Interview Questions Flashcards
Why do you want to work at the House of Commons, and what interests you about the Committee Operations Officer role?
I think select committees are a key part of scrutiny and holding the government accountable, and thus a key part of democracy.
I have always been interested in politics, I did a politics degree, and I would find it very fulfilling to be contributing to the function of democracy.
What do you understand about the work of Select Committees, and why do you think they are important in a democratic system?
Select committees hold the government accountable and allow more in-depth cross-party examination for issues which may have been raised in the chamber.
Scrutiny and accountability, as well as transparency are all important for democracy.
Can you provide an example of a time when you had to build and maintain trusted relationships with multiple stakeholders? How did you manage this?
I have lots of experience with event coordination, as I had to book events for a nightclub.
One instance was a Hybrid Minds performance sponsored by Jagermeister.
This involved me organising extra staff for that shift, technical crew to set up the stage, lights, sound, extra security for the performers, as well as corresponding with the Jagermeister team, stocking extra Jagermeister, and having Jagermeister themed decorations around the club.
To manage these diverse stakeholders, I prioritised clear communication and collaboration. For instance, I regularly briefed my team on daily tasks, safety protocols, and any updates to ensure everyone was aligned. I also worked closely with external security personnel to guarantee that all necessary measures were followed and to resolve any issues, such as verifying age compliance or handling difficult situations discreetly with customers.
By maintaining open lines of communication and showing consistency in how I addressed concerns, I built trust both within my team and with external partners. I made sure to listen to feedback from staff and customers, responding promptly to any issues that arose, which helped foster a positive working environment.
Describe a situation where you had to plan and prioritize tasks under tight deadlines. How did you ensure that all tasks were completed effectively?
At university I balanced my degree with my job, as well as extracurricular activities.
To make sure all tasks were completed effectively, I kept a calendar and I also operated a traffic light system, with red being urgent, amber being moderately urgent, and green being very low on the priority list.
In this role, you’ll need to manage the committee’s inbox and handle a variety of requests. Can you describe your experience in managing a high volume of communications and ensuring timely responses?
As captain of Exeter Benchball team, I oversaw organising team practice sessions.
Different members favoured different communication methods, such as email, whatsapp, and facebook, which I kept a list of. I did create a common document, which was a shared google calendar. This meant once I had chosen a time and date for the practice, I did not have to constantly relay this via the different communication methods.
Similarly, at my previous job I had to manage shifts, and requests for time off. This was done predominantly on Whatsapp, and I was able to update shifts through a shared app.
Give an example of a time when you worked collaboratively within a team to achieve a common goal. What role did you play, and how did you ensure inclusivity within the team?
To ensure inclusivity within the nightclub team, I made a conscious effort to foster an open and supportive environment. I encouraged everyone to share their input during pre-shift meetings and made sure that tasks were fairly distributed based on individual strengths and preferences. This approach allowed everyone to feel involved and valued, which improved morale and teamwork.
For example, when a new team member joined, I took extra time to ensure they understood their role and felt comfortable asking questions or seeking help. I also made sure that everyone had an equal opportunity to take on different responsibilities, allowing them to develop their skills and feel included in key decisions.
How do you ensure that your written and oral communication is clear, impartial, and accessible to a wide range of audiences? Can you provide an example?
I did European Youth Parliament, and our committee was focused on copyright laws on traditional cultural expressions.
Whilst I had done a lot of research on this topic, we had to explain our resolution to the other committees, who had not researched it.
To accommodate for this, I used plain language, and defined any necessary specialised terms. It is important to tailor communication to the specific needs and understanding of the audience. Using headings and bullet points is a great way to breakdown information into smaller digestible chunks. Visual aids can also be useful too.
To avoid bias, I use facts, not opinions and present multiple perspectives using different sources, but am transparent about what those sources are.
For particularly sensitive topics, I would be mindful of the emotional tone and avoid overly technical or cold language. Instead, I would balance empathy with professionalism. Acknowledge the impact of the information on the audience, showing that I understand its sensitivity, while maintaining clarity and transparency.
Can you describe a time when you faced an unexpected challenge in a work environment? How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?
During Freshers week, the busiest week of the year for a nightclub in a university town, I was given very short notice of a netball society social which was to be held on the top floor, and wanted 200 pre-poured pints of cider black.
We only had 3 working cider taps on the top floor, so just utilising these was not going to make us meet the deadline in time.
I had 3 members of staff at my disposal and the club was currently shut.
I allocated a member of staff to each floor and instructed them to fill large jugs with cider, then place them on a table I had put in the disabled lift, and then send them up to the top floor.
This allowed us to utilise the cider taps on the other floors and avoid the slow and risky process of carrying individual pints of cider to the top floor.
This allowed us to meet the deadline in time.
This role involves organizing committee meetings and public engagement events. Can you describe any relevant experience you have with event coordination or logistics?
I have lots of experience with event coordination, as I had to book events for a nightclub.
One instance was a Hybrid Minds performance sponsored by Jagermeister.
This involved me organising extra staff for that shift, technical crew to set up the stage, lights, sound, extra security for the performers, as well as corresponding with the Jagermeister team, stocking extra Jagermeister, and having Jagermeister themed decorations around the club.
The House of Commons is often a high-profile and fast-paced environment. How do you manage stress and ensure high performance under pressure?
I manage well under stress, and am used to balancing multiple tasks at once, such as how I balanced my job with my degree and extra-curricular activities.
What do you think will be the most challenging aspect of this role, and how would you approach overcoming it?
The high-pressure environment where multiple tasks need to be completed within tight deadlines, often involving diverse stakeholders such as MPs, witnesses, and external experts.
- staying calm
- time management
- task prioritisation
breaking tasks down into steps
I would be proactive in asking for support
How do you stay updated on political or governmental affairs, and how might this knowledge benefit your work with Select Committees?
- Politics degree
- News, newspapers, Hansard
- Follow News platforms and MPs on social media
- Contextualise issues
- Anticipate questions
- Produce reports that are relevant and reflective of current politics environment
Tell us about a time when you had to work closely with others to achieve a goal. How did you ensure effective collaboration?
Setting up the club prior to a big event
Asked everyone what their strengths and preferences were, and initially distributed them based upon this.
To ensure effective collaboration I fostered an inclusive environment where everyone felt valued and able to ask for support where it was needed. We had an equal workload and diverse tasks.
We found that decorating the club for Halloween ended up being a large task than anticipated so we assigned more people to it.
- Can you describe a situation where you had to understand and respond to the needs of a colleague or stakeholder? How did you handle it?
I contacted Hybrid Mind’s agent, I had liaised with the events management company we always use, and I let them know what my proposition was. Then I organised bar staff and extra security.
Firstly, you need to consider the people involved, the process you need to follow, and the information you need to gather to bring this plan to fruition.
You need to secure stakeholder buy-in, which is done by communicating to stakeholders how this project aligns with their interests, being transparent about challenges and risk, and being willing to adapt plans based on their input.
Once you have stake-holder buy-in then you able to secure facility and resources
These are all tactics I would employ if I had to arrange a committee fact-finding visit.
- What experience do you have using Microsoft Office applications like Excel, Teams, Zoom, and SharePoint in your previous roles? Can you provide examples?
I was president of philosophy society and this was something that was impacted by the pandemic, so I had to move our weekly meetings to online, so I became quite adept at using Teams.
Used Google Calendar to inform members of Benchball society as to when practice sessions were.
Used shared google documents during European Youth Parliament when we would work on resolutions together.
Have taken an online course on LinkedIn which taught me how to use Excel and Sharepoint
- How do you ensure that you build trust with colleagues and stakeholders in a professional setting?
Value everyone’s input,
Open and honest communication, being reliable by constantly delivering work on time
Active listening and empathy
- How do you handle sensitive or confidential information in your work?
Worked in a nightclub, we operate GDPR rules, handling personal documents such as Driving Licenses and Passports, strict no drugs policy, handover CCTV to the police.
Discuss confidential information only with authorised individuals in appropriate environments.
I know how to hide and protect data in Excel
- Describe a time when you identified a problem at work and took initiative to resolve it. What was the outcome?
At the club, we often ran out of small cups quickly as they were used for popular drinks like Jagerbombs, while large cups weren’t in high demand. I suggested prioritizing loads of only small cups in the dishwasher instead of doing mixed loads of large and small cups, which allowed us to stack more trays and wash more cups per cycle, effectively meeting the demand during busy periods.
- Can you describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer? How did you understand their needs and resolve the situation?
The customer was difficult as he was asking a lot of racially insensitive questions to me. I remained calm, continued to serve him, and made polite conversation, as well as politely educating him as to why maybe some of those questions might not be well phrased or inappropriate to say, without accusing him of being malicious.
- How do you ensure that you’re meeting a customer’s needs, especially when they may not be clear at first?
I was working in a nightclub and a customer asked for “something fun to drink”
And I asked more questions about what they usually like drinking and actively listened to see what kind of flavours they liked
They said they liked sweet drinks like vodka cranberry, so I made them Hugs on the Beach which has vodka and cranberry juice in, but also peach schnapps and orange juice as they clearly wanted something slightly different than normal
Once I served them their drink I asked them what their thought of it, they said they liked it but wanted something even more different, so when they came back I made them a Venom and they really liked that.
- Describe a time when you worked with someone whose perspective or working style was very different from yours. How did you ensure successful collaboration?
When managing the benchball society, I had to collaborate closely with fellow committee members, and we had different working styles. I prefer a structured, organized approach, where tasks are planned in advance, while some of the other members, particularly the vice-captain, were more spontaneous and preferred to adapt as situations unfolded.
One significant project we worked on together was organizing a benchball tournament trip to Birmingham. Open communication was key to our collaboration. We both acknowledged our differences but agreed to focus on our shared goal: ensuring the trip was successful for all participants.
To ensure smooth collaboration, I adapted by becoming more flexible in the moment, recognizing that the vice-captain’s quick decision-making could be particularly valuable in fast-paced or unexpected situations. In return, he agreed to incorporate some of my planning techniques to provide structure where needed, such as preparing entertainment for the bus journey well in advance.
We also played to our strengths by dividing responsibilities. I took charge of the tasks that required planning ahead, such as booking hotel rooms and organizing the logistics. Meanwhile, the vice-captain handled decisions that were better made in real-time, like choosing where to eat based on the group’s preferences on the day and finding parking for the minibus when we arrived.
Throughout the process, we checked in regularly and communicated any updates, which ensured that we were always aligned and ready to adapt to any changes. As a result, the trip ran smoothly, and everyone enjoyed a successful and well-organized tournament.
- How do you handle conflict within a team, and can you provide an example where you helped resolve a disagreement?
De-escalate and remain calm, and actively listen to what both sides have to say and find a common goal that we can all work on together to reach,
While working as a shift supervisor at a nightclub, two bartenders had a disagreement over shift responsibilities. One felt they were taking on more tasks during busy hours, while the other believed their roles were evenly divided. This tension was starting to affect the team dynamic and customer service.
To resolve the issue, I brought both team members together for a discussion. I made sure each person had a chance to explain their perspective without interruptions. After hearing both sides, I reviewed our shift duties and realized that the distribution of tasks was uneven, particularly during peak hours.
I suggested we create a more structured rotation of tasks to ensure a fairer workload. Both bartenders agreed to the new system, and I made it clear that we’d regularly review it to ensure balance. The conflict was resolved, and the new system led to better teamwork and improved morale during busy shifts
- How do you work with people from different backgrounds?
When I worked at Fever, we had a colleague who had just moved here from Ukraine, and I made her feel welcome by hosting ice breaker activities, did a staff social, went out of my way to make her feel included and that she could ask for help if she needed it. Her English was quite limited and she often came to me to ask what a word meant, and I would break it down to her in plain English without making her feel patronised.
- Tell Me About a Time you worked in a team?
As part of my Feminist Philosophy module we had to do a group project on feminist philosophers throughout history in a group of 4. We brainstormed and assigned roles based on what we felt most comfortable with. For example I did Germaine Greer, as I had read her book The Female Eunuch at school, whereas another person felt more comfortable doing Simone De Beauvoir as they had studied her in a previous module.
Whilst we all took charge of the information on our individual sections, we organised 4 study sessions in the library to work together, so that our work was similar in format and made a coherent presentation and we could work off each other’s feedback, and support our team member who was less adept with using Microsoft Powerpoint. We also spent time rehearsing together, as we wanted to be off script when presenting, as well as prepare answers to any questions people might have at the end. Overall, the presentation was very successful.
