Zipcar, Case Study Example

List three behavioral and three situational questions that you would use to interview Zipcar employment applicants.

Behavioral

Tell me a time in which you felt it was necessary to change your actions in order to respond to the needs of another person.

Tell me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

What ways have you found to make your job easier or more rewarding?

Situational

When would it be appropriate to bring in your supervisor while dealing with an angry customer?

How would you organize the steps or methods you’d take to define/identify a vision for your team or your personal job function?

You been placed in charge of with revising the current business practices. What are your first steps to get the revisions implemented and complete the project?

According to the video, what practices should you avoid during an interview? How do these compare with those we discussed in this chapter?

The video sheds some very insightful information on the importance of getting the proper candidate for a modern and evolving business. There are several recommendations that were given to a potential applicant. The first is to remain positive. The interviewee has the responsibility to show the interviewer how they will be a good fit in the company. Individuals have many different reasons for leaving previous employers.  It does no good to complain negatively regarding past employment. It only makes the candidate look bad. Another recommendation is to remain professional. This means respecting the new modern up and coming company. Preparing oneself for the interview. Do not waste the interviewer’s time by not preparing well and learning about the company. This is not only professional but it respectful. Zip cars has a vision and their employees play an important part of that visions success. The value and culture of any company is only as strong as the ability of the employees to implement it. The tips provided by the Zipcar interview allows for individuals to prepare for future interviews, regardless of the company they are seeking to find employment with.

The book discussed several of these aspects and it’s important in the interview process. First the importance of being prepared. Knowing what you are interviewing for and all information about the company. You can’t go into an interview without knowing a little bit about the company – realistically why anyone would want to. The second consideration is the importance of allowing the interview to be a two way conversation. The interviewee is not expected to be talking the whole time that would make it extremely difficult for the interviewer to determine how well the applicant will communicate with others. It is important for the applicant to have their own questions to know more about the company they are considering employment with. The book also discusses the importance of being presentable and professional. There will never be a second chance to make a first good impression, so it is important to be prepared. Professional, positive, presentable, and prepared are all important considerations of interviewing that the book has hit on.  A key point to a successful interview is to understand and employ all of these important factors.