The Challenge

Hypothetical questions like “What would you do if…?” might seem like a good way to assess a candidate’s commerciality, creativity or decision-making abilities. However, these questions don’t reflect real-world situations.

It’s easy for a candidate to imagine themselves responding heroically in a fabricated scenario, but this doesn’t necessarily translate to how they would handle similar challenges in the actual role.

Take ‘confrontation’ for example. Most people know that facing into challenging conversations is an important aspect of commercial roles, and presented with a hypothetical scenario they could fashion a response to show this.

The truth, though, is that many sub-standard candidates shy away from conflict, so simply testing if they know what they should theoretically do, is not a good indication of whether they will do it when in role.

The Alternative

Instead, focus on past experiences. The STAR method is a valuable tool here. Ask questions that prompt the candidate to describe a specific challenge they faced in a previous role.

For example: “Tell me about a time you’ve had to work to a tight deadline. What were the tasks that needed to be completed? What action did you take? What was the result of the actions that you took?”

By focusing on past experiences, you gain valuable insights into the candidate’s actual problem-solving skills, time management strategies, and ability to adapt under pressure. You can then assess their thought process, and how they actually respond to situations rather than how they think they should respond.

If you would like more support in the search & selection of top FMCG commercial talent, please get in touch with our team:

Manchester — 0161 274 9184

London — 0203 196 0896

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