Recruitment Ad: Interview Questions

Job ad

Social Worker

Department of family and children services

20 June 2011

The Department of family and children services invites applications for the position of Social Worker. This position is engaged in activities related to the assistance and help to special groups of people.

Key Responsibilities:

– to implement a set of measures for upbringing, education and social protection of individuals in the organization, in the community;

– identify the interests and needs, difficulties and problems, conflicts, the deviations in the behavior of customers, and timely provide them with social assistance and support.

– to provide various kinds of social activities aimed at developing social initiatives, the implementation of social projects and programs.

– to promote humane and morally healthy relationships in a social environment.

Qualifications required:

-                     the position requires high school diploma and two years of work experience in duties involving special population groups ( children and adolescents, or patients/clients) in a direct care facility, such as a hospital, nursing home, or group home;

-                     OR one year of work experience as a Community Home Counselor I with the Department of Human Services;

-                     OR a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work, psychology, special education, occupational therapy, counseling, child development and family science, sociology, human resource management. (National Association of Social Workers)

Benefits: The Department of family and children services offers good work opportunities, a full range of employee benefits including a comprehensive employer-paid health plan, paid leave and retirement plan. (National Association of Social Workers)

 

Interview questions

Question

Why are you asking? What do you hope to learn?

 1. What are your experiences/qualifications for this position ”“ working with people with social needs?   This question is intended to find out the working experience of the candidate, his skills and knowledge from the previous positions.
 2. Why did you choose this career?  This question helps to find out the candidate’s views and motives of his choice, to find out how he sees himself in this profession.
 3. What is a social worker in your point of view?  This question helps to find out the candidate’s view on the profession, since social work is a special kind of profession, and requires corresponding knowledge, personal qualities and willingness to work with people.
 4. Why do you want to work with this community /population?  4. When asking this question it is necessary to find out if the candidate is willing and able to work with community\population, as this position requires the highest level of communication abilities, ability to deal with different people, tact, empathy and love for children.
 5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?  Give at least 5 characteristics of both.  This question helps to learn more about candidate’s personal characteristics, to point his key abilities and if they match the position.
 6. How do you establish good communication with your team?   The position of social worker implies work in team, and it is necessary to learn about candidate’s ability and experience of work in teams.
 7. How do you keep yourself motivated?  This question helps to find more about candidate’s personal abilities and characteristics, such as motivation to activity and work, which is important for good job performance.
 8. How do you prioritize tasks during a day work? How do you handle a high workload?  This question is intended to find out if the candidate has good organizational skills and is able to deal with several tasks, for example when working on several projects.
 9. What do you want to achieve at this position?  This question helps to learn about candidates’ motivation and willingness to achieve results at this position.
 10. What are your next years’ career goals?  This question helps to learn if the candidate has career growth goals, what is his motivation and  how long is he going to work at this position.
11. Do you have references? How would your references describe you? This is important question which helps to learn more about candidate’s work performance in the previous position/ Also if the candidate has references it helps to learn his key characteristics and strong sides.
12. Describe an unexpected/stressful situation you’ve experienced in your previous job as social worker. How did you handle the situation? This question helps to find out the candidate’s ability to work in stress and ability to make decisions in unexpected situations. If the candidate has an example of successful work in unexpected/stressful situation, it proves his competence and high personal abilities.

 

 

 

References

“Social Workers”. Bureau of labor statistics, the U.S. department of labor, 2011.



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