews with customizable criteriaTo begin, just enter the job title, seniority level (e.g. entry-level, middle manager, board level), and industry for the recruitment process. Next, you pick a maximum of three soft skills that you desire in your ideal candidate. Options include abilities like emotional intelligence, inventiveness, business acumen, and analytical thinking, among others.In just a few minutes, the tool will produce a collection of custom-made interview queries for applicants.Once your questions are ready, you have the flexibility to reorder the question sequence, choose different skills, refresh the whole set or lock your favourite questions and revise the rest.How does the tool adapt to different industries and job roles?This AI-based interview instrument enables companies to customize interview queries according to their unique requirements. The selection criteria encompass the job position, necessary skills, experience level, among others. The instrument utilizes these parameters to formulate questions that align with the job and the company's needs.You can use the interview question generator for any job role. Either select one from the drop-down list, or just choose your own. You can also choose from 27 industries, from engineering and manufacturing to insurance and pensions.Reed's interview question generator can help assess candidates with relevant questions. You can use it for hiring in a tech startup or a manufacturing company.Maximising hiring success with AI-generated questionsSkilfully designed interview queries are crucial for assessing a candidate's abilities, background, and suitability for a position. Employers can now utilize our cutting-edge interview question generator tool to aid them in making knowledgeable recruitment choices. Interview questions help to gain a better understanding of a candidate's skills. They also ensure a fair interview process, reduce bias, and improve the quality of hiring.Utilizing the tool offers several advantages to employers, including time efficiency, enhanced candidate experience, and superior hires. The interview question generator is especially useful for specialized roles or sectors where certain skills or experiences are necessary. By creating customized questions, the tool assists employers in evaluating if candidates have the distinctive skills needed.
Top 9 second round interview questions to ask candidates
Once the initial round of interviews is complete, you should have a shortlist of potential candidates. Conducting a second interview will provide a more thorough assessment of each candidate and assist in making the final decision on their suitability for the position.Effective interviewingWhen it comes to hiring someone for remote or hybrid work arrangements, there are two types of interviews that you can conduct. The first one is more formal and can be done remotely, while the second one can either be more demanding or more casual and done in person. This approach allows you to gain a better understanding of the interviewee in two different settings. For instance, you could conduct a phone interview first and then another one in person.It's important to remember that interviews are a two-way communication process. You are not just looking for the right candidate, but you are also trying to sell the role to them. Therefore, it should be treated as an informative conversation rather than an opportunity to impress the interviewee. You need to represent yourself, your team, and your company in the best possible way.Keep in mind that every candidate could be a potential customer, client, or advocate for your business, and they will remember how you treat them. So, it's crucial to make a positive impression and treat every candidate with respect and professionalism.Common second interview questions to ask candidatesJust as in your first round of interviews, asking the right questions in the second round is vital to understanding if a candidate is suitable for the role.“Although there are never a fixed set of questions to ask in the second interview, here are our selection of questions for employers to ask which will hopefully allow you to understand a candidate more fully before making a decision on who to hire.”What are your long-term career aspirations?Asking candidates about their long-term career goals can provide useful insight into their suitability for your company. If they mention your business specifically, it suggests a desire to remain and contribute to its growth.Moreover, this question can reveal important aspects of their personality, such as honesty and passion.Understanding their priorities can help you make informed hiring decisions for your organization.Do you have any questions about the business or the role since your first interview?This question gives them the opportunity to clarify any doubts they may have and to demonstrate their level of interest and engagement.Furthermore, asking questions helps to fill any gaps in the candidate's knowledge and shows their preparation for the interview. However, some candidates may be nervous, so it is important to create a comfortable and supportive environment.Remember that this is an opportunity for both the candidate and the interviewer to learn more about each other and make an informed decision.How has your job search been going so far?If you ask this question in a second interview, you can gain valuable insight into your competition and the challenges you may face if they are selected instead of you. You might find out about other positions they've applied for and their current status in the hiring process.If they've recently attended multiple interviews, you may have to wait longer for their response or come up with a counteroffer to stay competitive. It's important to ask all candidates the same questions during the interview process to avoid discrimination or bias.What skills do you think are required for this role?This can help you evaluate their comprehension of the position and their ability to think critically. It also gives them a chance to showcase their skills and how they align with the job's requirements.This can give you a better understanding of their expectations, interpretation of the job description, and ensure they have a clear picture of the responsibilities involved. If there are any misunderstandings, you can clarify them, promoting transparency and reducing any future confusion.Ultimately, this approach can lead to better retention rates as candidates have a thorough understanding of the position before accepting an offer.What are the reasons you might not be suitable for this role?The response can reveal their level of motivation and attitude towards success. If a candidate expresses a willingness to learn and improve, this indicates a growth mindset, which is a valuable trait in any role.In contrast, if a candidate has a fixed mindset and believes that they cannot improve upon their abilities, they may not be suitable for the position.Therefore, asking this question can help identify the candidates who have the potential to grow and contribute to the organization.What changes would you suggest at this company?This question allows them to provide valuable insights into their potential challenges and how they could overcome them. It can also reveal their motivation for success.If they express a willingness to improve and be trained, it could indicate a valuable candidate with a growth mindset. Such individuals have more potential to learn and develop than those with a fixed mindset who believe they cannot improve in certain areas.What is the lowest salary you hope to earn from this role?It's important to ask applicants what their minimum salary expectation is for the job. It will help you to understand their salary expectations and gives you an opportunity to manage them if they're too high.On the other hand, the applicant may have done their research and found that the salary you're offering is lower than their worth. You may have the chance to increase your offer to match their expectations if you feel they are worth it.How would you describe your ideal work environment?The answer for this question will help you gain useful insights into their personality and work style.If their ideal work environment is similar to yours, then they are more likely to be a good fit for your company culture. Hiring someone who is not a cultural fit can lead to dissatisfaction and increase the likelihood of them leaving.On the other hand, if a candidate describes a work environment that is vastly different from yours, they may not be a good match for your company and could end up being unhappy and leaving later on.How soon would you be ready to start this role?This question will determine the candidate's availability and professionalism in the hiring process. It also helps to compare candidates based on their responses.It is important to note that if a candidate mentions leaving their current job without giving notice, it could be a red flag for your business. Therefore, asking the right questions during the hiring process is crucial to finding the best fit for your business.After meeting with a candidate for a second time, you should have a better understanding of their skills and abilities, and whether they would be a good addition to your team.
Interview questions to ask candidates - and what their answers mean
During an interview, it's crucial to ask questions that will help you gain the most insight into the candidate.To achieve this, you should plan a variety of question types that are tailored to the qualities required for the position. The questions should provide you with information about the candidate's strengths, weaknesses, and how well they would fit into the team. Here are some of the primary question types to consider when conducting an interview.Standard competency questionsThere are certain types of questions that are commonly asked during an interview. These questions typically start with a phrase like "Can you give me an example of when you...". You can customize these questions to fit the specific skills you want the candidate to talk about, such as providing excellent customer service, resolving a conflict, or influencing a senior stakeholder. Competency-style questions are particularly helpful when you need to find out about specific skills or competencies that a candidate has and how they have used them to handle similar situations in the past. Good candidates usually prepare for these questions in advance and should provide well-thought-out examples that are clear and concise. When analyzing their responses, look for evidence that they can describe the situation, the task at hand, the action they personally took, and the positive outcome of that action using the STAR method.Follow-up questionAsking follow-up questions can help you move beyond the superficial answers and dive deeper into the specifics. It can also challenge the interviewee to think on their feet, as they may not be as prepared for these questions. Effective follow-up questions can uncover any gaps in the provided answers or any lack of personal involvement that may be concealed by rehearsed responses.The curveball questionIf you want to evaluate a candidate's quick thinking and critical thinking skills, you can present them with a challenging question or scenario that may not be directly related to the job they are applying for. You can base this question on some aspect of their resume or something current that you would like them to provide insight on. Doing this will help you test their ability to make sound decisions under pressure and to communicate their thoughts effectively, which can be crucial for some positions.The hypothetical situation questionSome people have strong opinions on these types of questions - they either enjoy them or despise them. Nevertheless, they are a useful way to swiftly assess someone's ability to think logically and rationally. Such questions usually require the candidate to analyze a hypothetical situation and then make a decision based on the relevant information and limitations given. Some people have strong opinions on these types of questions - they either enjoy them or despise them. Nevertheless, they are a useful way to swiftly assess someone's ability to think logically and rationally. Such questions usually require the candidate to analyse a hypothetical situation and then make a decision based on the relevant information and limitations given.The “describe yourself” questionIn a job interview, candidates are often asked questions that require them to describe themselves in a few words or imagine what their previous boss or co-workers would say about them. These questions come in different forms, but their purpose is to evaluate the candidate's ability to empathize with others and express themselves succinctly. They are used to test the candidate's communication skills and see how they respond in situations that demand brevity.