If you possessed the skills and experience required, you would be offered the job. Due to the duration of the popularity of this type of interview and the availability
of potential interview questions answers on the internet, applicants have been able to deliver some well-rehearsed answers which have mislead employers.

This led to many employers recruiting the wrong type of candidate. The employee once recruited would find that they are not a good fit and would look for a new position before handing in their notice. Employers would then start the cycle again: advertising for positions, competency based interview process, select wrong recruit, re-advertise….

A New Type of Interviewing

A new interview process has been created which many leading industry professionals are using to recruit well suited individuals. Strength-based interviews, as they are known, look at “what you enjoy doing” rather than “what you can do.”

The set of strength-based interview questions is hard to predict as the recruiter will ask you questions on “what engages you”, “when are you in the flow”, “what energizes you”, as well as asking comparison questions “Do you prefer starting or finishing a task?”

The idea behind strength-based interviewing is to find out when you are at your best; what are you doing when you are using your strengths? The interviewer isn’t looking for generalisations, they want specifics. “What environment helps learn best?” “Do you learn more rapidly when you learn alone or when you are learning within a group?”

Employers know the reality of a good employee. When a member of staff enjoys what they are doing, they easily find their “flow.” When you are in the flow, time
passes without you knowing, you enjoy every second of the task, even if it is a demanding assignment. Your work output increases and 100% of effort is inputted
into the role. The flow is an employee at their best using their natural strengths.

Answers Aren’t Enough

In many strength-based interviews, interviewers will be trained to read your body language, micro facial expressions and tonality, which all give away signs of
deceit and pleasure. Interviewers will often ask questions rapidly, and will chunk down to get detail, to receive genuine responses.

You may also be asked to compete in group exercise, deliver presentations or to complete pre-interview task, all designed to see you at your best.

Should You Be Scared?

For some, this may sound worrying. But in actual fact  strength-based interviewing is beneficial to the interviewee. If you are recruited on your honest strengths,
you will find yourself employed in a position that you will naturally excel in. Being able to work naturally at your optimum will help you receive positive reviews, promotional opportunity, career progression and pay rises.

In actual fact, due to the interview being based around you talking about your strengths and what you enjoy doing at work, many interviewees are feedback that
they enjoy strength-based interviewing and found that they can be themselves in the job interview.

Strength-Based Interview Questions

You may be the following or similar questions in a strength-based interview:

1. What gives you energy?
2. What are you good at?
3. What comes naturally to you?
4. Do you prefer starting or finishing a task?
5. Describe a successful day?
6. What do you enjoy the least?
7. What is important in your life?
8. What inspires you?
9. What have you achieved that you are really proud of?
10. How do you stay motivated?