Tips to Handle Stress Interviews

The stress interviews are the worst nightmare of a job candidate. It varies from mildly provocative to sadistic. The purpose of such interviews is to put candidates on the defensive. The motive behind it is to show the true person under stressful situations and candidates who perform well under pressure in the interview would handle work stress in a likewise. This approach is a right and effective way to predict a candidate’s performance at work which may face pretty stressful situations at times. The candidate who handles interview pressure with grace and confidence goes much ahead past the candidate who can handle only the easy questions. The key to a successful interview is to keep the anxiety under control so the level of stress is manageable. Below mentioned are some tips for handling pre-interview and during the interview jitters, so as to easily handle the process and ace the interviews.

Types of Stress Interview Strategies

• Aggressive Questions: A mild-mannered interviewer can also test the candidate’s interviewing skills by asking questions like “Why did your previous employer fire you?”

• Aggressive Interviewer Behaviour: Some interviewers have a strong faith in a tough attitude. One can see a show-me attitude in their words, facial expression, body language and behaviour.

• Unexpected Interview Behaviours: The interviewer tries to distract you with unexpected behaviours. For example, an interviewer can ask the same technical question a number of times, playing he did not understand the answer. The candidates’ reaction is explaining the answer several times with each time getting more exasperated at the questioner’s stupidity.

• Brainteasers Interviews: Brainteasers are becoming more popular. The candidate is not expected to know the actual answers to questions like “How much do you think the ice in a hockey rink weighs?” but he is expected to explain how would he calculate the same.

• Case Interviews: In such situations, the candidate is presented with an open-ended business situation, usually a set of hard choices and required to describe an approach towards a solution. The candidate’s skills of solving relevant business issues, quantitative and analytical skills, ability to prioritize and anticipate problems, and communication skills are tested through such questions.

How to Handle

The key methods to apply when asked stress questions are similar to strategies used in high-level salary negotiation. 

One should keep in mind below mentioned points:

• Clarify the question and the nature of the answer anticipated. This can buy the candidate some time to think. Think, what is the interviewer trying to get at? One should not feel any reluctance about asking questions to get explanation; sometimes, this is exactly what’s expected.

• The candidate should converse what he is thinking and doing.

• One should state assumptions, and ask for unidentified information.

• Always focus on the way to solve the problem, not necessarily the “right” answer.

• If one is answering with a story, make sure not to lose the point.

• One should be open, honest and direct, but decline to be emotionally intimidated.

Aggressive interviewers can smell fear easily. But be conscious that the person who might ask difficult questions might turn out to be easy-going and warm-hearted once the candidate is hired.