ponyrama

Good Morning

Just wondering if anyone has experience of being interviewed for management/policy type jobs in Oz. I do lots of recruitment here in UK and am familair with interview formats/question types etc but how does it differ in Oz?

Are there typical questioning styles they tend to use? Are there any particular formats they favour when interviewing people?

Cheers

Potato_potato

I find it depends if HR is involved. If so you will get all the annoying textbook questions that most people just give a generic answer too.


If it's just management of some description interviewing you I find it's less formal. They're more interested in how you communicate and whether you're confident enough to manage people. They will also ask more technical questions about your industry experience and your management style.

The best interviews are those without HR wasting your time.

ponyrama

Thanks Spud! Much appreciated.

Oz-bound

Not that much different to the UK really, they do like scenario based questions though!!! Oh yes, and they also like interviewing in numbers....you never get just one person - think they're scared

Wilga

Hi Oz Bound,
Can you qualify this a bit. What sort of management are you specifically talking about as I have found that the techniques and questions vary a lot. What sector and what sort of management position. It seems in my company alone we have an over abundance of titles with that word in it.

Ken

ponyrama

Thanks for your input guys. The jobs I'm going for are Health Management (policy,planning, performance management) and will also be looking at Local Government as well but they dont usually let you apply until your a PR.

Wilga

Hi Ponyrama,
Local government...*shiver*. All jobs involving companies with an HR Department. Even smaller companies are jumping on that band wagon. It can depend a lot on the company of course. There are many still that have old time managers who insist on doing all the hiring and firing themselves and these ones are a treat to go through. A sit down, a cuppa and a friendly chat mostly on things not to do with the actual position. As stated by others if going through HR it is almost impossible to even get particulars on a position without them getting involved. I even went to one once at Thiess and was taken across the road to a cafe for a coffee and interview. of course none of this really helps you.
Good luck and I hope you secure the position you desire.

Ken

ponyrama

Cheers Ken. I can cope with the HR stuff - its the unknown random hirers and firers I'm worried about. They can ask you anything -

I think (fingers crossed) i've got a phone interview lined up for next couple of weeks which will be my first ozzy interview experience. I'll let you know what I make of it.