Job interviews in the foreseeable future will at least allude to the continuing pandemic, so jobseekers should be prepared for them before the meeting. While many of the questions will still be job-related, recruiters and hiring managers are likely to ask you questions directly connected to COVID-19.
The following are some of the questions you might get. Give your answers a fair amount of consideration before the interview:
Since manufacturing work requires that you be at the facility, how do you keep yourself safe during COVID-19 to prevent you from spreading it to your coworkers and family?
You will probably be asked this question or a variation of it. Look over the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 Guidance for the Manufacturing Industry Workforce. Their recommendations for staying safe will give you everything you need to know to answer the question intelligently.
What have you learned about yourself during the pandemic?
Hiring managers will typically ask you to tell them about yourself, and they still might. But there is a good chance they will alter the question somewhat to find out if you learned any life lessons during the pandemic.
The interviewer could be trying to determine how you handled the stress of forced unemployment or other aspects of the crisis. An employer can glean a lot about a candidate’s spirit and attitude from the answer to this one question.
How have you been spending your time during the lockdown?
Many people were unemployed or worked fewer hours during the pandemic. The interviewer will ask this question to determine how you responded to the extra time you suddenly had on your hands.
If they do ask that question, they want to find out if you will bring value to the organization and be an excellent fit for their company’s culture. Being able to tell them about online classes you took or the volunteer work you did would satisfy both of those criteria.
Do you have any questions for us?
This question is typically at the end of the interview, and it’s the candidate’s opportunity to touch on the COVID-19 situation with their own questions. Here are a few samples:
Will you expect me to be completely prepared to fill the role on my first day?
Will you be providing a training program?
How is the organization maintaining morale during the crisis?
What are the company’s post-pandemic plans?
As always, practice for the interview
Because of the virus, many job interviews are conducted over video. So, it would help if you practice speaking to others through a webcam. Preparing for interviews over Zoom and practicing your answers to traditional and COVID-related interview questions will help you show a potential employer that you’re confident and resilient when faced with difficult situations. And those are traits that every company wants to have in their workers.
Could you use help landing a new job?
Select Staff is a leading staffing company in Dallas, Texas, specializing in the placement of light industrial, office, clerical, accounting, and finance personnel. If you’re ready for a new job, contact the experts at Select Staff today!
