To think I've messed up interview ?

[andimtellingyou]

I had a interview today and literally none of the questions were anything I've studied.
It's a customer service based role so I spent days answering lots of different customer service questions.
I found out about the company and it's products etc etc
The questions were
How would you get to know someone from a different ethnic background.
Name a time you've explained something tricky to the customer ?
Sell me a product
I stuttered and talked rubbish
I won't have got the job

@andimtellingyou call centres are awful . I have worked in 2 tbh if you don't get it OP something else better will come along

Don't kick yourself, try and learn from it. Look again at the job specification and think if you have examples from any previous experience that could have helped you answer these questions better. Keep this in mind when you next prepare for an interview. Do still find out about the company, products, ethos etc as this will help focus examples.

notacooldad the job I applied for is for a call centre
Yes it does seem odd.

I actually think the ethnic question was a good one. I'd be looking for someone who understood diversity and saw through race etc. I think you answered well in that you treat everyone the same. In a call centre you will interact with people from all backgrounds (colleagues & customers). I would want a team who treat people equally.

You may have done better than you think. Good luck!

Don’t worry about it. I’ve done loads of interviews in the past and the approach every employer takes is different. Some are really hot on competency based questions, which means if you can think fast on your feet and lie you’ll do better.

Other employers see interviews as a way of getting to know the candidates better, seeing if they’re a good fit for the company and encouraging them to ask questions. I much prefer this interview style and am far happier to work for a company like that.

Also, I’ve been surprised to be offered jobs I thought I’d fluffed at interview, and vice versa. But if you don’t get offered the job it wasn’t meant to be and something better is out there!

I would want a team who treat people equally
But treating everyone equally isn't always the best way

@Merryoldgoat

But being from a different ethnic background doesn’t mean ‘not British’, ‘not English speaking’ or anything else where it’s a given they might need different treatment.

I’m from a minority ethnic background. I’m British, I was born here, I have no religion and have no special ‘requirements’ when someone is trying to get to know me.

You liar you've just talked about your funny handshakes :o

Does anyone else find the questions asked at interview have 0 relevance to your job
It's a customer service role and I know I can give good customer service
*going above and beyond for the customer
*listening to the customer etc etc

I don't think I've ever felt the need to treat someone from any ethnic background differently to anyone else.

@andimtellingyou strange questions i agree. You seemed to answer well though. Good luck. How long until you find out?

@andimtellingyou sometimes in a call centre you have to use an interpreter service . So you do need to have an awareness of other cultures

I would have responded to the ethnic background question as you did. I would have been prepared for the tricky customer / tricky situation question as it is very common. I would maybe have bumbled through the sales question as I am not a salesperson.

I've been told within 7 days and if I pass this interview I have to have another interview with 2 managers and a role play.
I've already done a online application plus a telephone interview.
It's exhausting

@Merryoldgoat

But being from a different ethnic background doesn’t mean ‘not British’, ‘not English speaking’ or anything else where it’s a given they might need different treatment.

I’m from a minority ethnic background. I’m British, I was born here, I have no religion and have no special ‘requirements’ when someone is trying to get to know me.

Exactly. I'm betting you really DON'T appreciate a new acquaintance asking "Where do you come from?" or " You speak awfully good English, where did you learn it?" etc. Let alone, speaking extra loud and slow .

There are lots of thoughtless tactless ways to insert foot in mouth and anybody in front line customer service needs to show some awareness of them.

Ethnic background question:

Food, food, food. First thing that came to mind. It's a great social unifier: talking about it, sharing it, bonding over it. Not necessarily in covid times, but yeah, that's a staple.

Being conscious of and sensitive to potential culture differences, different methods and approaches to socializing - striking a balance between that and inclusivity (not always easy).

Our HR person posted a box of Hotel Chocolat to all of us for Christmas. Lovely, but they were mainly alcoholic chocolates, and I'm a Muslim. It's not a big deal, but there are definitely ways to differentiate yourself and go the extra mile.

But as a call centre worker,who was on the phones for 8 hours a day with no chance to talk to people.
What could I do except for make conversation and try to get to know the person like I would anyone?
I don't think it should be any different.

@andimtellingyou

But as a call centre worker,who was on the phones for 8 hours a day with no chance to talk to people. What could I do except for make conversation and try to get to know the person like I would anyone? I don't think it should be any different.

I would say that there are some differences in how different ethnicities and backgrounds communicate.

'Let's definitely grab dinner at some point': in my culture, that would probably be taken to mean a firm commitment and invitation to dinner. In the UK that commonly means 'we're highly unlikely to get dinner'' :) (OK, not that extreme, but you know what I mean).

I think making the point of 'demonstrating sensitivity to potential cultural differences' wouldn't go amiss. Just a bit of flexibility, a sense that you can tailor your language, approach, tone to different situations. Probably not that different to dealing with customers of various temperaments.

OP you are stressing over the question but you don't even know if your answer was wrong? Sounded fine to me!

@andimtellingyou

I think I answered the ethnic one wrong I just said I take the time to get to know everyone exactly the same I like to speak to someone 1 to 1 and really get to know them as i think it makes the team stronger blah blah I just needed it up basically

That sounds like a fine response

I would really recommend doing work on getting a good response to diversity questions OP, regardless of how badly worded they are.

My workplace have been asking questions like this as standard since I started working for them almost 20 years ago. Diversity questions ALWAYS come up.

You are right to say you treat everyone equally, but recognise there might be differences that unintentionally exclude people. Prime example is going out for an office night out automatically excludes your colleague who doesn't drink for whatever reason.

One of my first interviews when I left college was with an nhs trust . 4 people sitting in front of me .

It was awful .

One of the questions was what would you do if all the laundry department went on strike?

I honestly did not have a clue so I was honest and said I did not know but I would have thought that is what the training for the job would cover ?

I did not get the job .

Later on I went for a job interview that I did not really want for a financial institution . Just wore a denim dress not a suit Did not really prepare very much but it was just a one to one with the branch manager .
Got the job and stayed 10 years .

You just can’t tell.

@Skullcup

How do you prepare for every different situation that might arise though . Genuinely interested.

Do you just research the information for any employee that may have different ethnic origins in case you offend them ?

And then train every member of staff ?

Those questions are quite normal and not sure why you'd need to study for them. They're asking for how you'd tackle something, so you shouldn't need to rehearse or study for such questions.

@Circumlocutious

Yes that’s why I was asking we may have unintentionally offended a member of staff with a Christmas hamper gift as they do not celebrate Christmas . We just did exactly the same for every member of staff .

But the same could be said for vegan as well ?