7.7 Career Connection

Interview Questions 

1. How do you handle stress?
2. Tell me about a challenging day that you faced at work and how you coped with it. What was the situation? What did you do? What would you have done differently knowing what you know now?
3. What parts of your current job currently create the most stress for you?
4. How would you ask for help if you had issues developing a healthy work-life balance?
5. If you had a colleague at work who appeared to be experiencing some health related issues that were affecting their performance on your team, how would you approach them and what advice would you give them?

Stress Interviewing

Read this article by the Indeed Editorial Team (2022) called “What is Stress Interviewing? (And How to Prepare for One)”.

1. Before reading this article, had you ever experienced types of questions like this and how did you respond or how do you think you would have responded?
2. Do you feel like this type of interviewing is ethical (is it “the right thing to do”) from the employer’s perspective?
3. Now that you know a bit more about stress interviewing, what specifically can you do if a question like this comes up?

According to Tom Baker (2022) in an article in the Hamilton Spectator, the Conference Board of Canada (CBC) estimated “in 2011 that work absence cost the economy $16.6 billion. Using 2021 Labour Force Survey data, costing absence as per CBC and holding the share of lost payroll constant means a current annual cost of $22.2 billion” (para. 2).

Whether employees are off work due to mental or physical health issues, it is a costly matter for both the employee and the employer.

When identifying places you want to work and starting or continuing your job search, it might be important to investigate some of the following:

• What policies does this company have in place to support your overall wellness?  This may include an employee assistance program (EAP), in house services, or discounts on gym memberships, healthy eating options in the workplace, flex-time, and the option to work from home.
• Take time to reflect on what is important to you and find a work situation that fits with your needs and supports your personal goals.
• What protection do you have at work? Is it a unionized environment? What formal policies exist vs. what behaviours are generally accepted.
• What are your rights under the various legislation that governs workplaces? (labour laws, workplace standards, federal health and safety standards, and labour relations programs) Canadian Workplace Standards
• Consider how you can use your social intelligence to build relationships and connections in the workplace to build an informal support network of colleagues or a more formal mentoring relationship

While it is to your employer’s benefit to provide a supportive work environment, every individual will have different needs and requirements to be successful in the workplace while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.