Questioning a psychologist when applying for a job. What is a psychological interview, what questions are there and how to answer them correctly. Key interview questions

As you know, the successful completion of an interview and subsequent employment depends not only on the candidate’s necessary experience, skills and knowledge. Compliance of the applicant with the vacancy on formal grounds is determined at the stage of viewing the resume. Further selection is much more difficult - after all, it is important for the employer to know whether the candidate is suitable for a particular position and whether he is suitable for work in this company, whether he will be able to fit into the team, whether corporate values etc. Some employers try to figure out these matches at the very first job interview. personnel service. But HR-specialists in most cases have a very superficial knowledge of the psychological methods of evaluating a candidate. There is always a risk that HR managers will miss the "wrong" candidate, guided by personal sympathy or the desire to quickly close the vacancy. Therefore, companies that cannot afford to take such a risk, for example, solid financial institutions whose employees have access to trade secret, hold a specialist psychologist on staff. Is it difficult to pass an interview with a psychologist? What form does it take and what is it aimed at?

A standard interview with a psychologist can be of two types: in the form of a conversation and psychological tests. Interviewers may use one or both of these practices. It happens that applicants have to wait for some time until the psychologist summarizes the results of the test and calls the candidate to talk about the results. Consider the tools from the psychologist's arsenal in more detail.

Psychological tests

The set of tests for each psychologist is individual. Of course, the candidate is not offered the whole set at once - the combination of tests depends on the position for which the applicant is applying, and the competencies that a specialist in this position should have.

Personal

As the name suggests, this species tests are designed to reveal certain personality traits - such as sociability, leadership qualities, stress resistance. Some specific quality, and a number of these qualities can be evaluated. Tests are a verbal questionnaire with different answers. They usually consist of many questions. Some tests require only "Yes" and "No" answers, while others require multiple choices. Here is an example from the Cattell test: "If Mary's mother is the sister of Alexander's father, then who is Alexander in relation to Mary's father?" Answer options: great uncle, nephew, uncle.

In the Cattell test, assessment is carried out on several scales, such as sociability-isolation, gullibility-suspicion, impulsiveness-self-control, etc.

The Eysenck test is also popular - 57 questions for sincerity, introversion and neuroticism. Sample questions: "Does it ever happen that when you get angry, you lose your temper?" "Do you like to be in company often?" "Do you often have such thoughts for which you would be ashamed?"

A favorite test for psychologists who are fond of Carl Jung's ideas about personality typology is the Myers-Briggsley MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) test based on this theory. In MBTI, any respondent can be classified by the totality of his characteristics to a particular type of personality. Evaluation is carried out on scales: orientation of consciousness (extraversion - introversion), way of orientation in a situation (sensorics - intuition), decision-making basis (rationality - irrationality), way of preparing decisions (ethics - logic). The result is one of 16 personality types, each of which has its own demeanor and character traits. Opponents of the Jungian theory of personality types say that the division is very arbitrary and does not always reflect real essence of things. However, the Myers-Briggs test is a success not only among psychologists, but also among HR managers.

Experienced psychologists know that test results can be distorted, because a person is able to choose answers that are completely different from those that he would have chosen in his usual state due to excitement. Therefore, if certain qualities are being tested, competent interviewers try to select questionnaires in such a way that these qualities intersect.

Projective

In fact, they are a subspecies of personality tests, but sometimes stand out in separate category. Projective tests work according to the method of associations: the candidate is invited to transfer their own experiences and intentions to some object or animal that needs to be drawn, described, and so on. At the subconscious level, the candidate will place emphasis in accordance with their priorities, and problems that the applicant would prefer to keep silent about in a simple interview will break out through projective tests. Example: test "Non-existent animal". It proposes to draw a non-existent animal and call it a non-existent name. According to psychologists, the animal reflects the inner world of a person - if the figure has sharp corners, the person is aggressive, and if the animal consists of pleasant roundness, the candidate is good-natured and accommodating by nature.

In the Luscher test, you need to consistently choose the most pleasant colors. The test consists of eight cards. Basic rule: do not choose black, brown and gray first. In the Rosenzweig test, you need to make captions for pictures illustrating life situations. It is proposed, for example, to give an answer to a remark of a driver who splashed you or a wife who accuses you of breaking your mother's favorite vase. In the House-Tree-Man test, you are asked to sequentially depict three items from the name. The test allows you to identify a whole range of properties: the presence or absence of an internal conflict, openness or isolation, attitude towards others, family relationships, etc.

The big disadvantage of this category of tests from the point of view of a psychologist is that a detailed transcript of the tests can be found on the Internet. There you can also practice passing, which advanced candidates successfully use. So, one of the readers of Planet HR shared her own experience with us. Before visiting a psychologist, she carefully prepared: she looked on the Internet for examples of possible tests. And she didn’t miscalculate - when the psychologist suggested that she draw a non-existent animal, the girl willingly portrayed a cute fluffy yellow creature that looked like a Pokemon. The psychologist was quite satisfied with the results of the test, and the applicant was hired.

Professional

They are designed to determine the suitability of the candidate for the position for which he is applying. Knowledge of professional terms, the presence of a theoretical base and practical skills are checked. So, for example, one of the professional tests for teachers consists of a description of situations that can happen in the classroom. The task of the interviewee is to adequately respond to the actions of the students. Another example: in the test for PR managers, you need to choose from the list correct definitions for the terms “media kit”, “jeans”, “SWOT analysis”, “press release”, etc.

A very curious general test for managers called "Manager's Folder". Candidates are invited to imagine themselves as a plant manager who has been rushed into office to replace his predecessor and has not yet been up to date. At the workplace of the former head, a folder was found with memos in which specialists and business partners the plant is asked to assist in solving a wide variety of issues. In an hour and a half, you need to correctly prioritize the work and, taking into account the information received, draw up a further plan on how to “resolve” the situation.

intellectual

The name of the category speaks for itself. The most popular tests of this variety are for IQ. Consist of many mathematical and logical problems. For example, find a numerical pattern, understand which picture should go next in a line, etc. The principle of solving tests is to give the maximum number of correct answers in a certain period of time.

The disadvantage of such tests is that the obtained IQ indicator is very conditionally related to the intellectual capabilities of a particular applicant and rather indicates his ability to solve a certain type of mathematical and logical problems. As practice shows, some creative people may have a fairly low IQ.

Conversation

An interview in the form of a conversation also involves an assessment of the competencies necessary for a future employee, and also allows you to identify other things that are important for working in a company - for example, the candidate’s tendency to lie, his life priorities, etc.

The applicant is asked the usual and often expected questions: “Why did you leave your previous job?”, “Tell us about your shortcomings”, “Why do you want to work in our company?” etc. A trained candidate tries to give the so-called "socially desirable" answers to them and gives out pre-programmed options. When asked about shortcomings, this could be the answer: “My main drawback is workaholism, I can earn money and completely forget about time.” Psychologists (as well as recruiters, by the way) have long been accustomed to such versions and do not pay attention to them. special attention. Seeing a benevolent or neutral reaction from the psychologist, the candidate can relax. However, after some time, the interviewer may return to the topic, not just asking the question in other words, but forcing them to remember specific situation. For example, by asking the question: “Tell me how you dealt with a specific problem at work?”. An unprepared candidate begins to improvise and gives himself away - with slips of the tongue, pauses in the story, incorrectly constructed phrases, etc.

Unlike psychological tests, which are easy to fake, it is quite difficult to deceive an experienced psychologist in a personal conversation. If the candidate decided on a small lie - for example, about the reasons for leaving the previous job, and rehearsed it so well that he is ready to tell the story from any place and in any key, and here the psychologist can reveal a lie, since the candidate is given out just by deliberate smoothness , "memorization" of the answer.

Although the results of psychological testing by law cannot be the basis for refusal of employment, many employers try to take into account the opinion of a psychologist and not hire "irrelevant" candidates. And this is another reason to think before embarking on a long and thorny path of a multi-stage interview, do you really want to work in this particular company or are you acting on luck? If you chose the latter, then remember - time is valuable, including someone else's. And if the answer is "Yes, I want" - then good luck to you for the interview!

“Why is the manhole cover round?”, “How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?” - these questions are asked at the interview when applying for a job at Microsoft and Google. The employer's goal is to determine the candidate's way of thinking. Domestic leaders also torture their applicants.

Key interview questions

An interview is an important stage of employment. Both sides should prepare for this meeting in advance.

Job interview questions

At the first interview, the applicant should be asked a series of general and specific questions.

1) Work schedule. No matter how interesting the work is (office location, tasks to be solved, team), if the work schedule does not match your biometric clock or daily routine, you should not agree to it. In the first case, labor productivity drops sharply, and in the second, you will not have time to do household chores. Another question is if this schedule can be moved and coordinated with the management in advance.

2) Having a vacation. Before the change of job, the candidate may already have plans for a vacation. By law, only after six months of work, an employee can go on vacation. If you do not fit into these deadlines, you should immediately discuss this issue with the employer at the interview and fix it in the employment contract.

3) Business trips. The very fact of the presence of business trips and their duration must be immediately agreed upon at the interview.

4) Payment for processing. If you have overtime coming up, you should ask in advance how they are paid. There is no way to protect yourself in advance. But to see if there is a provision for compensation in collective agreement, necessary.

5) Is it possible to use personal devices or all devices are given at work? This question is more about access control and working with it. If the company allows you to use your own device, be prepared for the fact that your messages on instant messengers, social networks will be tracked without your knowledge.

6) Training at the expense of the company. Large companies annually organize refresher courses for their employees. Ask what courses and under what conditions you can get in the current year. Usually requires a minimum experience in the company and partial payment for classes.

Employer interview questions

A recruit at an interview will be interested not only in general information about the applicant.

How do you look at life? How do you deal with problems?

Some express a passive position that there is little joy in their life, all people are evil and, in general, fate is to blame. This indicates that the candidate is not confident in himself, does not trust others and is pessimistic. A person aimed at success expresses a different position: all difficulties can be overcome and the fate of a person is in his hands.

What attracts you to this job?

The template answer “I want to work in a stable company” is not suitable. It's better to mention the possibility professional growth and in a group of professionals.

Why are you worthy of this position?

When answering the question, the candidate must clearly and convincingly state his professional advantages. The ability to draw up a sales plan is already part of the responsibilities of an economist, but quickly processing a large amount of information from the sales department is a valuable skill.

What are your strengths?

The candidate must name the qualities that are required for the position, and confirm them with facts. If this is “sociability and accuracy”, then it should be clarified in what exactly they are manifested and how they influenced achievements in the past in the past.

Did you have other job offers?

Interest in the candidate will increase if he talks about other proposals, but note the interest in this particular job. It is good if the candidate expresses a desire to get job satisfaction. Not only the moral climate depends on this, but also the opportunity to get a high result of labor.

Will personal life interfere with work (long working hours, business trips)?

If you are ready to work overtime, then management should know about it.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Uninitiated people cannot answer this question. But a purposeful person will talk about his plans in the professional field.

Psychological issues and pitfalls when applying for a job

Psychological tests are carried out when hiring, studying the motivation of employees, their psychological compatibility. Stress testing is done to weed out particularly sensitive candidates. How to pass an interview?

Testing for an interview is not an appointment with a psychologist. You need to answer clearly, as most do, and show a minimum of originality, unless you get a job as an art director in a company.

Design tests are most often carried out according to the Luscher method. You can choose the correct answers to questions in advance in the thematic literature.

To pass intelligence tests, you need to carefully study the conditions of the study. Even if you don't know the correct answer, you can always try to guess it.

To pass professional tests. You need to have knowledge and skills in the chosen specialty. Such tasks should not be underestimated. You need to prepare in advance for the knowledge test.

To the bank and financial institutions

For many people, "working in a bank" is associated with financial independence. As in any other field, it has its own specifics. Here, in addition to professional knowledge, good communication skills are also important. Banks are ready to take people with no experience and train them in the specifics of their activities.

The candidate comes to the interview and answers a series of general and specific questions regarding his character. The level of stress resistance is already determined in practice. You can talk about career growth in two years successful work. Recruiting professionals with different backgrounds. Persons with an economic education are preferred.

The last stage of the interview big banks is a polygraph test. It happens unexpectedly. The task of testing is to obtain confirmation of the information told at the interview.

Testing is carried out in several stages. First, the candidate is introduced to the operation of the sensors. Then he is given a list of questions so that he can edit them or exclude some points.

Testing begins after the approval of the final version of the questions and the consent of the subject to participate in the test. You only need to answer "yes" or "no". A vague question can lead to an incorrect response by the test-taker. The subject is not required to answer questions regarding religion, politics, nationality and sexual relations.

To law enforcement agencies

Before you get a job in law enforcement, you should clearly define the vacancy. There is a clear list of requirements for each position, which includes personal qualities and the level of professionalism. More benefits candidates who have passed the army or graduated from the military department.

A key step in testing unscrupulous employees is a polygraph test. If the results of the test reveal an addiction to gambling, alcohol, or a dangerous environment disease, then you can forget about working in law enforcement agencies. Here, neither a certificate from a narcologist nor a red diploma will save you.

Do not try to fool the polygraph. All attempts to evade the answer are immediately recognized by the specialist and perceived as a signal that the person has something to hide. In the police, a polygraph test is carried out not only among newcomers, but also among their own employees, starting with the head of the department. Although from a legal point of view, these actions are not legalized.

Why does an employer offer applicants an interview with a psychologist?
How to behave in such an interview?
What types of testing are used in the selection of specialists?

Don't give in to provocations

An affectionate, sincere and attentive psychologist is something from the realm of fantasy. Be prepared for confusion and even aggression. Often, in order to test an employee for deceit, psychologists ask the same question in different variations. Sometimes you can hear a remark on the verge of rudeness. This is not due to personal animosity. Thus, the psychologist checks the poise and restraint of the applicant. Therefore, you should not be nervous, raise your voice or get lost. Respond calmly to comments. Show that you can handle stressful situations.

Refrain from being too candid

You should not be frank and reveal all sides of your personality, even if you come across a "good uncle." A psychologist is not a priest, and an interview is not a confession. It is enough to answer questions informatively without falling into explanations of details. An interview with a psychologist has one big advantage. Sometimes it helps to understand what kind of company you have chosen and decide whether you want to work here.

When applying for a job in recent years, they practice psychological tests. If in Soviet time the employer was only interested in diplomas and characteristics, now the main attention is paid to personal qualities if a person applies for a solid or responsible position. How to go through a psychologist when applying for a job, will tell "Popularly about health."

Why do we need psychological testing of candidates?

In the United States and European countries, this method of selecting people for a particular job has been around for many years. Psychological tests help to reveal not only the hidden needs of a person, aspirations and desires, but also the ability to think outside the box and work in a team. In the course of communication with a psychologist, it becomes obvious whether the candidate will cope with the duties assigned to him, whether his activities will contribute to the development of the company. Tests help to find out what life difficulties a person is currently struggling with.

Someone may object - why penetrate into the depths of human consciousness and reveal all the cards! It is important for a psychologist to select a person with certain characteristics for a specific position. personal qualities, because the company is interested in further prosperity. Read on to find out how to pass this test and get the job of your dreams.

How to get tested by a psychologist when applying for a job?

color cards

Testing with multi-colored cards. This test is very interesting. The person will be asked to arrange 8 cards of different colors in the desired order. At the same time, he should be the first to post those that cause him positive emotions, and the last ones that he does not like.

The psychologist knows that the first 2 cards chosen by the candidate mean his goals and aspirations, the next two - the current state of affairs, 5 and 6 - what he is indifferent to, 7 and 8 - what oppresses and crushes him.

To pass this test, you need to have the colors blue, yellow, green and red in any order in the first four. If these colors are laid out first, the psychologist will conclude that in front of him is a purposeful and active person who longs to assert himself and gain constancy.

Picture

The candidate is often asked to draw a tree, a house and a person on paper. Everyone draws as best he can, but the psychologist will note all the details - what is drawn first, which house is shown in the drawing, the proportions of the sketch, additional images - the road, the porch, doors, windows, pets.

To get a job, you need to try to draw a proportional drawing, depict a solid house with windows and doors, with a path leading to it, with a cat on the porch. The tree is better to choose fruit or oak. Be sure to draw the sun in the sky. The drawing should be as realistic as possible.

Story

Another test involves viewing the picture and commenting on it. It aims to find out what a person thinks on this stage life, what state of mind he has. The meaning is that a person talks about what worries him. If the picture shows a crying person, then the candidate will certainly express the possible causes of the disorder, mentioning his own. To pass this test successfully, try to give positive or neutral comments.

Spot

The psychologist will show the candidate for the position dark spot. Usually it is drawn with black paint and has a certain shape. He will ask what it is associated with.

In fact, a black blot clearly causes negative feelings and thoughts, but you will have to speak out neutrally as a last resort. For example, one of the blots reminds you of a fight or is associated with pain, then you should not say that. Say that in the picture you see the emotional communication of people or something like that.

Intelligence testing

At the final stage of the interview, the candidate will be given time (usually no more than half an hour) to answer various tricky questions. They will help determine the level of human intelligence. Be careful, many of the questions have a catch. It is necessary to use not only the mind, but also logic.

If there are too many questions, then you will have to answer quickly. Candidates do not always have time to answer all the points. Don't be discouraged if time is running out, tick boxes at random, but don't leave questions unanswered. So there is a chance to guess somewhere. It's better than not answering the tests at all.

What else needs to be considered?

Before the interview, it is advisable to get enough sleep, put yourself in order - comb your hair, brush your teeth, cut your nails. Be sure to pay attention to the choice of clothes - give preference to a formal suit to match the desired position. At the interview, behave freely - do not cross your legs and arms, keep your head up, your back straight. This will give you an impression of self-confidence, and in most cases such people get good jobs.

To pass a psychologist when applying for a job, prepare in advance. Study all kinds of tests online, most of them are somewhat similar. Be sure to study the questions to determine the level of intellectual development.

Today, most companies strive to find the ideal and versatile employee. It is important for the employer that the employee is purposeful, hardworking and ready for any difficult situation.

When large companies accept a new employee (especially if it is an important or managerial position), some of them send a person to a psychologist. Mid-level companies (including the majority of Russian companies), taking on any position, even the lowest paid and not responsible, like to ask psychological questions themselves. Consider the three most popular of them, and try to find the right answer.

1. What is the most difficult situation you have faced in your entire career? How did you get out of this situation?

When an employer asks a future employee to talk about the most difficult situation that happened to him previous place work, he wants to understand what causes difficulties for the worker and that there is a difficult situation for him.

The most important thing here is to think carefully before answering. By no means do you need to say that you did not have such situations. The employer will consider the person not ready for the difficulties that may arise.

The most competent answer is that in any incomprehensible situation a person tries to clarify the information. There is another option - translate this question jokingly and tell a funny story. However, there is a risk that the future employer will consider the person not responsible enough and not ready for difficulties. And who needs a jester at work? It is also not recommended to describe a difficult situation, the reason for which the future employee is to blame.

Of course, after this question, almost every interviewer asks to describe how a person got out of this situation. Here it is important to show yourself with the best side, but don't overdo it. Mention that during such a situation, they certainly reported it to the authorities, asked colleagues for advice, and then everything was safely resolved. Such tactics will characterize a person as a responsible employee who does not stand out from the team.

2. Where do you see yourself in five years? What is your career development plan?

Remember, the most stupid answer in this situation: "In your place" or "In the position of director of the enterprise." You should also not answer that you don’t know yet who you want to become and that you plan to work in this place forever. No one wants an employee with no prospects.

An employee who dreams of taking the place of a director (that is, perhaps "sittin' out" of an existing one) is also of no interest to anyone. When answering this question, fantasize a little and come up with a plan career development 5 years ahead. In all colors, describe how you plan to move along career ladder What are your prospects for life? Do not overdo it. Remember that lies are always very well heard. A person must be promising, purposeful and have earthly plans for life.

3. Describe your ideal job.

Of all the questions, this one is the trickiest. What exactly shouldn't be said? The fact that at the moment any job is ideal for you. The fact that you dream of doing nothing and at the same time making a lot of money.

The employer is not looking for an employee who is not interested in this position or who, out of desperation, is ready to grab any job. Remember: a person who respects himself and his work is always treated better than a lazy person.

The most correct answer in this case would be a description of the future position for which the person is currently applying. With one small “but” - complete it with something insignificant and sweet (for example, all your life you dreamed of working as a secretary and, sitting at your desk, admiring a framed photo of your family, but at your previous place of work there was a ban on any personal items) .

However, here, too, it is worth having a line, and not overdoing it. The boss might get suspicious. And, of course, do not forget to mention that in any work there are no limits to perfection, and there is always something to strive for. Incidentally mention that self-development is very important to you.

P.S. There is a small addition for girls. Each employer asks if the girl has a family/relationship. As a rule, this is always followed by a question about future plans for life.

If a girl says that she is currently in a relationship, it is worth noting that this will not affect her work in any way. Currently, her main focus is a career and personal growth. Of course, in a few years she hopes to start a family, but so far she does not want to rush into it.

As for women who are married or preparing for marriage, the employer will most of all be afraid of the likelihood that such an employee will go on maternity leave in the very near future.

The best answer to such a question is that the girl does not consider it necessary to discuss her personal life at work. She always separates work and relationships, and doesn't like to mix one with the other. Moreover, she does not allow when one interferes with the other.

It might be useful to read: