What do you feel are the keys to being an effective trainer?

"Whenever I have the opportunity to provide training to groups, the first focus of my design is to promote interaction from the people I am training. Active participation promotes motivation and I do this through role-playing, asking questions, and even having people come up front with me to give real-world examples to the group so they can hear the perspective of a peer versus me as the trainer.

Another key thing that I try to bring to training sessions is energy. I bring high energy to a room and try to promote it among the staff. I recently learned from a colleague an ice-breaking game to start an all-day training session. It involves blindfolding all participants in the room and assigning each person an animal. There are two people in each session with matching animals and the participants have to make the sound their animal makes and they have to find and meet up with their matching animal. The two times I've used this have been a big hit and had the group laughing and having fun from the start."

"For me personally, the first key to being an effective and efficient trainer is knowing my topic inside and out. As the trainer, I will be asked questions and be expected to be the subject matter expert on what I'm presenting. If needed, I study and prepare diligently prior to facilitating my training sessions. Another key for me is creating the right atmosphere to promote learning. This starts with small things like providing beverages and snacks and ensuring the temperature of the room is appropriate. It extends to much bigger things like ensuring training materials are well-prepped and motivating all of the learners to participate in the program. If hired here at Korn Ferry, you can be sure that I'd bring this same approach to your clients."

Demonstrate your ability to thrive in such situations by talking about any experiences you have in making training both fun and interactive. Detail what you find rewarding about the work, offering some real-life experiences.

Remember to offer your unique perspective. Steer clear from generic answers. They want to know what sets you apart from the rest of the herd. In your interview, you want to go above and beyond. Generic answers offer the bare minimum. It's not a lottery. They aren't going to choose a candidate by pulling their name out of a hat. They want the best of the best.