British Council-Teamworking

Transcript of the podcast

M: Manager
E: (Employee) Susan

?M: Good afternoon Susan, how are you today

E: Fine thanks, I just wanted your feedback on the interview, I knew it hadn’t gone too well but I want to know exactly where I went wrong, so I can be better prepared for next time

M: Right, let’s just take a look at your interview notes ( hear the shuffling of papers) Well, first of all I have to say that the structure of the interview went very well, you appeared very confident, well presented and you asked all the right things. However, what really let you down were your answers regarding teamwork, and by the end of the interview we had no evidence of you being a cooperative team member. This is not to say that you are not, obviously we have seen your performance in the office as a collaborative team member, however, in the interview you did not demonstrate this

!E: Oh dear, that’s so disappointing; I thought working in a team was one of my strengths

M: Well, in the interview you talked about your contribution as a team member but you didn’t consider the contribution your colleagues had made. It would have been a good idea to talk about how you worked well as a team, and not just focus on yourself individually

E: I can see your point, and there was another question I answered badly, you asked me how my role in the team led to the success of our project last year

M: Oh yes, I remember. Let me see… (refers to notes) You replied that you had worked hard because you wanted recognition for the success of the project. I got the idea from your answer that you only got involved in that particular project because it benefited you. If you had also mentioned the extra effort that you had made when your colleagues needed help you would have given me the answer I wanted

E: Yes, that’s true, it’s just that in an interview situation I get so nervous that I can’t remember what to say

M: And do you remember the question I asked about what type of people you would include in your team, people like yourself or people of different backgrounds

E: Oh yes, I said that I preferred working with people similar to myself, although now I’m not sure whether that was the right thing to say

M: Well that wasn’t the answer we were looking for either, you cannot assume that all cultures or communities are the same, when you choose a team you need to include people from diverse backgrounds, not necessarily people who work like you or come from a similar background

E: I really did not give you the answers you were hoping for, did I? I am generally very open with my colleagues

M: Yes I agree that this is one of your strengths. You will get far in your career Susan, and it was just bad luck with your answers in this interview. But think about your answers and next time there is a position available, come back well prepared for the interview, and you’ll be fine

E: I hope so! At least now I know where I went wrong, and of course, I am disappointed but now I can work on my weaknesses

M: Don’t worry, you have a lot of strengths, you just have to focus on them in the interview

.E: Ok, thanks

.M: Thank you

Answers