Diversity and Inclusion - 3 questions to expect in your next interview

As the job market continues to bounce back, the hiring process has become more competitive than ever. Over the past 12 months, we have seen a real shift in the style of interviewing. Hiring managers are moving away from asking traditional interview questions and instead examining candidates about their thoughts on diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace.

If you are job seeking right now, here are 3 interview questions you are likely to expect in your next interview to help you prepare in advance.

1 - What does inclusion and diversity mean to you?

Any company who values diversity and inclusion want to create a culture that is open and welcoming to all. By creating a culture of inclusion, employees feel valued and respected, which leads to greater collaboration, engagement and performance. So, by understanding your thoughts on inclusion and diversity during the interview process, hiring managers can see if there is an alignment between the company’s values and if you are a strong cultural fit.

There is no right or wrong response you can give to this question. However, if you haven’t prepared for this question, your answer may not truly reflect what diversity and inclusion mean to you. Take some time now to consider questions around diversity and inclusion in advance for an authentic response.

2 - Give me an example of when you have led a diverse team or worked with diverse stakeholders?

If the role you are applying for requires you to lead a team or work with stakeholders, you will need to have examples to hand. More companies want to hear real life examples, not only to confirm you have the relevant experience but to understand more about your soft skills, such as how you communicated or your leadership style. If the question itself doesn’t use the phrasing diversity or inclusion, you still want to demonstrate how inclusive you are through your response.

If you are answering questions where you need to provide a specific example, the STAR Technique will help you to structure your responses.

3 - How would you create an inclusive environment?

This is a good way for a hiring manager to predict your future behaviours in the role. The interview may include situational or hypothetical questions where you are asked how you would do something or handle a certain situation. Behavioural questions work well with the STAR framework too. If you have been in a similar scenario, you can always liken it to a previous situation. In advance of your interview consider the scenarios you may face to help you choose relevant examples to share. Interviewing is a skill, the more practice you have, the more you will improve on your overall technique.

With any type of interview question, it is important you think about the questions you may be asked in advance so you can plan and prepare your responses accordingly.