Sample Interview Questions

1. Describe your understanding of diversity [inclusion] and why it is important to this role.
2. What is your definition of diversity and how or why do you think diversity is important?
3. In what ways do you think diversity is important to someone in the role of ?
4. How are diversity [inclusion] issues and [leadership] [teaching or service] [customer service] related?
5. How would you describe your current thinking about diversity, and how has your thinking changed over time?
6. What does it mean for you to have a commitment to diversity? How have you demonstrated that commitment, and how would you see yourself demonstrating it here?
7. What are some concerns you have about working with diverse populations or communities?
8. To what extent do you believe there are significant differences in how one should work with diverse cultures?

1. Pose a situation/scenario involving issues of diversity. Ask the applicant how she or he would respond in that situation.
2. In what ways can you imagine promoting Brandeis’s nondiscrimination policy in your responsibilities in this position?
3. How would you [reach] [serve] diverse groups or traditionally underserved communities?
4. What challenges do you think you will face in working with a diverse population?
5. Why do you think it’s important to address diversity and equity issues in this position, and what are some ways you might do that?
6. How would you advocate for diversity education and diversity initiatives with individuals who don’t see its value?
7. Explain what you believe to be an effective strategy to introduce diversity to individuals who have limited experience with diverse groups.
8. Explain what you believe to be an effective strategy to diversify curricula.
9. When dealing with a non-diverse environment or individuals with little experience with diversity, how would you approach making diversity relevant or valued?
10. How would you handle a situation in which someone made a sexist, racist, homophobic or otherwise prejudiced remark?
11. How would you respond to a conversation between [co-workers] [students] [colleagues] that was clearly offensive to others?
12. If you were hired, how would you use this position to increase or enhance diversity at Heller?
13. Sometimes there is a belief that a commitment to diversity conflicts with a commitment to excellence (i.e., we will have to lower our standards to achieve or accommodate diversity). How would you describe the relationship between diversity and excellence? What kinds of leadership efforts would you undertake to encourage a commitment to excellence through diversity?
14. In what ways do you feel it is appropriate to incorporate topics related to diversity and [your discipline] into the classes you teach? How would you do this?

1. How has your [education] [previous work experience] prepared you for [working with] [teaching] a diverse population?
2. How has your background and experience prepared you to be effective in an environment [that values diversity] [is committed to inclusion] [where we see awareness of and respect for diversity as an important value]?
3. What is your past experience or training in [working with] [teaching] diverse populations?
4. What specific experiences have you had addressing concerns of diverse [communities] [students] [populations] at your current or previous institution? What role have you taken in addressing those concerns?
5. Please tell us about an instance when you have demonstrated leadership or commitment to equity in your work.
6. What programs or initiatives have you been part of [work with diverse populations] [address diversity issues], and specifically what was your role in those efforts?
7. Heller, like many schools, is highly concerned with issues of diversity and equity. How has your past work demonstrated an active commitment to equity?
8. Can you describe an innovative [program] [activity] [teaching strategy] addressing diversity that you were an integral part of developing?
9. In what ways have you demonstrated commitment and sensitivity to the importance of diversity in your previous experience?
10. Describe a time when you worked to incorporate diversity issues or diverse communities into [a project or event you worked on] [a class you taught].
11. What training and experience do you have in developing and implementing [services and programs] [courses] [course objectives] [learning objectives] that incorporate diversity?
12. Describe your experiences in strategic planning related to
13. Describe your experiences in assessing diversity initiatives and their
14. What experiences have you had with recruiting, hiring, training, and/or supervising a diverse workforce?
15. What is the most challenging situation dealing with diversity that you have faced and how did you handle it?
16. If we were to ask your colleagues or supervisor at your current position, what do you think they would say about your diversity background, experience and contributions?
17. What areas of diversity do you think you have to learn more about and how would you go about doing it?
18. What have you done to further your knowledge or understanding about diversity? How have you applied your learning?
19. How has your research incorporated diverse populations?
20. What role has diversity played in your work?
21. What kinds of experiences have you had in relating with people whose backgrounds are different than your own?
22. Have you ever realized you had said or done something that may have been offensive to a [colleague] [student] [co-worker]? How did you respond to that realization, and what was the outcome?
23. In your experience, what are the challenges faced by members of historically underrepresented groups [in the workplace] [in successfully completing their education]? What strategies have you used to address these challenges, and how successful were those strategies?

1. At Heller, social justice is central to our mission. Tell us about your experiences with social justice as it relates to your research, teaching, service, or some other aspect of your work.
2. At Heller, we are committed to analyzing and addressing the ways in which social and economic inequalities impact our community, the larger community, and our work. Tell us about your experiences with addressing inequalities.
3. We endeavor to foster a just and inclusive campus culture here at Heller. Tell us about your experiences with inclusion.
4. At Heller, we believe that diverse backgrounds and ideas are crucial to academic excellence. What have you experienced related to learning about backgrounds and ideas that are different from yours?
5. At Heller, we seek to build an academic community whose members have diverse cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences. What are some of the ways you have considered or worked toward greater diversity and inclusion?
6. There is a growing disability justice movement on campus. Tell us about your experiences with disability justice and working with students and colleagues with disabilities.
7. What are some strategies you’ve used to encourage staff from different backgrounds to collaborate with one another inside and outside of work?

Examples of behavioral interview questions that assess relationship building experience include:

• Give an example of a situation where there wasn’t a trusting relationship with a colleague. What did you do to try to build a more trusting relationship? What was the outcome?
• How would you coach someone on building trust?
• Describe a time when you built rapport quickly with someone under adverse conditions.

Behavioral interview questions that assess communication experience include:

• Tell about a time when you felt you had not communicated well. How did you correct the situation?
• Describe a time when you had to “sell” an idea to a group. What approach did you use? What was the outcome?
• Tell about a time you encountered resistance when implementing a new policy. How did you handle it? What was the outcome?
• Describe your methods for keeping your supervisor advised of the status on projects.

To assess team experience, you could ask any of the following behavioral interview questions:

• Share an example of a successful team experience from your previous job.
• Tell about a time when you experienced an unpleasant teamwork situation. How did you manage the situation?
• Provide an example of how you have motivated team members to produce at their peak potential to solve a difficult problem in a short period of time.

Examples of behavioral interview questions that assess organizational experience include:

• Share an example of a project you led that best describes your organizational skills.
• Describe how you would manage a reorganization of departments in the face of significant budget cuts.
• Tell of a time when you had to manage multiple projects within tight deadlines. Explain the most difficult aspect of that situation. How did you manage it?

Behavioral interview questions that assess problem-solving experience include:

• Describe the most challenging decision you had to make in the past year. What made it challenging? How did you solve it?
• Describe a situation where your best efforts did not produce the desired result. What did you learn from the experience?
• Give an example of a time when you were caught off-guard about a problem that existed and you had not foreseen. How did you respond?

An applicant’s skill in leadership can also be assessed through behavioral interview questions. Ask questions like:

• Give an example of a situation in which you were able to build motivation within your department.
• Describe a situation where you had to obtain cooperation from a difficult group. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?
• What is your vision for the position? What would you hope to accomplish during your first six months?

Examples of behavioral interview questions that assess innovative experience include:

• Describe a problem you solved using an unusual or unique approach. What was the outcome?
• Describe a situation which required you to develop an innovative approach. How did you develop the approach? Who was involved?
• Give an example of a time when you had to take a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome?

Effective performance management skills are necessary for supervisor positions. Examples of behavioral interview questions that assess an applicant’s performance management skills include:

• Give an example of how you have successfully empowered faculty to increase research productivity.
• Describe a difficult performance review you had to provide. What was the development plan you devised to help the staff member improve performance? What was the outcome?
• What have you done to develop the skills of your staff?

The Heller School embraces diversity and inclusion in its workforce. Examples of behavioral interview questions that assess diversity include:

• What have you done in your current position to create an environment where the sharing of differences is encouraged and valued?
• What have you done to further your understanding of diversity?
• What have you done to support diversity in your unit?