Interview Questions

1. Tell me about a time when you found it difficult to deliver a promise / hit a deadline for a customer. What did you do? How did you deal with the situation? What was the outcome?
2. Tell me about a time when you delivered or experienced excellent customer service. What was the situation? What made it excellent? How did it make the customer / you feel?
3. How we deal with service failures of any sort has a significant impact on our customer loyalty and reputation. Describe a situation where you have had success turning someone’s bad opinion into a good one. What was the situation? What did you do?
4. What does good customer service look like to you? What would you expect as a customer?

1. Tell me about a time when you felt it was particularly important that you adapted your behaviour to suit the situation. What was effective about the way you adapted? How were you able to consider any difference in culture?
2. Describe how you prefer to communicate with others. Why do you choose this communication method you use?
3. Describe a time when you’ve had to deal with a difficult situation? How did you resolve it?
4. Tell me about a specific time when your skill in listening and communication helped you to get to the root cause of a problem within your team or with a colleague?

1. Describe a time when you have identified an issue affecting your clients or customer. How did you identify the issue? What did you do about it?
2. Tell me about a time when you had to learn a new task or technique to achieve a goal. Do you have a strategy you use in these kinds of situations?
3. Give me an example of a time when you developed a new or different solution to a problem. Why did you think the problem needed a new solution? How did you develop the new solution? What feedback did you receive on how it was working?
4. Give me an example of a situation where you took the initiative. Why was it necessary? How effective do you think/feel you were? What did you learn from this? What would you do differently next time?

1. Give me an example of a time when you faced a strong challenge at work. How did you overcome it? What was the outcome?
2. How do you manage working under pressure? How do you manage your emotions and remain calm?
3. Give me an example of when you had to complete multiple tasks at the same time, with a heavy workload. How did you approach the problem? What did you do to prioritise your workload?
4. Describe how you manage your time to ensure you meet deadlines to a high standard. How are your deadlines and standards determined? Do you set your own or are they set by others? How do you manage deadlines?

1. What is your signature dish?
2. What do you do in your section now?
3. What are your strengths in the Kitchen?
4. What would you describe as ‘High risk’ foods?
5. Can you explain what chopping boards you use for different things?
6. What is stock rotation?

Commis/CDP/Sous Chef
Based on the menu submission or mystery seasonal basket at shortlist stage:
Main course dish created from the above.
Time: 2 hours

Management/Head Chef
Based on the menu submission or mystery seasonal basket at shortlist stage:
- 2 canapes
- 3 courses
Time: 2 hours

1. Tell me about a time when you found it difficult to deliver a promise / hit a deadline for a customer. What did you do? How did you deal with the situation? What was the outcome?
2. Tell me about a time when you delivered or experienced excellent customer service. What was the situation? What made it excellent? How did it make the customer / you feel?
3. How we deal with service failures of any sort has a significant impact on our customer loyalty and reputation. Describe a situation where you have had success turning someone’s bad opinion into a good one. What was the situation? What did you do?
4. What does good customer service look like to you? What would you expect as a customer?

1. Tell me about a time when you felt it was particularly important that you adapted your behaviour to suit the situation. What was effective about the way you adapted? How were you able to consider any difference in culture?
2. Describe how you prefer to communicate with others. Why do you choose this communication method you use?
3. Describe a time when you’ve had to deal with a difficult situation? How did you resolve it?
4. Tell me about a specific time when your skill in listening and communication helped you to get to the root cause of a problem within your team or with a colleague?

1. Describe a time when you have identified an issue affecting your clients or customer. How did you identify the issue? What did you do about it?
2. Tell me about a time when you had to learn a new task or technique to achieve a goal. Do you have a strategy you use in these kinds of situations?
3. Give me an example of a time when you developed a new or different solution to a problem. Why did you think the problem needed a new solution? How did you develop the new solution? What feedback did you receive on how it was working?
4. Give me an example of a situation where you took the initiative. Why was it necessary? How effective do you think/feel you were? What did you learn from this? What would you do differently next time?

1. Give me an example of a time when you faced a strong challenge at work. How did you overcome it? What was the outcome?
2. How do you manage working under pressure? How do you manage your emotions and remain calm?
3. Give me an example of when you had to complete multiple tasks at the same time, with a heavy workload. How did you approach the problem? What did you do to prioritise your workload?
4. Describe how you manage your time to ensure you meet deadlines to a high standard. How are your deadlines and standards determined? Do you set your own or are they set by others? How do you manage deadlines?

1. Tell me about a time when you found it difficult to deliver a promise / hit a deadline for a customer. What did you do? How did you deal with the situation? What was the outcome?
2. Tell me about a time when you delivered or experienced excellent customer service. What was the situation? What made it excellent? How did it make the customer / you feel?
3. How we deal with service failures of any sort has a significant impact on our customer loyalty and reputation. Describe a situation where you have had success turning someone’s bad opinion into a good one. What was the situation? What did you do?
4. What does good customer service look like to you? What would you expect as a customer?

1. Tell me about a time when you felt it was particularly important that you adapted your behaviour to suit the situation. What was effective about the way you adapted? How were you able to consider any difference in culture?
2. Describe how you prefer to communicate with others. Why do you choose this communication method you use?
3. Describe a time when you’ve had to deal with a difficult situation? How did you resolve it?
4. Tell me about a specific time when your skill in listening and communication helped you to get to the root cause of a problem within your team or with a colleague?

1. Describe a time when you have identified an issue affecting your clients or customer. How did you identify the issue? What did you do about it?
2. Tell me about a time when you had to learn a new task or technique to achieve a goal. Do you have a strategy you use in these kinds of situations?
3. Give me an example of a time when you developed a new or different solution to a problem. Why did you think the problem needed a new solution? How did you develop the new solution? What feedback did you receive on how it was working?
4. Give me an example of a situation where you took the initiative. Why was it necessary? How effective do you think/feel you were? What did you learn from this? What would you do differently next time?

1. Give me an example of a time when you faced a strong challenge at work. How did you overcome it? What was the outcome?
2. How do you manage working under pressure? How do you manage your emotions and remain calm?
3. Give me an example of when you had to complete multiple tasks at the same time, with a heavy workload. How did you approach the problem? What did you do to prioritise your workload?
4. Describe how you manage your time to ensure you meet deadlines to a high standard. How are your deadlines and standards determined? Do you set your own or are they set by others? How do you manage deadlines?

1. Tell me about a time when you found it difficult to deliver a promise / hit a deadline for a customer. What did you do? How did you deal with the situation? What was the outcome?
2. Tell me about a time when you delivered or experienced excellent customer service. What was the situation? What made it excellent? How did it make the customer / you feel?
3. How we deal with service failures of any sort has a significant impact on our customer loyalty and reputation. Describe a situation where you have had success turning someone’s bad opinion into a good one. What was the situation? What did you do?
4. What does good customer service look like to you? What would you expect as a customer?

1. Tell me about a time when you felt it was particularly important that you adapted your behaviour to suit the situation. What was effective about the way you adapted? How were you able to consider any difference in culture?
2. Describe how you prefer to communicate with others. Why do you choose this communication method you use?
3. Describe a time when you’ve had to deal with a difficult situation? How did you resolve it?
4. Tell me about a specific time when your skill in listening and communication helped you to get to the root cause of a problem within your team or with a colleague?

1. Describe a time when you have identified an issue affecting your clients or customer. How did you identify the issue? What did you do about it?
2. Tell me about a time when you had to learn a new task or technique to achieve a goal. Do you have a strategy you use in these kinds of situations?
3. Give me an example of a time when you developed a new or different solution to a problem. Why did you think the problem needed a new solution? How did you develop the new solution? What feedback did you receive on how it was working?
4. Give me an example of a situation where you took the initiative. Why was it necessary? How effective do you think/feel you were? What did you learn from this? What would you do differently next time?

1. Give me an example of a time when you faced a strong challenge at work. How did you overcome it? What was the outcome?
2. How do you manage working under pressure? How do you manage your emotions and remain calm?
3. Give me an example of when you had to complete multiple tasks at the same time, with a heavy workload. How did you approach the problem? What did you do to prioritise your workload?
4. Describe how you manage your time to ensure you meet deadlines to a high standard. How are your deadlines and standards determined? Do you set your own or are they set by others? How do you manage deadlines?

1. Describe how you identify and successfully communicate the accountabilities, targets, and standards for your wider team/function.
2. Tell me about a time when you have managed conflict within your team. How did you identify potential problems in your team? What actions did you take?
3. How do you go about developing capability in your team? What actions do you take? What differences in people and results have you observed as an outcome?
4. Describe the process you follow to manage workforce planning to build and optimise capability within your team. How do you identify and include external talent in your workforce planning?

1. Please describe a situation when you were required to work with key stakeholders to get a project or key business initiative off the ground. How did you go about creating buy-in? How did you overcome resistance? What did you learn?
2. Who are your key stakeholders and how do you build and maintain strong relationships with them?
3. Describe your preferred method of communication when dealing with change. How do you ensure that everyone receives the communication and understands it. Do you communicate with everyone in the same way?
4. Tell me about a time when you felt it was particularly important that you adapted your behaviour to suit the situation.

1. Tell me about a time when you found it difficult to deliver a promise / hit a deadline for a customer. What did you do? How did you deal with the situation? What was the outcome?
2. How we deal with service failures of any sort has a significant impact on our customer loyalty and reputation. Describe a situation where you have had success turning someone’s bad opinion into a good one. What was the situation? What did you do?
3. Tell me how you keep up to date on client and consumer feedback trends. How do you use that information to make improvements and exceed their expectations?
4. Tell me about a time when you delivered or experienced excellent customer service. What was the situation? What made it excellent? How did it make the customer / you feel?

1. Tell me about a time you reduced ambiguity and complexity at work. What did you do and what was the benefit to the company?
2. Describe a time when you developed a new and innovative way of doing something within an organisation. How did you share this new / best practice across your wider team and organisation? What was the outcome?
3. How do you encourage feedback and suggestions for improvement from your team/others? How do you determine which suggestions to act on? How do you feedback to those whose ideas are not taken forward?
4. Tell me about a time when you had to learn a new task or technique to achieve a goal. Do you have a strategy you use in these kinds of situations?

1. Describe a situation where you have been involved in a disciplined approach to strategic planning. What was your involvement and what was the outcome?
2. Talk me through a decision or plan that you made that has had an impact on the wider organisation. Which other departments were involved? What was the actual impact? How did this meet your expectations?
3. How do you keep up to date on the changing requirements of clients, consumers, and internal customers? What data do you gather and how do you analyse it? How do you use the analysis to influence your decision-making?
4. Describe the process you follow to translate the Organisation’s medium-term strategy into the goals and deliverables for your direct and wider team.

1. Tell me about a time when you had to work as part of a team to achieve an objective. How did you approach this? To what degree did you work closely with others in the team? What did you do to build team spirit?
2. Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem. How did you identify the problem? How did you determine what you needed to do? Did you get other people involved?
3. How do you ensure you treat all your colleagues and coworkers fairly and equally? What do you do to ensure you are consistent?
4. Describe a time when you led your team in difficult circumstances. What did you do? What was the outcome? What would you do differently next time?