The best satisfaction in this world is when you get appraisal and recognition for your hard work. Promotions are wonderful things having the capacity to grant you such gratifying satisfaction. Career advancement and growth is an objective of almost all the employees working all around the globe, as it not only leads to better salary but also provides valuable authority and responsibility. Questions asked in promotion interview are quite different from the ones you experienced at your rookie stage and thus needs thorough preparation.
Top 21 Promotion Interview Questions
1) What Is Your Motivation In Life?
Since you have applied for a senior position, there ought to be some motivation. Share it with your interviewer, as this will help him or her to evaluate your personality and mindset.
Sample Answer
The best motivation in my life is the willingness and inclination towards achieving greater scales in my life. I have always been fascinated by senior positions that command respect. a higher standard of living and leadership. My quest to become better in life by moving forward is the sole motivation that has even driven me towards applying at the advertised vacancy.
2) Differentiate Between Power and Responsibility?
This question tests your attitude and generosity. Further, your explanation would tell, whether or not you are a compassionate person.
Sample Answer
If we evaluate it on a prima facie basis, these are both the same and may imply the same meaning. Whereas upon conducting deep analysis, one would find that, Power is a more dominating term. It simply means exerting pressure on your team to perform a particular task. Whereas, delegating responsibility, makes a leader more generous and in a position to extract good performances from his or her team. I believe, one must not exert or flaunt his or her power upon its juniors or the entire team.
3) What Are Your Duties In Current Position?
This is a common promotion question, wherein you are supposed to share the duties performed by you in your current position. This will enable an interviewer to evaluate if you are a match for the advertised vacancy or not.
Sample Answer
There are several duties performed by me in my current position, I would name a few daily tasks, that are:
(__________________name the tasks that you perform daily at your office________________)
4) Are You Joining Us, Only Because Of An Increased Salary?
This is a tricky question. Everyone joins an organization, because he or she has some expectations. Just be honest here and explain completely your reason for joining.
Sample Answer
Since I have a family to feed, it would be so naive and dishonest to say that I am not interested in an enhanced salary. But still, this is not my only reason, I am in complete awe of the infrastructure and working environment that the organization offers to its employees. Further, it is a brand with a wide reach and a strong customer base.
5) How Do You Handle Failures In Life?
This is a question relating to your personality and attitude towards life. Answer it logically.
Sample Answer
I believe, failures are the most important things in life if you want to progress and get better. We all learn from the mistakes that we commit. I also make mistakes but never get disheartened or heartbroken post making a mistake. Rather, I take it as an opportunity to improve myself and my performance. Failures must not be considered as a burden rather must be used to one’s own advantage.
6) How Does Promotion Affect Your Attitude/Mindset?
This is a tricky question evaluating your personality as a whole. You answer must not seem arrogant or egotistic in any manner.
Sample Answer
Career advancement or growth is a common phenomenon that satisfies an individual’s core and boots confidence levels. I believe, getting arrogant or letting success seep through your mind is not at all wise, as we all know a fall from grace is quite hard and painful. Promotion will not have any negative impact on my mind, rather I would become more compassionate and humble in my proceedings.
7) What Are Your Plans For The Next 6 Months, Assuming You Secure This Job?
The answers generated through this question tests your way forward, your working procedures and your ability to look into an uncertain future.
Sample Answer
Having been performing similar tasks and duties, that are on display in this work profile, I believe I will be able to manage my team and juniors in a more professional and collaborative way. I would introduce policies relating to judicious usage of the company’s resources and cut our budgeted project expenditure by 30%. Moreover, I would create a favorable working environment in which all my team members enjoy and learn at the same time.
8) How Do You Handle Criticism From A Junior?
This question aims to test your attitude towards critics and disparagement.
Sample Answer
I think there is nothing as such. Criticism is a wrong word. The correct word is feedback and you can get feedback for your work, duties, and tasks, from anyone be it your junior, senior, or even an outsider. It all depends on how you use that feedback to your own advantage. Getting irritated, feeling bad, or making yourself discouraged would not come in handy, no matter at what position you are working in the organization.
9) Define A Model Senior/Boss?
This question wants to know what qualities you expect from your senior or an immediate lead.
Sample Answer
In my opinion, a boss must have active listening skills and ability as well as a willingness to solve a junior’s queries and doubts. He or she must not avoid work rather participate in all the training, conferences, and meetings. A model boss is someone who always works on the principles of goal congruence and does not exploit one’s, team members. Further, he or she would always recommend the names of its team members based on merit and not favoritism.
10) How Will You Handle Issues Of Harassment/Bullying At Workplace?
Being holder of a senior position you would be required to maintain the decorum of the workplace. This question tests your knowledge of practical working procedures.
Sample Answer
Such things not only demotivate an employee but also leave mental scars that are tough to erase and mend. I believe, there must be a three-way approach to solve this mess:
- Firstly, there should be appropriate policies in place along with some clearly defined company codes of ethics.
- Secondly, install banners on walls of the workplace prohibiting such activities along with relevant legal excerpts.
- Lastly, the manager in charge must keep a constant vigil on such shameful activities. In case he or she finds any mischievous employee, the case must be reported to the senior management and post that to the police. Examples must be set, without showing any leniency, so that such activities are not repeated in the future.
11) What Are Your Salary Expectations?
This is a most common question, especially when you are appearing for a senior position. One must always conduct a thoughtful and diligent survey of the market conditions and find out what other employees performing similar roles, employed in a similar industry are getting in hand.
Sample Answer
I believe anything between (_____share your salary bracket______) would be a perfect thing for me. I am saying this based on some pensive and careful research and not demanding anything randomly.
12) How Will You Contribute To This Organization?
This question wants you to tell your interviewer what you can contribute an organization with. Tell your special abilities and strengths.
Sample Answer
I believe I can contribute to this organization with my expertise, skills, and knowledge. Being in possession of some valuable experience and having the ability to shine in tough conditions, I will improve the processes, cut costs in a phased manner, and overall help the company to improve its customer base and increase profitability.
13) What Is The One Thing You Would Like To Change In Your Current Company?
This is a tricky question and the responses generated will enable an interviewer to know your dislikes towards your current company.
Sample Answer
I believe my current organization is impeccable at lots of parameters. But still, no one is perfect be it humans or an artificial person. In my humble opinion, the career growth opportunities are very few and those too are available to only a few selected or favorite individuals. Hence, I would like to change this and would like that the growth opportunities are available to all the employees so as to enable a level playing field.
14) Are You Successful In Life?
This question might seem simple but really hard to answer. Simply saying, that I am earning huge sums of money, would not make you successful. Couple it with a few real life accomplishments.
Sample Answer
If money is the only parameter, I am proud to say a big yes. If you include some other parameters also, like happiness, accomplishments of personal goals, vacation trips, and quality family time, I would say I am partially successful, as there are still several personal goals of mine, that are due to be achieved.
15) How Good You Are In Managing High Work Pressure?
This question tests your willingness and ability handle heavy volumes of work.
Sample Answer
I won’t become diplomatic here and would reveal the general and most common perception. When people work day in and day out while performing similar tasks, that leads to boredom and monotony. Such a routine can simply crush you and might affect your ability to work consistently. In such a case you will suddenly feel that your everyday work is too much for you. For this, there are ways to train your mind. One must always remain disciplined and focused on his or her tasks so that boredom just can’t sneak in.
16) What Do You Like The Most In Your Job Profile?
This question can vary a lot and depends upon an individuals own perceptions and preferences.
Sample Answer
I believe, the authority and delegation of responsibilities or powers is the best thing, that attracted me towards this profile. When you are managing a team of over 25 employees, it sounds surreal as well as challenging. Being a person who loves to challenge me by giving me tough tasks and work schedules, I am certainly up for it.
17) Why You Want To Work?
This question tests your real motivation, that why you want to work.
Sample Answer
Work is worship. We eat daily, pray daily and live our lives daily. In the same way, I consider there are always some duties and tasks which you must perform daily, in order to earn money, recognition and contribute the society in a better way by becoming productive and fertile. A non-working person, eating his or her life’s savings is a burden on the society accompanying a devil’s mind with him or her.
18) What You Like The Most About Your Current Employer?
This question tests your faithfulness and views towards your current organization.
Sample Answer
There are lots of good things about my current organization. If asked to pick one, I would say the presence of an enjoyable work culture is the biggest asset of my current company. This is possible due to some well thought goal congruence policies, that aligns individual goals with organizational goals, and we all work hard to achieve targets and accomplish tasks given to us. This leaves zero time for bullying, gossiping or ragging.
19) Why You Chose Us?
This question tests your seriousness and commitment towards the organization you have applied with.
Sample Answer
Being a top tier company with presence in almost 34 countries and offices globally, it would be dream come true to work organization as successful and profitable as yours. Further, the salary offered, work culture and state of the art infrastructure, entices me and attracts me towards working with this organization.
20) What Is Your Biggest Strength?
This question tests your awareness about yourself and your attitude.
Sample Answer
I believe, my ability to take thoughtful decisions in times of distress and anxiousness makes me stand apart from the rest. I believe, this ability of mine to take diligent and wise decisions is my biggest strength. I would love to enhance my this strength while working for your organization.
21) Do You Have Any Questions For Us?
No matter you are applying for your first job or a senior position. No matter it is a clerical job or a top level management job. This would always remain a question that will conclude an interview session. An interviewer always wants to know from the candidates if they have any doubt, confusion or any question regarding their job profile or about the organization. One must always strive to ask at least 2-3 questions.
Sample Questions
- Do you have employee stock option plans?
- How do you conduct recreational programs for senior employees?
- Since it is a managerial position, will I be offered a cabin of my own?
- What are the leave travel concessions offered?
- What are the managerial policies and practices offered by the company?
Download the list of questions in .PDF format, to practice with them later, or to use them on your interview template (if you want to crack Interview):
Conclusion
A position secured through promotion is demanding in nature and expects you to work with more responsibilities and workload. You will most probably be leading a team of rookies or beginners, which in itself commands excellent leadership and authoritative skills. Preparing for a job promotion interview is a tough nut to crack, but with proper preparation, one can ace it. If you like our articles then don’t forget to share them with your family and friends. Also, do let us know through the comments section below, how much you like our articles.
References
- https://academic.oup.com/jpart/article-abstract/31/2/363/5929256
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214785320334374
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