Hireat

What is interview?

An interview is essentially a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers. The word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee in common parlance.

The best way to get ready for an interview is to take the time to review the most common interview questions you will most likely be asked, along with examples of the best answers.

You don't need to memorize an answer, but do take the time to consider how you'll respond. The more you prepare, the more confident you'll feel during a job interview.

Being asked to describe yourself is a very common interview question.

The hiring manager may ask something like, “How would you describe yourself?”

"Defining yourself is basically the idea of knowing who you are, what you stand for, what your identity is, what rules you stand by, and so on".

How to answer “Describe yourself in 5 words”

Describing yourself can be tricky. You want to be honest, but not brutally so. You want to impress, but without coming off as narcissistic. You want to be positive, but not over the top.

Whether you’re preparing for the classic interview question “Tell me about yourself” or writing a Tinder profile, it’s worth spending the time to get it right. 

You’ll want to start your interview off right by nailing this question.

Here are a few factors to consider before you start preparing your answer to this HR round question.

Research the company-

Research the company along with its history, values, and mission. 

Prepare a set of questions-

Consider questions such as:

What is the company culture like?

Is there an opportunity for growth in this role?

How do you measure employee performance?

Prepare for different types of interviews-

There are two primary types of interviews.

A behavioral interview

Experiential interviews

List down adjectives and tally it with the job description.

List down all the adjectives you think describe you the best.

In case of confusion, turn to your trusted friends, acquaintances, and even family members to give you 5 adjectives which according to them describe you the best.

Always justify your answer with examples. Below is a list of example answers to the interview question, "Can you describe yourself in 5 words?"

Answer- 1 I would describe myself as ; Passionate-

I really love the job I do, which makes it really enjoyable to get up and go to work every day. That enthusiasm shows in the work I do.

Answer- 2

I am a person who works as a real team player. I bring the best out of the people I work with and I always do what I think is best for the company.

Answer- 3 Ambitious-

I expect a lot from myself and I want to go a long way in my career. That means I’m always looking for opportunities to develop my skills and become a better engineer. I always remember that focusing on the job you’re doing at the moment is the most important though.

Answer- 4

Positive words to describe yourself able. I can handle multiple tasks daily. Creative.

I use a creative approach to problem solve. Dependable. I am a dependable person who is great at time management. Energetic. I am always energetic and eager to learn new skills. Experience. … Flexible. … Hardworking. … Honest.

Answer- 5 Some statements that recruiters love:

“I am eager to learn.”I am determined.”I never give up until I get something right.”I get on well with all kinds of people.”

I like to keep a positive attitude.”Hard work doesn’t bother me. … “I enjoy facing challenges.”I like everything I do to be well-organized.

Answer- 6

I enjoy solving problems, troubleshooting issues, and coming up with solutions promptly. I thrive in team settings, and I think my ability to effectively communicate with others is what drives my ability to solve a variety of problems

Answer- 7 Professional-

I am an open-minded person. My nature is an open-minded person, and I always keep myself open-minded suggestions, also I never do one-way communication listen and understand the other person's perspective, also support other person's ideas. In my team leader profile work, it would help me get a better understanding of team members.

Do's & Dont's while answering“Describe yourself in 5 words”:

Do's  

-Be honest with your answer

-Be Friendly / Personable / Extrovert

-Take the question seriously

-Be humble

-Understand the job requirement

-Responsive

-Energetic / Intelligent

Dont's

- Avoid giving cliched answers

-Don’t speak negatively about anyone you’ve worked with in the past.

-Never say - “I’m Really Nervous”. Even if you’re more nervous than you’ve ever been, no company wants to hire someone who lacks confidence.

-Unprofessional language

-Don't speak over the interviewer.

You should prepare for such types of questions that might be asked in an interview.

What does underpayment mean?

Most people think that underpayment means they are getting paid less than they feel they're worth.

In reality, however, the market dictates what someone deserves to be paid.

Lack of understanding of what constitutes fair pay for their position: Some job titles do not adequately represent workers' actual jobs. Employees may also be misclassified and therefore underpaid.

"Being underpaid is frustrating and demoralizing".

Getting underpaid at work isn’t just unfair, it’s unhealthy. Unfortunately, it’s a common practice in the average workplace. And underpaying employees results in faster turnover and underperformance. 

It's extremely common for working people to be underpaid. When you are underpaid, it means that another employer or even another manager in your current organization would pay you more for your services than you're getting paid now.

Underpaying staff may have some short-term benefits, but it won’t get you far in the big picture.

In the modern world of corporations and organizations, what you earn is decided upon your qualifications and experience.

While there are industry standards to quantify your experience and qualifications, you might be in a job where you’re underpaid as per the same standards.

If you feel your work has been consistently strong and that you are being underpaid, ask for a raise. Money and self-worth often go hand-in-hand. If you're not being paid fairly at work, it could easily result in negative feelings that manifest in a number of ways.

There are several signs and symptoms of being overworked.

The most common signs an employee may experience when feeling overworked/underpaid include:

Compare your workload or qualifications to your pay

Has your employer regularly increased your workload and responsibilities, according to your qualification without increasing your pay?

That’s a sign you’re being shorted. Or maybe you have advanced degrees, specialized skills, or in-depth experience you’re not adequately compensated for.

That’s another indication that your paycheck is falling short of where it should be.

Responsibilities Increasing

Of course, we all want to grow and take on more responsibilities at work.

It’s common to get told you need to step up your responsibilities to ‘prove your worth’. But a large part of the motivation to do that is for a pay increase. If you have noticed an increase in the responsibilities then you deserve a raise as well. But if you realize that you are underpaid.

Let the organization know that you are not happy with the reward decided by them as against the nature of responsibilities being demanded from you.

Your salary is less than the average of the online data

Turn to the glassdoor salary tool to search among millions of real salary reports and find out what people with your job title, in your area, are earning.

If your salary is less than the average of what the online data suggests then you’re probably underpaid.

Stress, depression and problems with emotions

Feeling underpaid doubles the probability that a worker will report experiencing "stress, depression, and problems with emotions" on a majority of days in any given month.

Knowing your Worth is important when you invest your productive 8-9 working hours in a day for a valuable cause or reason.

You make less money than your colleagues in similar positions

If you have colleagues that come from the same educational background and experience but are paid more than you do then you’re likely to be underpaid.

High Turnover

Your salary is the same despite your company's growth

Your salary is the same for some time but your company is reaching milestones.

You are realizing that the company is growing smoothly, reaching milestones (milestones as in terms of revenue and growth), but you are still in the same place.

Recent

hires

are being paid more

Employers offering higher wages to new hires.

If you notice that new hires are being appointed to fill existing positions on higher packages then you’re most likely being underpaid.

Here's how to sleuth out whether your salary is fair—and what you can do about it.

First, show the manager what you're currently being paid, then, show the manager or supervisor as much evidence as possible that other people who work the same job are getting paid more.

Figure out what you're actually worth by understanding average salaries for people in your role

Find out the ways how do people move through the salary range at this company?

Are there certain skills or certifications you can earn that would lead to a pay raise?

Spend some time thinking about what your boss wants, what you want, and what you’re going to do if you don’t succeed, he says. This will help you make the most compelling argument.

What Are Your Salary Expectations? This question may also be stated as :

“What are your salary requirements?” "Or" “What do you expect to be paid?”

Salaries it could be awkward at times when the recruiter asks you, "What Are Your Salary Expectations?"  You might think to yourself, “I don’t want to sound greedy with my salary expectations, yet I don’t want to be underpaid based on my experiences and qualifications.”

Why is answering this question so tricky? It’s a relatively straightforward question yet the answer can be quite complicated. You don’t want to undersell yourself, but you don’t want to be unrealistic.

There are a few different reasons why companies ask about salary expectations.

To know your worth, by asking you about your salary expectations, recruiters want to know if you know your worth and to determine whether your skills and experience are worth the amount you ask for.

Another reason recruiters and hiring managers might ask this question is to identify whether you’re the type of candidate who does their research and can share specifically the value that they would bring to the role.

Limited budget, recruiters too are given budget by the higher authorities. They need to see if their budget meets your salary expectation.

They want to determine whether you’re at the appropriate professional level. An applicant who asks for a significantly higher amount than other candidates may be too senior for the role. Alternatively, answering with a salary expectation on the low end could indicate you’re at a lower experience level than the job requires.

Some employers are bargain hunting. Despite a general market value for certain positions, some companies place a bigger premium on certain positions than other companies. This means that the salary they expect to pay for a certain position may be lower or higher than the going rate.

By preparing for salary questions ahead of time, you may have a better chance of landing the job of your dreams, with a paycheck to match.

Here are tips you can follow to get ready for that conversation:

An essential part of job interview preparation is doing your homework on the company itself.

Having this pertinent information fresh on your mind before shaking hands with your interviewer will help you feel more prepared and will equip you with quality talking points as the interview progresses.

Do Research:

Always go into a job interview having done your research on what salary range makes the most sense for that position, company, and your experience and skill level.

Review the job description:

Read the job description to thoroughly understand how the employer has described the position and the type of candidate they are looking for. Carefully review the keywords and key phrases the employer uses to describe their expectations.

Learn more about the company:

If you are in a time crunch and don't have the luxury of studying up on a company thoroughly make sure you at least jot down some mental notes from the company's website.Here's how:

Go immediately to the "About Us" and "Mission Statement" portions of the site.

Some mission statements are more informative and useful than others but many give you a glimpse of how the company wants to represent itself to the public and what the company values.

Preparing is key:

The question “What are your salary expectations” is not just about proper preparation, but equally about swift action and thought. If you go too high, you can take yourself out of the running. If you go too low, you may end up with a less-than-appealing offer.

Here are some best ways to answer and prepare for the salary expectations question.

Answer- 1

“Before I answer that question, I’d like to ask what you typically pay someone with my experience and education in this type of position.

Answer- 2

In general, I expect a salary that’s consistent with current employees at the same level. I think I can be a great asset to this company, and if you agree, I’d love to hear your offer.

Answer- 3

“I really need more information about the position before I can begin to discuss salary. Can you tell me the range budgeted for this position?”

Answer- 4

“I’m more interested in finding a position that’s a good fit for my skills and interests. I’m confident that you’re offering a salary that’s competitive in the current market.”

Answer- 5

I’m quite open and slightly flexible on salary as the opportunity to add value and to be valued is important to me. I’d appreciate knowing how you value this position and what your budget is for this role ?

Answer- 6

“Well, after carrying out some research and considering my experience, my understanding is that a salary of between 15 - 18 lakh a year is usual based on the role and responsibilities.”

Depending on the answer you give, they will be able to tell if you really understand the value you bring to the organization through your experiences and skills. It shows you took the time to research and put thought into your job search.

Hope these tips will help you in handling salary based questions.

What is remote work culture?

Remote work culture is defined as the digital culture within an organization which enables employees to stay connected through shared experiences, interests, and priorities.  Even companies without a set or defined culture have a culture.

Company culture:

Can be defined as a set of shared values, goals, attitudes, and practices that characterize an organization. It's the way people feel about the work they do, the values they believe in, where they see the company going and what they're doing to get it there.

In today’s modern work environment, company culture is vital. 56% of employees find a good workplace culture to be more important than salary. But when employees work remotely, building a company culture that reaches everyone across their various locations is even more challenging.

Some Words to Describe Your Company Culture:

Transparent

Engaging

Collaborative

Motivating

Supportive

Welcoming

Progressive

Challenging

Rewarding

The pandemic turned remote work from a privilege to a necessity overnight in March 2020. Because countless studies show your remote employees will be happier, healthier, and more engaged in their jobs and can save you a significant amount of time and money. They are 20 percent more productive and almost twice as likely to work beyond 40 hours a week, all while slashing office costs.

In the shift to remote work, many hiring processes have had to shift as well, from interviewing to onboarding.

For this particular one, we’re focusing on if you’re interviewing for remote jobs. Remote interviewing is a newly required skill for hiring managers and recruiters. When you’re interviewing remotely, it can be very hard to know the culture of the company.

Finding a company culture where you can be your authentic self and feel comfortable in the work environment will help you feel more engaged, enjoy your role, and want to stay with the organization longer.

Here are 5 ways to know a company’s culture when interviewing remotely:

Research about the Company

Before your remote job interview does your research. Make sure to do your own research ahead of time, starting with the company’s website.

Before going on a job interview, you should spend time finding out about the company. When you research a company, you're looking for information that tells you about its culture, history, and achievements.

This is why it's important to set aside time to learn more about companies prior to interviewing with them. Prepare everything you possibly can in advance. Preparation has always been a key factor in successful interviews.

Evaluate Its Online Presence

Your company website is the core of your online presence, and it should be fortified by social media profiles and an active content marketing strategy.

What types of posts do they make and what do their senior leaders say online? Resources like Glassdoor can also give you a sense of how current and former employees describe the company.

How advance is the technology

The minute you agree to a virtual interview, test your technology to ensure you’re set up for success. Conducting technology research before the meeting, sitting down at your computer poised and ready for any and all questions will help set you apart from other applicants.

Scour the company's social media to get a better picture of its engagement with consumers, clients, and employees. Check out their posts for insight into the company’s values and sense of humor, and see how they’re portrayed in the media from an “outside” perspective.

Try to connect with current and past employees

Connect with current and past employees directly for further insights on the work environment.

People who have already worked for the company will probably give you the best review of the culture of a company.

While current employees may be a little biased when talking about their current company, former employees may give you a pretty blunt review of their experience.

You can check certain platforms where the employees leave a review about the company. While going through it you can get an understanding of the company’s culture and information regarding the company which you wouldn’t have known.

Ask questions related to company culture

At the end of the interview, you will always get a chance to ask questions to the hiring managers.

Try asking these important questions:

What are some things people to do ‘fit in’ here?

Tell me about your company culture?

What are some traditions you have for your remote as well as in-house employees?

Why have you chosen to stay here?

How would you characterize the company's overall management style?

What is the work-life balance like here?

What kinds of people seem to succeed in this company/department?

Consider the factors that will be most impactful for you. It could be anything from how family-friendly they are, how collaboratively teams work together, how open the communication channels are, or how the values of the company are expressed through decisions senior leaders make.

Successful job candidates ask interviewers insightful questions that make a lasting impression.

Your interviewer will test if you have the skills needed to become a consultant. And they will also give you the opportunity to ask them questions usually at the end of the interview. Asking the right questions during a job interview is the key to impress interviewers. To ensure that you end a potentially career-changing interview on a high, you’ll need to come ready with some intelligent questions.

Because on one hand, these questions are useful and the best bet you have to learn about the position and company. Your questions can show you’re qualified and interested in the job, which are two qualities that a hiring manager wants in every applicant.

Here are a few tips to help you ask sensible questions at the end of your interview:

How Could I Help Your Company Meet Its Goals?

How does this position fit in with the short- and long-term goals of the company?

The short-term side of the question gives you further insight into your potential role and helps you tailor the remainder of the discussion and your interview follow-up.

By bringing up long-term goals, you are telling the hiring manager that you're there for the long run.

Would I be undergoing any

training

before starting work?

Asking this will show that you want to develop your skills and are striving to succeed in your job role. You need to have this information so you know what you’re getting yourself into. It’s helpful to know which is which before you accept a job offer that you’re not trained for.

This question showcases your motivation to continually advance in your career and develop your skillset.

What do you enjoy about working for this organization?

Asking about your interviewer's personal experience will provide you with additional insight into the company's culture as well as allows you to create a sense of rapport with the interviewer.

It’s personal, so you’re both connecting with the interviewer and learning about the organization.

What are the biggest opportunities/challenges facing the company right now?

Challenges-

No role is perfect, so if the interviewer didn’t proactively mention the challenges that come with it, it’s a good question to ask. This shows awareness; you understand that the role will have obstacles. Knowing the good is just as important as knowing the not-so-good.

Opportunities-

You want to learn, grow professionally, and have opportunities to further your career. Asking this question will let you know right away if the company has a professional development program in place if they offer coaching, support continued education, and if you have opportunities to be promoted internally.

What does a typical day look like in this role?

Want to show you’re enthusiasm and gain a clearer picture of what the job entails day-to-day?

By learning more about the day-to-day tasks, you will also gain more insight into what specific skills and strengths are needed.

"Success and happiness in a job boil down to contentment with the nitty-gritty of the everyday"

How Would You Describe the Company Culture?

You probably read about it on their website, but asking about company culture directly to the people you’re interviewing with allows you to get their own perspective.

Asking this question shows the interviewer that you care about finding the right cultural fit in your next position.

Every person who interviews you may have a different take on the most pressing parts of the role. Their perspectives and views can help you get a well-rounded picture of the keys to success.

Tips to remember before asking these questions:

Avoid questions that revolve around how you stand to benefit from taking that job.

Knowing which questions to avoid is just as important as knowing which questions to ask ( Be specific).

Avoid these type of questions:

-"Do I have to do overtime?

-  Will you guys pay me for my extra hours of work?"

-How many smoking breaks can I take each day?

-Avoid Questions with Obvious Answers

Focus on asking quality questions.

Avoid asking simple yes or no questions.

Express to your interviewer that you want this position and you are in this for the right reasons, not simply to fill your day with something to do.

And at the same time, you should also use that part of the interview to continue showing that you are a motivated and capable candidate.

"Work load has increased along with responsibilities at home, this has left people exhausted". The blending of responsibilities from two major areas of our lives, work and home, can be a considerable source of stress, especially during a pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has taken an extensive toll on the lives of many individuals, putting them under stressful conditions as they remain unsure about the future, that has been put on hold by the lockdown. Since stress is unavoidable, it's important to learn how to channel and deal with it in a healthy, productive way.

With the COVID-19 lockdown, the work culture across the globe has changed. Work from home is the new normal, for at least a few more months. Zoom calls have replaced meetings and WhatsApp office groups have become sacrosanct. The workload is unavoidable in a corporate job. Work from home stress is the by-product of our new normal and has been so for more than a year now.

What is work from home stress?

Struggling with working from home depression? You’re not alone.

Work from home can be stressful, managing work, household work, children, and the elderly. It also means multiple times of work intrusion through addressing domestic chores. In many cases, WFH can be stressful and lead to back pains, headaches, loss of sleep, fatigue, and even obesity.

The Reason lead to stress during work from home?

Constant tiredness and cynicism

Changes in appetite, energy, desires, and interests

Feeling sad or depressed

Having trouble sleeping

Having trouble concentrating

Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes

Worsening of chronic health problems

Worsening of mental health conditions

These simple tips can help you while working at home, to

reduce stress,

feel more productive and take care of your mental health in these difficult times.

Have a routine

Having a routine introduces a sense of stability to one’s life. Whether you set your own schedule or have specific hours that you need to be working, creating a routine can help you manage your life and focus better on your work. Routines strengthen your mental health by reducing the number of decisions you have to make in a day. 

Follow your normal sleep and work patterns if you can, and stay consistent. Moreover, set a daily routine for work: take regular breaks, leave your desk for lunch, and have a fixed time to turn off. 

Exercise

Exercise boosts not only our immune systems but also our mental health, which can reduce stress. Exercise can also be a great opportunity to get a break from the home environment. You should aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of activity each day.

Take care of your body.

Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate

Walk: this tip may be simple, but it is still effective.

Follow an online exercise class

Communication

Communication is the key.

Everything can be fixed with communication.

You can even vent out your frustration or anger in front of your loved ones. This will make you feel better.

Prioritize taking care of your mental health

It may seem obvious, but in a calendar full of meetings, tasks, deadlines, family, physical hygiene, and children, the thought of how to work on your mental health often comes last.

It is essential, however, for companies and employees to invest in mental health-boosting activities and initiatives.

Physical activity can do wonders for your mental health.

Stay connected

“Fear and isolation can lead to depression and anxiety. We need to make a point to connect with others regularly.” 

Connect with your colleagues: These need not be just work meetings. Perhaps plan a virtual coffee break to just catch up with each other.

Practicing self-isolation or self-quarantine is beneficial for preventing the spread of COVID-19, but not so great for mental health. Sometimes the best antidote for stress is simply talking it out with a friend. 

Eat Healthy

Eating healthy can help reduce stress and has a number of long-term benefits if followed correctly.

Staying healthy is critical during a pandemic and healthy eating can have both physical and mental health benefits. Share food preparation duties with other members of your household where possible.

Here are some tips: Eat this:

Complex carbs like whole wheat bread or pasta and vegetables

Foods high in fiber like fruits and vegetables

Superfoods like Kale, Dark Chocolate, and blueberries, which contain mood-boosting antioxidants

Lean proteins like chicken, or better yet, wild-caught Alaskan Salmon (high in mood stabilizing omega-3.

Choose foods to boost memory, concentration, and alertness, such as pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, and eggs. Limit your intake of refined carbs, processed foods, and sugary drinks.

Spend time with family

Spending quality time with your family members could be refreshing. However, few people realize that spending time with your family and having fun is a perfect way to reduce your overall stress level.

Remember the family does not always have to be blood relatives. Close friends, a guardian, or step-siblings all fall into the category of “family.” Cooking and eating more meals at home, as well as participating in physical activities (such as sports) with your family, can provide an unexpected advantage and improve your physical health.

One of the best ways to relieve tension and also stay fit is to exercise as a unit with family.

Separate workplace

Try to separate your workplace from the rest of the house. Set up an area of your house to use as a workspace. Sitting down in this space sends a clear signal to your brain that it’s time to focus.

Get everything you need in one place before you start to work – chargers, pens, paper, and anything else – and shut the door if you can.