The interview questions you’ll actually want to answer

When you sit down to an interview with Canva ’s Global Head of People Jennie Rogerson , you’re not about to be asked what your biggest weakness is.

Instead of clichéd job interview questions, she’s more likely to ask you something that brings out a story about who you are and what you really care about.

Her recent favourite question to ask is: ‘Tell me about a time when you’ve given feedback that really made a difference.’ Why? She’s really asking, “Are you kind? Are you clear?” and ascertaining whether you valued feedback.

“I get amazing responses from people who really helped peers, or debated giving feedback for a long time and when they did, it actually made an enormous difference to the project, team or company,” she tells LinkedIn. “If they join Canva, they’re aware that giving feedback is a big part of our culture.”

Other questions she asks include:

·?????On a scale from zero to 100, chaos to clarity, where do you thrive??

·?????Can you tell me about a time you have advocated for diversity or taken steps to reduce bias?

·?????Can you tell me the kindest thing you’ve done in the last two weeks?

·?????Tell me about the hardest period of time in your career??

Rogerson is hoping these offbeat questions mean applicants don’t get post-interview regret.

“I know I often came out of interviews before Canva feeling like I just hadn’t shown my true self. I hadn’t had the opportunity," she says.

"It was that classic thing of walking home and thinking I should’ve said something else."

“When I started interviewing more and more at Canva, I asked myself what would really give people space to tell their best story while also asking questions that got them thinking about what our culture was like too.”

She knows what it’s like to be keen for a job that feels out of reach, which is why she is not interested in including requirements like university experience in a job description.

“I found it incredibly hard to break into tech from hospitality. No one would give me the time of day."

"I worked in hospitality operations and there’s a ton of synergies between that and a tech startup because in hospitality operations you have to wear so many hats.

“Actually when you get a team together who all come from different backgrounds be it banking, hospitality retail whatever it is, it’s kind of a hot pot of really great personalities that all bring something different to the table and I think that’s the true impact of diversity.”

?? Follow Jennie for more tops on leadership, job seeking and the world of tech.

Have you ever been asked an excellent question during a job interview? Share it and your best tips below.

LinkedIn's 2023 Workplace Learning Report?reveals the most in-demand skills across Australia and New Zealand, and a corresponding LinkedIn Learning course has been unlocked until March 15 for each skill. See the top five below and click through for the report.

1. Management

2. Communication

3. Customer Service

4. Leadership

5. Project Management

A promotion before you even start work? Grads are in high demand thanks to slow migration and skills shortages in key industries, leading some sectors to increase pay by 8% from 2022. Read the story here.

Is the rising cost of living causing you to look for a new role? LinkedIn members say something's got to give, prompting career moves. Read the story here.

Reporting by Cayla Dengate