An Ikea exec shares her favorite job interview questions and they have nothing to do with r sum or grades

Get the Full StoryIkea Deutschland

Furniture giant Ikea sticks to its Swedish roots when interviewing candidates for open positions.

The basic principle of the store is that everyone is seen as talent, and the application process is a dialogue.

For that reason, says an Ikea exec, they ask questions that center on cultural fit, not r sum or experience.

Furniture giant Ikea is very proud of its Swedish roots. This can be seen not only in advertising and in stores, but also when applying for an open position.

“The Swedish corporate culture of Ikea is of course a very important basis for us when we are looking for new employees," said Marilyn Schr der, Manager for Recruitment at Ikea Deutschland, in an interview with Business Insider Germany.

That culture is centered on people, Schr der said. The “basic principle of the store” is that everyone is seen as talent.

According to Schr der, the application process is a dialogue. At the end, the candidate is typically asked, "Do you have a talent that you can use at Ikea to find a home with us?"

This question is asked often because the so-called “culture fit” is important to Ikea.

"Every human being develops certain values over the course of his or her life,” Schr der said. “The more values match those of Ikea, the greater the likelihood that a new employee will actually be happy with us."

Schr der often also asks: "What has shaped you, regardless of your school or occupation?”

“The question requires very strong reflection,” she said. “With it, you can learn more than just the CV. There are many new aspects to it.”

Studying and grades aren’t too important to Schr der. Instead, she wants an overall picture of the applicant's personality. And that's exactly what she needs to find out whether or not it fits in with the company.

“The application is not a question-and-answer game," and the company is committed to viewing interviews primarily as dialogues, she said. "We hope that applicants will understand it as a meeting process and be authentic, so that we can work together to find out whether the job is right for them."NOW WATCH: A psychologist explains how the 'IKEA effect' can motivate people to work harder

Share: