What are some of your hobbies?

"I'm a big gamer. I especially spend a lot of time on Fortnite. My uncle taught me early on the value of having good sportsmanship. So, I earned the moniker, The Saint. I don't get caught up in any of the negative aspects of that culture. One of the things I love about it is connecting with people from different cultures around the world. It also helps me stay connected with my cousins, who live far away."

This question is an opportunity to make yourself more interesting and relatable. If all goes well, the hiring authority might see you as a more memorable candidate while reviewing all the recording interviews. But this question also tests how consistent you are throughout the interview. How consistent your interview performance is will speak to how consistent your work ethic will be while on the job. Avoid examples that contradict other answers you've provided. For example, if you previously explained that you keep up with the latest industry news by doing nothing but reading in your spare time, and then answer this question by telling them how you love spending every minute outside of work going to clubs and watching TV, then the interviewer will question the authenticity of your previous answers throughout the interview set.

HireVue will analyze your recorded video interview for data points to predict your future job performance. They'll compare each candidate to identify the top performers and those most suited to the company's goals and culture. There are no retakes; you'll only get one opportunity to record your answers. You'll be presented with a question on the screen and allowed roughly 20-30 seconds to prepare your response. You'll then get three minutes to record each answer. Some questions may take longer to answer than others, but you should take only as long as needed.

Who do you most admire that serves as a source of inspiration for you?

"I would say there are a few people. One is my uncle. He is something of a rags-to-riches story, and he didn't have much of a support system growing up. But he never stopped believing he could overcome all odds. He taught me early on that when a wall rises before me, don't climb it; walk around it. Another was a professor in college who gave me some strong guiding advice. He believed in me and taught me that a failure isn't a failure as long as I see it as a test. He taught me to never take the same test more than twice. Fail once, he'd say, learn the lesson, then retake the test and pass."

Provide relatable examples of leaders who influenced your character, the idea of professionalism, or moral code. Whether a mentor in your upbringing, educational pursuits, or career, describe how they inspired you, the qualities you admire about them, and how you adopted them for yourself.

Your role model or figure of inspiration will reveal aspects of your personality or professional philosophy and your approach to life and work. They'll examine the example you offer and consider how well you'd fit into their environment and how you'll work with their teams. It may also help them pair you with a person who'll serve as a mentor for you through the onboarding process.

What would you consider your greatest attribute?

"I'd say my greatest attribute is my habit of looking out for the others on my team. I've worked with a few folks who are just singularly focused on advancing themselves and trying to rise through the ranks, but as I see it, that's not helping anyone. I live by a code of promoting and supporting those on my team. I love what I do and want to keep it that way. That means building lasting relationships with my team. What comes around goes around. My strength is supporting and furthering the goals of every team member every chance I can get."

The assessment vendor will evaluate whether you're being forthright or doing your best to tell them what they think they want to hear to land the job. Avoid exaggerating and remain conscious of your body language throughout the interview process. Provide the personal strengths you feel make you excellent at your job. Make sure your answers remain consistent with how you present yourself. Your consistency in how you present yourself will show the interviewer that you'll be consistent in your work performance should they choose to hire you. Yet you don't want to come across as redundant, either. So keep your answers varied but consistent.

The assessment vendor and recruiter will also gauge your level of honesty in how you present your answers. Exaggerating or telling the interviewers what you think they want to hear will come across as disingenuous and, more often than not, can be spotted from a mile away.They'll analyze verbal cues to identify if you're exaggerating or not being completely honest. Those cues include repeating a question before answering, speaking in sentence fragments, displaying a change in speech pattern, irregular speech, and rising and falling tones. Some non-verbal cues the assessment vendor will use to evaluate your honesty are gaze avoidance, the direction of your eyes, fidgeting, restless foot and leg movements, frequent body posture changes, grooming behaviors such as playing with hair or pressing your fingers to lips, stroking your chin, covering your mouth or your eyes, and excessive fidgeting.

What critical feedback do you most often receive?

"My coworkers often say I need to slow down because I'm making them look bad. I see it as working smart and hard, which results in me working fast. But I recognize that I need to pace myself sometimes. It's a balancing act. It's a strength and a weakness."

This behavioral question aims to reveal how you identify your growth opportunities, how receptive you are to receiving feedback, what you do with that information, the importance you place on your professional growth, and whether you have issues with those in positions of authority. Be humble and objective. The key is to present yourself as calm and professional, always striving to improve your performance and learn and grow. Your answer should demonstrate your honesty and your desire to improve.

Remember, when your words don't match your gestures, it's your gestures that will be seen as the truth. So maintain eye contact and confident body language, be comfortable, and speak from the heart. Try to come across as relaxed as possible, speaking in a level yet enthusiastic tone. Maintain eye contact, and smile softly. Present yourself as confident, poised, and relaxed.

How would you define empathy?

"I think the literal definition of empathy is the ability to understand and share another person's feelings. My sister would say empathy is rather the ability to feel another person's emotions. But I think of it as understanding what is communicated. Often someone will communicate something one way, yet the emotion behind a statement is communicated in other ways. So empathy is an understanding of someone that goes deeper than the words they convey. It comes with the touchpoints of human interaction."

This question tests your interpersonal skills and how well you communicate and relate to others. It will also clue them into your ability to mediate and negotiate and how you value diplomacy. Key points to touch on are your non-defensive communication skills, ability to actively listen instead of waiting to respond, and ability to mirror, validate and empathize.

Remember, the AI of the assessment vendor will be screening you for how well you communicate. So pay close attention to your choice of words and what they might indicate. Enunciate and try not to stutter or take long pauses. Smile and pretend you are talking to a person, keeping an ear out for any stutters, awkward pauses, or your use of any speech crutch words such as "uh," "like," "um," "you know," "so on and so forth," "and," "well," "but," "so," "ah," "er," and "Etcetera." Practice answering these questions without relying on those words. Record your voice while answering some of these questions to view your performance from another perspective. Doing so will aid you in communicating and being more of a professional.

What are some of your personal skills you feel would bring value to the team?

"Aside from the skills listed on my resume, I would say the angle from which I look at things. I have strong attention to detail and always keep the big picture in my peripheral view. I also am constantly thinking outside of the box. I bring that with me 24/7 and am glad to offer my lens to the team whenever I can."

This question is an opportunity to highlight what aspects of your work style have benefited your work in the past. Think about the desirable aspects of your work style or ethic which your coworkers may have adapted, borrowed, or were influenced by. Detail how adaptable you are as well. Have a clear understanding of what the basics of this position look like and how your strengths can contribute to it.

The algorithm will contrast your answer against the confidence and conviction behind your statements. Before the interview, research the body language of a confident and relaxed person in a seated position. Pump yourself up with physical exercise to manifest confidence. Raise your arms, stretch your back, and make yourself as big as possible. Look yourself in the eye and say some self-affirmations or give yourself a pep talk. Doing so will help you match your demeanor with your self-qualifying statements.

What motivates you on the job?

"Not to sound redundant, but I love doing what I do, and that motivates my work. I'm very competitive with myself and am always trying to meet or beat my personal best. But, like anyone, I enjoy a bit of validation for my talents and appreciate being recognized for what I bring to the team. I get a lot out of that collaboration."

You may have heard the expression that you alone are in charge of your development. Your answer to this question will help the interviewers determine if you are self-motivated, self-guided in your work, and personally driven to perform at your best. Describe how you stay motivated and productive throughout your day. Explain what motivates and inspires you on a personal level, how you stay motivated throughout your workday, and how you approach your work, regardless of the task being high-pressured or monotonous.

Looking at their core values, they describe all the motivating aspects of their environment and work culture. "CORE VALUES: If we had to sum up work at SYKES in one phrase, it would probably be: 'We help people!'. However, our work is much more multifaceted than that. WE ARE A TEAM: At SYKES, we have one goal: to provide the best customer service in the industry. Besides our customer service representatives, we have a large support team ensures our operations run smoothly. Everyone at SYKES is an important piece of the puzzle for our success. WE SOLVE PROBLEMS: It is important to us to help people and improve processes. Both for the end customers and for our own team. We continue to develop every day and want to do our job better today than yesterday. This also includes facing up to challenges and finding new solutions together. WE RESPECT EACH OTHER: At SYKES, we treat each other with respect. Everyone is equally important to us. This is true for both our clients and our own employees. We are always in dialogue with one another and respect other opinions. WE USE EVERY MOMENT: Respect also means focusing fully on the other person and being in the here and now with your thoughts. It is especially important to do the right thing at the right moment. This not only allows us to provide great customer support but also gives every colleague a fair chance.WE WORK WITH HEART AND MIND: Working in customer service, empathy is essential. Each customer has a different story, which requires consideration. Nevertheless, there are general rules regarding customer contact and teamwork. At SYKES, we strive for the best solution by being perceptive and intelligent. WE CREATE TRUST: As a brand ambassador for international companies, we have a great responsibility. We are responsible for gaining, maintaining, and, in some situations, restoring customer trust. We take care of problems and try to find solutions. This includes listening carefully and keeping our promises. WE ARE ALWAYS UP TO DATE: We work in a dynamic and fast moving industry. Customers expect new communication channels and quick solutions. Markets and demands are rapidly changing. That is why we, at SYKES, are always keen to recognize new trends and continuously optimize our work processes."

What makes you a good fit for this position?

"I read up on companies that are pioneers towards innovation and the unconventional work models that help them yield those results. I see myself thriving in an environment like that. I want to work somewhere that fosters an environment that allows me to give my best. I aim to over-deliver and put in my best because I love what I do, and when you enjoy doing what you do, you'll do a good job. So, in addition to loving what I do, I want to work somewhere where I'll love where I work. Based on everything I've read about your work environment and culture, it seems like there's a lot of potential there."

This question is different from asking why you want to work for them. The interviewers ask why they should hire you while testing to see if your personality fits the role. The hiring authority's goal is to find a candidate most aligned with their brand, teams, culture, and environment. Exude a sense of self-awareness and explain how well you align with what they're looking for. Within context, describe yourself, how other professionals perceive you, what degree of their perception rings true, and why. Describe what you have to offer and why you believe it. This is your elevator pitch.

They want to make sure that you are the right fit for this opportunity for the right reasons. For them to believe you are a good fit, you have to believe it. HireVue will evaluate the confidence behind your statements. Remain objective and confident, keeping your face and posture relaxed and your body language open and at ease. Your answer will help them determine if you are shooting for the stars or a more realistic target.As they state on their careers page; "As if you're driven to better yourself professionally and personally, there's a place for you here. If you want movie nights, ice cream socials, athletic and volunteer clubs, or just want "wear your PJ's to work" days, that's all here, too."

"I'm Kris. I was born in Portland, OR, and was super interested in programming and tech solutions from an early age. I built my first computer at the age of ten and my first app the following year. I graduated high school at 16 and started college early. I graduated from MIT with honors and landed an internship at Mozilla..."

Personal introductory questions serve as an icebreaker, intended to get you to lower your guard and get you out of interview mode. This will provide the assessment vendor context for when you are being genuine and sincere versus professionally performative and giving answers you think they want to hear. It will also inform the hiring authority how well your personality will fit with the rest of the team. Before your interview, compose a bio for yourself of roughly 200 words to describe your professional life relevant to the position. You can include where you were born, a blurb about your upbringing, and any significant educational and professional achievements leading up to this interview. Rehearse your bio, ensuring you come across as relaxed, interesting, and relatable.

HireVue uses proprietary machine learning algorithms that analyze data points from your video interview. These data points include non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, eye movements, body movements, clothing details, and vocal nuances. The algorithm will provide your recorded interview with these data points to the company's hiring authority, allowing them to study and compare two candidates side by side, saving them time and preventing bias while narrowing down the candidate pool.

Share something that is not on your resume.

"I know my resume is crammed with a lot of stuff, and I wish my volunteering experience could have fit on it as well. But for the last ten years, I have volunteered for the Merchant Marines and at my local children's hospital. I enjoy going onto Craigslist frequently and perusing their 'free stuff' to see if there are any toys I can bring to the children's hospital to brighten some kid's day."

Quite often, a great deal of relevant information is not included in your resume, such as significant accomplishments or performance indicators. This question allows you to volunteer something professionally relevant to you that might help you land another interview. Before answering this question, carefully review the other questions in the set. Keep your answers unique and independent of one another while avoiding sounding redundant by answering more than one question the same way or volunteering something they've already gleaned from your resume or cover letter.

Some of the nonverbal cues collected as data points are posture (slouching, folding your arms, protecting your neck), professional appearance (how tidy your clothing, personal appearance, surroundings, head movements and hand movements, vocal cues (placing stress or emphasis on certain words, stutters or long pauses), facial expressions, and eye movements. Later, the company's hiring authority will study your interview and compare it to other candidates' interviews side-by-side.

Why are you looking for employment?

"The company I am working for has gone through a major restructure, and the department I worked for, and helped build, is being merged into another division. They wanted to take me out of my current position and move me into a management position that isn't in line with my career goals. I'm interested in advancing my career and have no issues being in a leadership position, but the role they wanted to place me in was too much of a departure. I don't think I'd enjoy the work, and that's a deal breaker. I am now looking for a position more in line with my skills in a working environment I'd thrive in and enjoy."

Focus on your career goals and the professional growth you aspire to while identifying this position as an opportunity more aligned with your core values, career advancement, and professional development. That will indicate you want to specifically work for them and present it as a mutually beneficial opportunity. As they state on their website, "Come Grow With Us: More training and growth opportunities translate into a more engaged workforce. This theory has been proven by the long tenure of so many of our people, as well as how many have developed and grown their careers with us."

When considering hiring someone, the interviewers will want to assess their professionalism, dedication, and loyalty. One method of ascertaining these qualities is understanding the context of a candidate's professional history and the conditions in which their previous employment was severed. If a person quits before lining up another job, that speaks to their poor planning and emotional intelligence. If someone is still employed and considering a different job, it raises the question of the worth of their loyalty or a lack of dedication to their career choices.

Why do you want to work for Sykes Enterprises?

"Not only does Sykes' sense of collaboration, team building, and approach to innovation resonate with me, but also the core values are the values I already embrace and live by. It feels like the right fit and is honestly my top choice."

They're testing to see if your personality fits the role and if you can identify how Sykes Enterprises aligns with your values and goals. Perform your homework on yourself and their company and determine how your values align with theirs and how your priorities complement one another. Ask yourself why you sincerely want to work with them, outside of monetary gain or other logistical benefits. Explain why this opportunity is the perfect fit for you.

They are asking you to give them a reason to hire you while studying your behavior to ascertain if you believe in what you are saying. The interviewers will be looking for verbal and non-verbal cues to determine if your motives are sincere, if you can identify what makes you unique and sets you apart from the other candidates, and if you can self-identify what makes you uniquely qualified for this position.

Where do you see yourself in five years' time?

"Drafting another five-year career plan, feeling proud of what I've accomplished up to that point. I imagine the goals I draft then will be mutually beneficial to my future employer and teams and aimed at long-term continual growth well into the future."

If you haven't already, put together a five-year career plan. Start with where you are and where you want to go in your career. Then, break those big-picture goals into smaller, easily attainable goals. Then, create realistic expectations on how long it will take you to achieve these goals. You can create realistic timeframes by looking back at what you have achieved so far and how long it took you to accomplish those goals. Align your interests with the elements of what this opportunity offers. Doing so will aid in you your interviews.

This question aims to reveal whether you're happy with the status quo and prefer to cruise along, day in and day out, or if you have ambitions and goals and have a career plan. They're curious how working at Sykes Enterprises fits into your plan.Even though you are talking to the algorithm, you want to imagine speaking to a real person. Maintain eye contact with your camera, be relaxed and at ease, exude confidence, and communicate clearly. Share how you weigh success and what success means to you across all fronts; short-term goals, long-term goals, and the big picture of what you are shooting for.

How long do you plan on staying with the company?

"I was pretty disappointed when my current employer merged divisions. It goes to show that it's hard to predict the future. But if I were to get hired at Sykes, my answer would be that I don't plan on going anywhere as long as they don't."

Before considering how well you'd fit into their culture, they'll want to understand your true motivation for pursuing this position, with assurances your goals align with theirs. Posting a job vacancy, recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding exhausts a company's valuable resources. The capital funneled into this effort is considered an investment. Therefore, before considering investing in a candidate, they'll want to determine if the candidate is committed to this opportunity and not just looking to temporarily fill an employment gap until something better comes along. Therefore, before the interview, align your interests with theirs and determine how this is a long-term opportunity and is mutually beneficial for you and Sykes Enterprises.

Trying to practice fooling the algorithm will probably backfire. The best way to convince the algorithm of your honesty is to answer sincerely. Before your interview, research the position to identify how you'd be a fit for their teams for the long term. Get excited about what you'd have to look forward to in working for them. On their site, they even advertise that their environment is casual, and they remark that you could come to work in your pajamas. Rather than discussing how appealing that is to you, focus on how unconventional work environments are proven to inspire innovation and foster greater productivity and collaboration. These are the values you'll want to align your goals with. That way, when the algorithm evaluates how well your statements align with your verbal and nonverbal cues, they'll note the sincerity behind your value statements while conveying to the hiring authority of your scope of the big picture.

Describe a conflict situation you faced at work. How did you solve it?

"There was a relatively new employee who joined our division. They were assigned a particularly challenging project that fell into my field of expertise. I offered to help them and provided some insights and suggestions, but that triggered some unexpected defensiveness. I backed off, said I hadn't meant to overstep my bounds, and offered any help should they decide to reach out. A few days later, they apologized. This person came in from a pretty-dog-eat-dog shark-tank environment and was accustomed to others trying to take credit for their accomplishments by suggesting they'd been responsible for their development. When they realized that wasn't my way of doing things, they reached out and asked for some help, and I was more than willing. I didn't take it personally. I just felt bad that they'd had such an unfortunate experience at work that led to such distrust."

Interviewers ask this question to determine what you view as a conflict and how skillfully you confront it. Your answer will speak to your general attitude while offering insights into your problem-solving and interpersonal skills. It will reveal your emotional intelligence and effectiveness in diplomacy, mediation, and negotiation. Avoid coming across as negative when discussing the subject of your answer. Avoid any situation that could convey you have issues with those in positions of authority and avoid situations lacking a positive resolution.

When a person recalls instances of conflict, they'll revisit the emotions associated with that memory. They may narrow their eyes, fold their arms, and furrow their brow. They may stutter or stammer, take long pauses, and shake their head. Or, they may straighten their back, look down their nose, and try to come across as firm, ridged, and strong. However, these behaviors could convey defensiveness, such as insecure, closed-off, unapproachable, hostile, or disinterested. The assessment vendor's algorithm will watch for any or all of these cues. So posture yourself as emotionally mature, levelheaded, confident, and relaxed. Speak clearly while avoiding speech crutches and long pauses.

Describe a problem you had with a team member.

"I worked with a team member on a pretty perplexing issue. We couldn't solve this riddle no matter what angle we approached it from. Once we realized we were running behind on our deadline, we brought in several other team members. Then we tapped into a supervisor from another department who'd seen this problem before and was able to steer us in the right direction. Once we figured it out, we completely restructured how we approached the rest of this project and were innovative in juggling all the different aspects of this job. Sure enough, we got it in just under the deadline and went out that night to celebrate. Even though it was super stressful, it was also a lot of fun."

The nuance of this question aims to assess how you interpret the wording of it. It will inform the hiring authority of your attitude and perception of your work. By asking about a time you faced a problem with a team member, they want to know if you'll interpret it as a conflict with a team member or a problem-solving opportunity with a team member. Most brands will recruit those who fit their mold. Sykes prides itself on teamwork, inclusion, and collaboration. Soft people skills and the ability to non-defensively communicate with a wide range of personalities are integral to collaboration. Proceed with caution when navigating this question. Consistency is of value here. The interviewers want to know how easy you are to work with, how collaborative and team-oriented you are, and how well you would fit into their culture.

These interviews are naturally a bit nerve-wracking. Be mindful of the nonverbal cues of nervous or stressful behavior, such as fidgeting, which could include any small movements of your hands or feet, swaying, shifting your weight, rocking or tilting back in your chair, leaning to one side or the other, straightening and freezing your posture, cradling your neck with one or both hands, crossing your arms, cracking your knuckles, or biting your nails. The last thing you want to do is indicate to the algorithm that you are nervous about the question asked and not emotionally invested in this opportunity.

Give an example of a time you had to deal with a difficult client.

"I was working with a client with a strong personality who constantly felt they had to be an expert on everything. But they didn't have a firm grasp on the service I was performing, and while I was helping them, they constantly second-guessed me and demanded I stop helping them until they understood what I was doing. Then, when I calmly explained, despite their constant debating with me, they permitted me to continue. It was a time-consuming affair, taking three times as long to perform the work than it should have. But I was patient, reassuring them without patronizing them. In the end, I delivered a strong customer service experience, and they were grateful for my help."

This question not only aims to assess what you consider a stressful situation but how you would address it. Convey how well you work under pressure while maintaining your calm with emotional maturity. Challenging customers require greater patience and focus. Showcase your problem-solving skills, as well as your resourcefulness, flexibility, and adaptability. Explain your techniques for staying calm and organized under such high-pressure conditions. Show how you overcome a challenge or adversity. Attitude is everything here.

When a client is difficult, it doesn't necessarily translate to a conflict situation. Your interpretation of the question can be just as revealing as how you answer it. These questions are often glass half-full or glass half-empty moments. It is best to interpret the word 'difficult' as challenging, which changes the context and your approach to such questions. The assessment vendor will look for professionalism, honesty, and confidence in your skills. Remember to maintain eye contact and confident body language, be comfortable, and speak from the heart.

Describe your best customer service experience.

"I believe you should treat others according to your integrity and values. So, even when I'm not having a great experience with a product issue or when things go wrong, it is rarely the fault of the person interacting with me and trying to help. That was the case when I brought my laptop in to be serviced. They didn't have the capabilities to repair it at the store, so they shipped it off to a service facility. But, much to my disappointment, the package delivery carrier lost my laptop. The store bent over backward to track it down and repeatedly thanked me for my patience and understanding. As I saw it, they were thanking me for being a normal person. Well, the laptop was lost, and they replaced it with the latest best model with all the bells and whistles, and this model was significantly better than the model they lost. That was a pretty great customer service experience. One I'll never forget."

How you define an exemplary customer service experience offers insights into the standard of customer service you'd likely deliver. More often than not, people define excellent customer service as being heard, validated, and treated fairly. This is often grounded in understanding, relating with, and delivering on expectations. Meeting those expectations equates to good customer service.

Practice in front of your computer's camera, recording yourself while doing so, remaining mindful of your facial expressions, eye movements, body movements, tells and posture, and the nuances of tone and choice of words. Once you feel more comfortable with your delivery, practice again, this time without looking at yourself but rather at the camera lens while trying not to come across as too rehearsed since you don't want to sound wooden or dull. Try to come across as natural, relaxed, and confident.

Describe the relevant experience you gained in college that’ll help you in this position.

"I earned my Master's degree from Stanford University. I firmly believe that to be good at something, you need the drive to learn, grow, and succeed. To be driven, you should enjoy what you're working towards. That's why I chose my degree. I wanted my career choices to be sustainable. Too many students choose degrees because they don't know what they want, or they choose what they think they should do but aren't sure why they should. I pursued my degree because it was the most conducive to enjoying the journey and the growth in my passion for my pursuits. My uncle told me I needed to pursue learning in other ways in college and said I should start a club to get my hands dirty and pick up some leadership skills. So, while pursuing my degree, I founded a club on sustainability practices and clean energy. I've always been committed to improving the health of others and the planet. I'm proud of my accomplishments there and made a lot of progress towards my career goals."

The interviewers want to know how your education has prepared you for this job. The basics of your educational history are already listed on your resume. Explore any worthwhile accomplishments and anything you attribute to helping you further your career and aiding in your professional growth. What you offer shouldn't necessarily be restricted to your formal educational experience during that time, either. Feel free to go beyond the materials and lesson plans and discuss any tutoring, coaching, or lessons and words of wisdom from a mentor or professor.

Perspective and attitude are everything. Describe your college experience as the first stage of your journey on your career path. Describe how it has facilitated your trajectory so far, and share the unexpected twists and turns it may not have fully prepared you for this opportunity.

How do you balance your personal and professional life?

"I want to ensure that I enjoy my time off and am fully recharged when I return to work. I take my time management very seriously. I try to think several moves ahead and keep my eye on the big picture. When planning and organizing my day, I have to have a clear idea of what I want that day to look like, and I plan accordingly the day or night before. It saves me so much time in the long run and keeps things on an even keel at home. Aside from balancing my time in this regard, I make sure that I meet my personal needs, tending to my home life in a way that is emotionally nourishing."

Communicate how you strike harmony and balance when stepping away from the stresses of work. Exhibit your emotional intelligence and the strength of your time management skills. Share a few tools you use to stay organized and manage your time. Explain how you effectively balanced your life in your current or past roles.

Your answer will help them assess how capably you manage your stress at work or home. How well you manage your time will offer insights into your effectiveness in your job. Mismanagement of your morning can cause you to be late to work. Not managing your workflow or projects can cause missed deadlines or taking work home. If you feel overwhelmed at work because of poor time management, you might bring more stress home from work, not sleep well, and not perform at your best at work the next day. If you are continually stressed out at work, you'll likely burn out faster, and your performance will suffer. If you are stressed out in your personal life, it could affect your performance at work.

In your personal life, what do you consider your greatest achievement so far?

"I'd say it was building the life I envisioned for myself. I'm a proud homeowner, happily married, and looking forward to starting a family. We live in a very comfortable neighborhood. I feel grateful every day for the opportunities I've been presented with and feel lucky that I had the wisdom to not let those opportunities pass me by."

Sharing a 'greatest' accomplishment will clue them into your values, personality, motivators, and how this personal interest fuels your dedication toward success. Why you followed this accomplishment through to completion will clue them into whether it stands apart from your professional pursuits or potentially complements their work. When you offer your example, consider why this achievement was important to you, how you went about it, and what it contributed to your life. If possible, try to present yourself as an innovator with a unique lens toward outside-of-the-box thinking.

Remember, a hiring manager will be viewing your recorded interview later on. To increase your chances of landing an in-person interview, maintain eye contact in front of the camera as if you're speaking face-to-face with a person. You always want to appear as a calm and collected professional who is prepared to answer any question. Showing your personality as well can go a long way.

Describe a time you had to adhere to rules and regulations.

"I recently worked on an account that required signing an NDA and contained many provisions regarding how we were to perform each stage of the project. It was very monotonous but was not an everyday occurrence. There weren't any hiccups, and the client was pleased with the result, which I accomplished way ahead of the deadline."

The goal is to communicate your comprehensive understanding of what to expect from the job. Validate that performing mundane or redundant work is often more arduous than it seems. Draw correlations between your relevant work experience in adhering to a regimented, monotonous routine against what will be expected of you in this position. Exhibit your ability to be productive in any environment.

This common behavioral question aims to determine whether you are an extrovert or an introvert. This knowledge will help them ascertain whether you work well with others or prefer to work alone. Most people fall somewhere in the middle between these two extremes. How you answer this question will also clue them into how well you would function in their work environment and whether you would be a sustainable employee or would be more likely to burn out quickly on the job.

How would you define the value of integrity?

"My integrity informs my character and decisions. I've built my reputation on my integrity, and I can't imagine earning the trust of my clients and team without it. It's about doing the right thing, being dependable, honest, and exercising sound judgment."

This question aims to evaluate your values and moral code and inform them of how your conduct will potentially impact your team and the brand you represent. Honesty and communication go hand in hand. An effective communicator is an honest one. Offer the value of transparency. Describe how you approach emotionally confusing situations and how your integrity guides your responses. Share your core values and what your word means to you.

Choose your words carefully. This question is all about what the semantics of your answer reveal about you and your intentions. Remember to practice and to speak with sincerity. Enunciate your words and try not to stutter or have long pauses.

What is one thing you wish you could change from your past?

"Well, I'm not sure I would change anything from my past. Changing one decision will inevitably lead to others, which I'd then hope to change as well, and that could become a rabbit hole. I don't believe the grass is greener on the other side. My decisions have shaped who I am today, and I am grateful for what I've learned from those experiences. So I don't think I would change anything."

Hindsight is always 20/20, they say. Your answer will not only reveal your attitude and perspective on your failures, missed opportunities, and detours in your career but how you learn from experiences and if you apply those lessons to shore up your future success. One's career trajectory is rarely a straight line. And those experiences inform and shape our character. So how you answer will speak to your emotional intelligence and sophistication. Consider these points when answering this question.

If you are to align your interests with theirs, you'll have to go above and beyond in your research on the company's values and culture. You'll want to incorporate their language into your own to showcase how you already embrace their ideology, making you a good match. Most companies' interview questions can be answered using their website if you know where to look. For example, this collection of key phrases was easily found on Sykes's website; "We gain the knowledge and skills to grow our careers, regardless of where our lives lead us. We have daily opportunities to solve challenges, experience cool, new, leading-edge technology and software, and have the power to make every day better than before. We help people, one caring interaction at a time."

What was the toughest challenge you’ve faced?

"I was part of a team responsible for building bots for a platform. We divided our team into three sections - two for monitoring and security, two for flagging spam, and two for testing our security. Somehow, things got off track with the team. First, the patchwork we implemented resulted in a spaghetti algorithm, and the problems escalated. Secondly, the project turned into a not-so-friendly competition to see who could outperform each other's work, hurting the group's productivity and causing us to lose sight of the project's intention. It also created some strain and friction between certain individuals on the team. I pointed this out and influenced everyone to work together on developing each set of bots in stages. I encouraged each team member to rotate partners. This way, everyone got to work closely with everyone else, spotting each other's work. This diverse collaboration fostered our teamwork mentality and created a situation where we over-performed as a group, turning our project around."

Measuring what you see as a challenge against the challenges this position offers will tell them whether you are qualified for the position. Offering trivial or commonplace problems you'd see in an everyday setting will paint you in average light, whereas providing an extraordinary example that you navigated with competence can frame you as an attractive candidate. You want your answer to exhibit determination and that you aren't easily discouraged. Frame yourself as resourceful, with a propensity to think fast on your feet. Explain the impact the situation had on the business and your team.

As they state on their website, "Harvest Success: Our culture is based on collaboration, innovation and helping people. Across the world, we are one team dedicated to taking ourselves and our clients further than we've ever gone before. Come Grow With Us: More training and growth opportunities translate into a more engaged workforce. This theory has been proven by the long tenure of so many of our people, as well as how many have developed and grown their careers with us."

Describe a mistake you made at work and what you did to correct it.

"I was assigned a task by a supervisor who had a propensity to get stressed out when a deadline was approaching. They needed extra help and recruited me. They tended to be ambiguous in their communication, which typically required extra effort on my part to ensure we were on the same page. On this occasion, there were a lot of distractions, and it was clear the questions I asked them increased their stress levels, so I decided to move forward with the information I had on hand. But there was a communication breakdown, and the instructions weren't as clear as I believed they were. So, in the end, it required a lot of overtime and rework to accomplish the work I agreed to. I should have clarified at the forefront and knew better at the time. Not a mistake I'd ever make again."

Making mistakes is human. How we deal with and remedy a mistake comes down to exercising good judgment and knowing when asking for help is appropriate. Owning your mistake shows character and integrity. You should react in the company's best interest, not out of fear of discovery. If you tried to fix the mistake before bringing it to the attention of your superiors, explain why, such as it being less exhaustive of the company's resources, for you to fix it yourself. If you recruited help, explain it was necessary and in the team's best interest.

Objectify the situation, exhibiting an emotionally mature perspective, and explain how you navigated this terrain, ultimately leading to a successful resolution. You'll want to come across as emotionally mature and not regressing into the emotion of that situation when reflecting upon it. Focus on the positives and how the overall outcome benefitted the team. Conclude with the steps you took to avoid making that mistake again.

Describe a time you failed to fulfill a commitment.

"I inherited the workload of an employee who was underperforming and was let go. It was overwhelming. I suffered from task paralysis and had trouble getting started. Long ago, a mentor told me, in situations like this, I always tackle the biggest aspect of an overwhelming project first since that was what I felt most daunted by. It was good general advice, and I listened to it. However, in this instance, I should have taken a different approach. I lost focus on the priorities of the project, where instead of focussing on the tasks one by one, I should have looked more closely at the broader view of the problem at hand. As a result, I didn't manage my time well and should have approached the project differently. I missed that target but never made the mistake again."

The goal of this question is to determine your level of professionalism, integrity, emotional intelligence, and whether you take ownership of your mistakes and setbacks. The interviewers want to know if you deflect blame and frame yourself as a victim rather than learn from such experiences. If so, you are more likely than not to repeat the same mistakes, making you difficult to work with and professional liability.If you grew from the experience and had positive takeaways, such as analytically examining what went wrong, and learning what you can do next time to succeed, then the glass is half full of silver linings.

This question will allow your hiring authority to assess how well you hold yourself accountable and your project management and time management skills. It will also give them insight into your work style and how you deal with stressful situations. The assessment vendor will study your behavior for stress indicators, dishonesty, or defensiveness.As they state on their site, "WHO WE HIRE: UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS WITH A PASSION TO HELP OTHERS. SYKES employees: Are unique, Are motivated, Respect themselves and others, Don't settle for the status quo, Care and want to help, Are not afraid to ask questions, See the big picture. WE ALL WIN WHEN PEOPLE CAN BE THEMSELVES. AT SYKES, WE Work, Learn and Grow.

What is one goal that you have failed to achieve so far?

"I would say landing a job in an environment that fosters the kind of innovation that Sykes Enterprises does. A company culture like this one is not something you see every day. So finding a position with a company culture with these values is a goal I have yet to achieve. It is why I am here today."

The heart of this question is what career goals you are anxiously looking forward to achieving. How you answer this question will offer insights into your ambition, professional attitude, where you want to take your career, and whether they can help you get there. Be sure to exude a positive and confident perspective, and express that you are looking forward to overcoming the obstacles that lie ahead.

As Sykes Enterprises states in their culture book, which you can find on their website: "BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD. - Mahatma Gandhi. Challenges are opportunities to make a difference, make things better, learn and grow, so bring it on! We are committed to providing everyone the best possible environment to truly work, learn, and grow. In addition, we want employees to have fun at work and in the community with their SYKES family. It is up to each of us to believe in our potential, seize the opportunity, dive into our training, and know when to ask for help."

Describe the last time you experienced a lot of stress on the job. How did it impact the rest of your day?

"I was nearly done with a very involved project when the power went out on the building, and my computer shut down unexpectedly. I was very stressed that I might have lost progress on what I'd been working on. However, I'm not one for task paralysis, and that stress energy needs to go somewhere, so I channeled that energy into thinking fast and moving forward. I started taking notes on how I would proceed to recover the information if it were lost. But twenty minutes later, the power came back on, and I was able to recover everything. So, all's well that ends well."

The aim here is to showcase your ability to remain cool and collected under pressure. Exemplify how you govern your emotions, even under the most stressful circumstances. Share your approach to thinking fast and acting decisively, even in the most overwhelming work situations, and how you effectively overcome task paralysis or procrastination. Exude emotional maturity by acknowledging that we face stressful situations every day and highlighting your ability to take such situations in stride. Someone who keeps calm under pressure is a desirable asset.

They're curious how well your perception aligns with the reality of the job. In assessing your perception of what a high-stress working environment looks like, the interviewers will hopefully be able to evaluate how well-suited you are for the role and how governed you are by your emotions. The assessment vendor will evaluate how you cope with stress at work by studying your tone and nonverbal cues as much as your choice of words and the example you volunteer.

How would you define teamwork?

"I'd say true teamwork is supporting each other's strengths and helping each other grow. It's a feeling of camaraderie, where success is shared and the team effort experience unifies. When everyone looks forward to seeing and interacting with every teammate every day - that's what teamwork means to me."

Talk to the interviewer about the value you place on your working relationships and how you build trust and develop relationships with coworkers when you start a new job. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, the purpose of this question is to assess how well you work with others. Collaboration is integral to teamwork. The adage, "There is no 'I' in team," should be driven home in your answer. Promoting the strengths of your team members while never exploiting their weaknesses, treating the members of your team with dignity and respect, and recognizing and rewarding their efforts are all paramount.

Consider again these core values from Sykes Enterprises website; "WE ARE A TEAM: At SYKES we have one goal: to provide the best customer service in the industry. Besides our customer service representatives, we have a large support team ensures our operations run smoothly. Everyone at SYKES is an important piece of the puzzle for our success. ONE VOICE: Coming together is a start. Working together is a success. All of us work toward common goals. Acting as one knows no borders. Our diverse languages, skills and ideas allow us to find new solutions and perfect existing ones. Unity gives us the power to make a greater difference than by working alone."

Sykes Enterprises HireVue Interview Questions

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1. What are some of your hobbies?
2. Who do you most admire that serves as a source of inspiration for you?
3. What would you consider your greatest attribute?
4. What critical feedback do you most often receive?
5. How would you define empathy?
6. What are some of your personal skills you feel would bring value to the team?
7. What motivates you on the job?
8. What makes you a good fit for this position?
9. Introduce yourself.
10. Share something that is not on your resume.
11. Why are you looking for employment?
12. Why do you want to work for Sykes Enterprises?
13. Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
14. How long do you plan on staying with the company?
15. Describe a conflict situation you faced at work. How did you solve it?
16. Describe a problem you had with a team member.
17. Give an example of a time you had to deal with a difficult client.
18. Describe your best customer service experience.
19. Describe the relevant experience you gained in college that’ll help you in this position.
20. How do you balance your personal and professional life?
21. In your personal life, what do you consider your greatest achievement so far?
22. Describe a time you had to adhere to rules and regulations.
23. How would you define the value of integrity?
24. What is one thing you wish you could change from your past?
25. What was the toughest challenge you’ve faced?
26. Describe a mistake you made at work and what you did to correct it.
27. Describe a time you failed to fulfill a commitment.
28. What is one goal that you have failed to achieve so far?
29. Describe the last time you experienced a lot of stress on the job. How did it impact the rest of your day?
30. How would you define teamwork?

Sykes Enterprises HireVue Interview Questions

1. What are some of your hobbies?

2. Who do you most admire that serves as a source of inspiration for you?

3. What would you consider your greatest attribute?

4. What critical feedback do you most often receive?

5. How would you define empathy?

6. What are some of your personal skills you feel would bring value to the team?

7. What motivates you on the job?

8. What makes you a good fit for this position?

9. Introduce yourself.

10. Share something that is not on your resume.

11. Why are you looking for employment?

12. Why do you want to work for Sykes Enterprises?

13. Where do you see yourself in five years' time?

14. How long do you plan on staying with the company?

15. Describe a conflict situation you faced at work. How did you solve it?

16. Describe a problem you had with a team member.

17. Give an example of a time you had to deal with a difficult client.

18. Describe your best customer service experience.

19. Describe the relevant experience you gained in college that’ll help you in this position.

20. How do you balance your personal and professional life?

21. In your personal life, what do you consider your greatest achievement so far?

22. Describe a time you had to adhere to rules and regulations.

23. How would you define the value of integrity?

24. What is one thing you wish you could change from your past?

25. What was the toughest challenge you’ve faced?

26. Describe a mistake you made at work and what you did to correct it.

27. Describe a time you failed to fulfill a commitment.

28. What is one goal that you have failed to achieve so far?

29. Describe the last time you experienced a lot of stress on the job. How did it impact the rest of your day?

30. How would you define teamwork?