Job interview verb patterns speaking

Job interview verb patterns speaking

Take turns using verbs from below to ask each other questions in a job interview for a position as an HR manager, with the other person answering the question each time. You can give imaginary answers if you can’t think of anything true.

Verbs to make job interview questions from (arranged A to Z)

admit                                              afford                               aim                                   allow    

appear                                           avoid                                              can’t help                         can’t stand

celebrate                                       claim                                              consider                          decide

deny                                              discuss                                          enjoy                                expect

fail                                                  hesitate                                         involve                             keep

let                                                   look forward to                             manage                           mind

miss                                               object                                           offer                                 oppose

permit                              persuade                                       plan                                  postpone

prepare                                         prevent                                          promise                            refuse

regret                               resist                                              show                                stop

struggle                                         suggest                                         support                            threaten

volunteer                                       would prefer

 

Use the questions below to continue the same interview. Your teacher will tell you if you should use the gapped questions and/ or the completed questions.

Ask about any verbs that you are not sure that you used correctly, questions which were difficult to answer, etc.

Work together to fill the gaps in the gapped questions with the correct form of the verbs.

--------------------------

Suggested questions

1. How can we make staff comfortable enough to admit making mistakes?
2. What would you say if Finance said they couldn’t afford to train your staff?
3. What do you aim to achieve in the next few years of your career?
4. Would you allow accused staff to keep working while you investigate?
5. What can you do about people who appear to be slacking but aren’t?
6. How can you avoid having conflicts with your workmates?
7. How can you cope with staff who can’t help gossiping but deny doing it?
8. How can you deal with team member who can’t stand working together?
9. How would you celebrate finishing a big project with your team?
10. What should you do first if someone claims to have been bullied at work?
11. Would you consider moving abroad?
12. Why have you decided to change jobs?
13. At what point should management discuss downsizing the staff with them?
14. Do you enjoy planning projects?
15. What do you expect to be doing when you are 60?
16. Have you ever failed to finish a project on time?
17. When might you hesitate to accept decisions from higher up?
18. Have you had a job which involves reporting to more than one person?
19. What information would you need before you let someone take a sabbatical?
20. What are you looking forward to doing in this job?
21. How do you manage to have good work-life balance?
22. Do you mind having to abandon projects?
23. What will you miss doing if you leave your present job?
24. Would you object to being moved between departments?
25. How should you react to someone without the right skills who offers to help?
26. Under what circumstances would you permit an employee to have a side job?
27. How can you persuade people who oppose doing something to change their minds?
28. Do you plan to do any training?
29. When might you try to persuade someone to postpone taking retirement?
30. How can new managers prepare to handle performance reviews?
31. How can we prevent staff leaving to set up their own companies?
32. How do you treat staff who promise to improve but miss all their targets?
33. Can you give an example of a good time to refuse to follow company policy?
34. Are there any big decisions that you regret taking?
35. What would you say to someone who resisted moving between roles?
36. How can you stop staff working too much overtime?
37. Do you often stop to think about what you are doing before taking decisions?
38. Have you ever struggled to cope with a change in working practices?
39. What would you suggest that an employee suffering from stress do?
40. Do you support introducing positive discrimination/ affirmative action?
41. What would you do about a good employee who threatened to quit?
42. How can we get more diversity in who volunteers to lead teams?
43. Would you prefer to stay in one field or to try more than one?

---------------------

Gapped suggested questions

1. How can we make staff comfortable enough to admit __________ (make) mistakes?
2. What would you say if Finance said they couldn’t afford _________ (train) your staff?
3. What do you aim _________________ (achieve) in the next few years of your career?
4. Would you allow accused staff ____________ (keep) working while you investigate?
5. What can you do about people who appear _____________ (be) slacking but aren’t?
6. How can you avoid _____________________ (have) conflicts with your workmates?
7. How can you cope with staff who can’t help ___________ (gossip) but deny doing it?
8. How can you deal with team member who can’t stand __________ (work) together?
9. How would you celebrate _________________ (finish) a big project with your team?
10. What should you do first if someone claims ________ (have been bullied) at work?
11. Would you consider __________________________________ (move) abroad?
12. Why have you decided _________________________________ (change) jobs?
13. When should management discuss ____________ (downsize) the staff with them?
14. Do you enjoy __________________________________________ (plan) projects?
15. What do you expect __________________________ (be) doing when you are 60?
16. Have you ever failed ____________________________ (finish) a project on time?
17. When might you hesitate _________________ (accept) decisions from higher up?
18. Have you had a job which involves __________ (report) to more than one person?
19. What info would you need before you let __________ (someone take) a sabbatical?
20. What are you looking forward to _____________________________ (do) in this job?
21. How do you manage ________________________ (have) good work-life balance?
22. Do you mind ________________________________ (have to) abandon projects?
23. What will you miss _____________________ (do) if you leave your present job?
24. Would you object to _____________________ (be moved) between departments?
25. How should you react to someone without skills who offers ____________ (help)?
26. When would you permit ____________________ (an employee have) a side job?
27. How can you persuade people who oppose doing something ______________ (change) their minds?
28. Do you plan ______________________________________ (do) any training?
29. When might you try to persuade someone to postpone _______ (take) retirement?
30. How can new managers prepare ____________ (handle) performance reviews?
31. How can we prevent _____________ (staff leave) to set up their own companies?
32. How do you treat staff who promise ___________ (improve) but miss all their targets?
33. Can you give an example of a good time to refuse ________ (follow) company policy?
34. Are there any big decisions that you regret ____________________________ (take)?
35. What would you say to someone who resisted _____________ (move) between roles?
36. How can you stop staff ___________________________ (work) too much overtime?
37. Do you often stop _______ (think) about what you are doing before taking decisions?
38. Have you ever struggled _____________ (cope) with a change in working practices?
39. What would you suggest that an employee suffering from stress ____________ (do)?
40. Do you support ____________ (introduce) positive discrimination/ affirmative action?
41. What would you do about a good employee who threatened ______________ (quit)?
42. How can we get more diversity in who volunteers ________________ (lead) teams?
43. Would you prefer ___________________ (stay) in one field or to try more than one?