HOW TO COMMUNICATE|Video Skills

MANAGING STRESS QUESTIONS

One way to improve your interviewing skills is by adapting to interviewers’ behaviors. Learn how to handle stress questions by completing the How to Communicate video activity below.

CONSIDER THIS:

During a job interview, the recruiter glares at you and asks, “What do you dislike about your current job?” in an accusatory tone. As you begin telling her that you’re looking for a position with growth opportunity, she interrupts and says, “C’mon. Stick to the question. What don’t you like about the job you have now?”

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Employers may use stress questions (or stress interviews) to see how applicants handle pressure or uncomfortable situations. Interviewers create the stress by interrupting, appearing uninterested, asking irrelevant questions, or aggressively challenging interviewees’ answers. As you watch the video, consider how competent communication skills can help you handle the pressure. Then, test your knowledge of key skills, and create your own responses to the What if? video prompts on the next page.

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REMAIN CALM. Breathe deeply, and resist any urge to respond with aggressive language or nonverbal behavior.

PARAPHRASE THE INTERVIEWER’S QUESTION OR REMARKS to clarify the intended meaning. Avoid commenting on the interviewer’s tone or behavior. (“You want me to identify specific challenges of my current job, is that right?”)

USE POSITIVE LANGUAGE AND TAKE YOUR TIME answering the question. Stay focused on the interviewer’s question or remark. (“One challenge I have is with coworkers who don’t follow through on tasks. From this I have learned…”)

MAINTAIN POSITIVE NONVERBAL BEHAVIORS, such as smiling, direct eye contact, and calm vocal tone, and eliminate adaptive gestures (for example, touching your face or playing with a pen in your hand).

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