Quizzes Used for Interview Purposes

Who among us hasn’t agonized over selecting the perfect candidate, only to second-guess the choice soon after? Every organization’s success hinges on hiring the right people, so it’s natural to question those critical decisions.

While hiring will always involve some level of subjectivity, quizzes can bring some objectivity to the process. They won’t solve everything, but they can lighten the interviewer’s load and bring valuable insights to the table.

Emailing candidates one to three pre-interview quizzes with a clear deadline is an excellent way to streamline the hiring process. These brief assessments help evaluate essential skills and identify motivated applicants. Candidates who miss the deadline often signal a lack of commitment. This makes it easier to prioritize those who are more likely to be a good fit. This ensures that face-to-face interviews are reserved for the most engaged and qualified individuals, saving time and effort.

Using quizzes just before a face-to-face interview provides immediate, actionable insights that elevate the interview process – but only if real-time reporting is in place.

Real-time reporting provides interviewers with immediate insights, highlighting key areas to focus on during the conversation. This ensures that the interview is tailored, productive, and aligned with the candidate’s specific strengths and weaknesses. Timely insights are crucial to guiding the discussion effectively.

The advantages include:

Quizzes reveal specific knowledge gaps or skills where the candidate excels. This enables interviewers to ask targeted follow-up questions, leading to a more meaningful and relevant discussion.

By identifying areas of focus ahead of the interview, the time spent with each candidate becomes more productive. This minimizes repetitive or irrelevant questioning and maximizes the interview’s effectiveness.

Quizzes can confirm or challenge claims made on a résumé or during earlier stages of the application. This ensures a clearer understanding of the candidate’s true capabilities.

Completing a quiz right before the interview offers a glimpse into how candidates handle pressure or think under time constraints, providing additional data on their suitability for high-stakes roles.

A standardized quiz ensures every candidate is assessed equally on specific topics, helping interviewers make fairer comparisons and reducing bias.

Candidates who perform well on the quiz demonstrate preparation and understanding of the role. Weaker results might indicate areas where further training or clarification is needed if they are hired.

Quizzes can bring attention to discrepancies between a candidate’s resume and their actual knowledge or skills, allowing interviewers to address these points directly.

Every company has its own unique priorities. For illustration, I’ve outlined below examples of the types of questions that can be used in various situations.

To keep the process efficient and straightforward, it’s generally best to limit the number of questions to a maximum of 30 per interview.

Retail Assistant: What does ‘SKU’ stand for in retail?
a) Shelf Key Unit
b) Stock Keeping Unit
c) Standard Key Update
d) Supply Knowledge Utility
Answer: b) Stock Keeping Unit

Administrative Assistant: In MS Word, which shortcut is used to save a document?
a) Ctrl + C
b) Ctrl + S
c) Ctrl + P
d) Ctrl + V
Answer: b) Ctrl + S

Operations Manager: In MS Excel, what does the function =VLOOKUP() do?
a) Calculates the average of selected cells
b) Finds data in a vertical table
c) Summarizes a dataset
d) Sorts a column alphabetically
Answer: b) Finds data in a vertical table

Warehouse Operative: You notice a spill in a high-traffic area of the warehouse. What do you do first?
a) Clean it up immediately if safe
b) Continue working and assume someone else will handle it
c) Mark the area to warn others
d) Report it to a supervisor
Answer: c) Mark the area to warn others

Customer Service Representative: A customer calls and is very upset about a late delivery. How do you respond?
a) Apologize and offer to investigate
b) Put them on hold immediately
c) Tell them delays are common
d) Transfer them to another department without explanation
Answer: a) Apologize and offer to investigate

HR Manager: A team member complains about feeling excluded in meetings. What’s your best course of action?
a) Arrange a private conversation to discuss their concerns
b) Bring up the issue in the next meeting
c) Dismiss it unless it happens again
d) Suggest they attend fewer meetings
Answer: a) Arrange a private conversation to discuss their concerns

Office Junior: If a delivery of 120 boxes is divided equally among 6 shelves, how many boxes go on each shelf?
a) 15
b) 20
c) 25
d) 30
Answer: b) 20

Data Analyst: In MS Excel, which formula would you use to calculate the total of cells A1 to A10?
a) =SUM(A1:A10)
b) =ADD(A1:A10)
c) =TOTAL(A1:A10)
d) =COUNT(A1:10)
Answer: a) =SUM(A1:A10)

Finance Manager: A project is estimated to generate £2 million in revenue but requires a 12% upfront investment. What is the investment amount?
a) £220,000
b) £240,000
c) £260,000
d) £320,000
Answer: b) £240,000

IT Support Assistant: What does the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Delete typically do on a Windows computer?
a) Opens Task Manager
b) Locks the screen
c) Restarts the computer
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above (A select menu is provided.)

Graphic Designer: Which file format is most suitable for printing high-quality images?
a) JPEG
b) GIF
c) PNG
d) TIFF
Answer: d) TIFF

Software Developer: Which of the following is a programming language?
a) HTML
b) JavaScript
c) SQL
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above

Receptionist: You notice an appointment on the calendar is scheduled for ‘10:30 PM’ instead of ‘10:30 AM.’ What should you do?
a) Assume it is correct
b) Correct it and notify the concerned team
c) Ignore it
d) Leave it for someone else to fix
Answer: b) Correct it and notify the concerned team

Proofreader: Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
a) Their going to the park
b) There going to the park
c) They’re going to the park
d) They’re going to the park
Answer: c) They’re going to the park

Finance Officer: You notice a discrepancy of £100 in the accounts. What do you do?
a) Adjust the figures to balance
b) Ignore it if it’s a small amount
c) Investigate immediately
d) Wait for someone else to notice
Answer: c) Investigate immediately

Office Assistant: The printer has stopped working, and you urgently need to print a document. What’s your first step?
a) Call IT support immediately
b) Check if it’s out of paper
c) Restart your computer
d) Use another printer
Answer: b) Check if it’s out of paper

Supervisor: Your team is falling behind schedule. What’s your first action?
a) Assign more tasks to the team
b) Identify the bottlenecks and address them
c) Inform upper management
d) Request overtime for everyone
Answer: b) Identify the bottlenecks and address them

Operations Manager: A key supplier has suddenly stopped deliveries. What should you do first?
a) Contact the supplier to understand the issue
b) Find an alternative supplier immediately
c) Halt all operations until further notice
d) Inform customers about potential delays
Answer: a) Contact the supplier to understand the issue

Retail Assistant: You’re asked to restock shelves, help a customer, and clean the checkout area. What should you do first?
a) Ask for assistance
b) Clean the checkout area
c) Help the customer
d) Restock shelves
Answer: c) Help the customer

Team Leader: You have several tasks to complete, but one of them is overdue. How do you prioritize?
a) Finish the overdue task first
b) Delegate everything
c) Start with the easiest task
d) Work on all tasks simultaneously
Answer: a) Finish the overdue task first

Project Manager: You have a project deadline approaching, but a critical team member is unavailable. What’s your next step?
a) Cancel the project
b) Extend the deadline
c) Reassign tasks to other team members
d) Inform the client immediately
Answer: c) Reassign tasks to other team members

Warehouse Operative: A colleague is struggling with their workload. What do you do?
a) Ignore it since it’s not your responsibility
b) Offer to help if you’re able
c) Report it to the supervisor
d) Wait for them to ask for help
Answer: b) Offer to help if you’re able

Team Leader: Two team members are in a disagreement. How do you handle it?
a) Let them sort it out themselves
b) Mediate the discussion to find a resolution
c) Report both to HR
d) Take sides with one member
Answer: b) Mediate the discussion to find a resolution

Senior Manager: You’re leading a cross-department project, but one team isn’t cooperating. What’s your best approach?
a) Arrange a meeting to address the issues
b) Assign their tasks to someone else
c) Continue without involving them
d) Report them to upper management
Answer: a) Arrange a meeting to address the issues

Office Junior: Your manager asks you to learn a new software tool quickly. What’s your response?
a) Complain about the lack of notice
b) Ignore the request
c) Refuse if it’s not in your skill set
d) Try your best and ask for guidance if needed
Answer: d) Try your best and ask for guidance if needed

Supervisor: A sudden policy change requires you to implement a new process immediately. How do you proceed?
a) Communicate the change clearly to your team
b) Complain to management about the timing
c) Continue using the old process
d) Ignore the policy until more time is available
Answer: a) Communicate the change clearly to your team

Operations Manager: A major client changes project requirements halfway through. What’s your first step?
a) Ignore the changes and proceed as planned
b) Inform your team without adjusting the plan
c) Reassess the project plan and communicate updates
d) Tell the client it’s too late to change
Answer: c) Reassess the project plan and communicate updates

Retail Assistant: You find a £20 note on the shop floor while stocking shelves. What should you do?
a) Ask customers nearby if it’s theirs
b) Leave it where it is
c) Pocket it since no one is around
d) Take it to the lost and found or your manager
Answer: d) Take it to the lost and found or your manager

Supervisor: A colleague accidentally shares confidential information with you. What’s the best course of action?
a) Ignore it unless it causes a problem
b) Keep the information private and report it to the manager
c) Share it with the rest of the team
d) Use it to your advantage
Answer: b) Keep the information private and report it to the manager

HR Manager: You suspect a team leader has been favouring certain employees when assigning tasks. How do you handle the situation?
a) Discuss the issue directly with the team leader
b) Ignore it unless there is a complaint
c) Inform upper management without evidence
d) Investigate further before taking any action
Answer: d) Investigate further before taking any action

Receptionist: A visitor arrives 10 minutes early for their appointment. What should you do?
a) Ask them to wait outside until their time
b) Ignore them until the scheduled time
c) Politely welcome them and let the host know they’ve arrived
d) Tell them to come back later
Answer: c) Politely welcome them and let the host know they’ve arrived

Customer Service Representative: A customer is unhappy with the quality of their purchase. What should you do?
a) Apologize and offer a solution
b) Blame the manufacturer
c) Ignore their complaint
d) Suggest they try a different product
Answer: a) Apologize and offer a solution

Sales Manager: A loyal customer expresses interest in a product outside your current offerings. How do you respond?
a) Dismiss their inquiry
b) Explore alternative solutions and follow up with them
c) Tell them it’s unavailable and end the conversation
d) Suggest a competitor’s product
Answer: b) Explore alternative solutions and follow up with them

Quizzes, when used thoughtfully, can be an invaluable tool in streamlining the hiring process and enhancing interview effectiveness. By introducing structured, objective assessments tailored to the specific needs of your organization, quizzes provide actionable insights that help identify the most suitable candidates for the role.

Whether used for pre-screening or during face-to-face interviews, they save time, minimize bias, and allow interviewers to focus on what truly matters – evaluating candidates’ potential to contribute to your organization’s success. Incorporating HR quizzes into your hiring strategy ensures a more efficient, fair, and informed recruitment process.

Colin King – CEO of HR Quizzes