Where did DS get this interview answer from?

[OctopusSay]

He interviewed for a catering job and they've actually given him a more senior post than the one he applied for.

I asked him about the interview, curious about where he'd done so well.

One of the questions was "what's most important to you, happy staff or good service? "

His answer : You can't have one without the other

Now, to me that's an astonishingly good answer from a teenager, I've interviewed for much more senior roles where candidates didn't answer as well.

So....I'm wondering where he's heard it?😀

Perhaps he just googled interview answers before the interview.

That’s great for your DS but I don’t think it’s a huge stretch to understand that miserable staff are not going to be conducive to the customer experience 😀

Oh I agree, it's basic management, but I'm surprised DS "got it".

Eh? It’s a fairly obvious answer even for a teenage boy.

It's a good answer, but as everything is on-line now, a bit of research would have dug this up.

Also most of the people I've interviewed would have tried to answer the question and pick one or the other. It's not a great question, actually, for that reason.

Its a pretty obvious answer tbh. I would expect the majority of teens to answer in a similar way.

Its great that he got the job though, you must be very proud.

I'd be amazed if DS went into it well prepared, what with him knowing everything already 😆

Ah, I think you are just really proud, and that’s lovely 🥰

My son was interviewed for a travel related job, one of the questions in the lighthearted bit with other staff was ‘can a polar bear eat a penguin’ his response….. ‘ only if it had a good travel agent’ i was 😁 and so proud, he got the job by the way.

I'd be surprised too OP! I might have come up with that at the ripe old age of 45 but not as a teenager - just because it's true doesn't mean you'd think to say it at an interview. It's great when they suddenly display proper adult thoughts out of the blue isn't it

I have just asked my 16yo dd the same question. (She works part time in a cafe).

Her response was that they're both important because you can't expect miserable staff to give good service but the business obviously won't be sustainable if the service is poor. So you can't have one without the other.

So I reckon this answer is probably common sense for most teenagers, but well done to your ds anyway!

I love that

I must just get really weak candidates then. It's unusual to interview someone who interviews well iyswim

I think it’s a very astute answer. Well done to your boy! I am frequently amazed at how astute teenagers are (my own included, obviously!). Often I think their minds are just a lot more open. He did well not to be led by the question which suggests that a choice must be made. 😊

As someone who is seriously shit at interviews (brain goes completely blank, my gems have included saying I had no idea why I wanted to be a doctor in a medical school interview!) I'm impressed.

I think this is where teenagers may have an advantage... they don't overthink things.

I've just asked 14yr old DD and she said "both of course, they're interdependent".

I asked her what most of her friends would say and she said as above. She did suggest that teens are more likely to know the answer is both as 90% of school essay questions are the same eg designed to encourage you not to see the world as black and white. She says they spend most days answering similar questions in English, RS, history etc.

And teens are usually better at interviewing as they don't feel the same pressure of needing a job to pay the mortgage whilst also having the normal worries adults tote round with us. They use a different part of their brain when asked to reason.

And teens are usually better at interviewing as they don't feel the same pressure of needing a job to pay the mortgage whilst also having the normal worries adults tote round with us. They use a different part of their brain when asked to reason

Maybe I live in a different world but a lot of the teens I know do have rent and bills to pay, some do have a mortgage, some have children themselves so do need a proper job.

@Kennykenkencat I meant more teens who are simply looking for a job to supplement their income whilst living at home and studying. Of course some teens have the same pressures as us. I'm not surprised that some teens interview better compared to some adults in some situations.

I've interviewed the same person for a volunteering role and a couple of years later, a job and there was a marked difference in her ability to interview well. She is a good friend and colleague still and says the difference was knowing she needed the job the second time round and she wasn't simply answering questions, she was desperate to find the right answer.