Fundamentally, the role of a Board Director is to ask great questions. What kind of impression are you making on the person you’re interviewing if you don’t have good questions ready?
In short, interviews can be nerve-wracking, but if you prepare well ahead of time, you’ll have a much better chance of making a great impression on the board.
Imagine this scenario. Someone put you in touch with a board position, and now they want to see your CV and application because of your great network.
When you go to the interview with the hiring committee or chair of the board you want to join, this is the first question they ask you:
Please don’t waste all the hard work you put into getting into this room.
Interviews are easy, as long as you prepare, and prepare well enough to leave you feeling confident. If you are nervous, that means you care. It’s a good sign.
Preparing for an interview at Room & Board? You’ve come to the right place In this article, we’ll walk through the top 10 most commonly asked interview questions at Room & Board and provide tips and sample answers to help you ace your interview.
Room & Board is known for their modern, high-quality furniture and home goods. But they also have a strong company culture rooted in their core values of quality craftsmanship, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.
The interview process at Room & Board aims to assess how well you align with these values in addition to evaluating your skills and experience Standing out requires showcasing your capabilities while also demonstrating your passion for the company’s mission
Let’s dive in to the key questions you’re likely to encounter and how to prepare winning responses:
1. Why do you want to work for Room & Board?
This question gauges your interest in and knowledge of the company. The interviewer wants to know that you’re truly excited about Room & Board specifically, not just any job.
Tips:
- Research Room & Board’s history, values, and achievements so you can speak in specifics.
- Talk about products or initiatives that resonate with you.
- Share why you’re drawn to their commitment to quality, sustainability, and community.
Sample Answer: I’m inspired by Room & Board’s dedication to timeless, ethical design and your commitment to reducing environmental impact through responsible sourcing and manufacturing. I appreciate that sustainability is woven into every aspect of your business, from the materials selection to end-of-life recycling programs. My values align closely with Room & Board’s core pillars of quality craftsmanship, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. I’m passionate about applying my skills in a purpose-driven company like Room & Board that balances doing good and doing well.
2. What do you know about our company culture and values?
The company wants to see that you’ve taken the time to understand their unique culture and values. Highlight aspects that resonate with you.
Tips:
- Emphasize their focus on ethics, quality, community, and environmental sustainability.
- Discuss how you align with and will contribute to their culture.
- Share why their values matter to you.
Sample Answer: Through my research, I understand Room & Board has a unique culture centered around quality craftsmanship, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. I’m drawn to the ethical approach you take across all aspects of the business, from sourcing sustainable materials to fostering meaningful relationships with employees, partners, and customers alike. Things like the philanthropic Room & Board Outreach program really resonate with me. If hired, I would look forward to actively contributing to initiatives like these that give back and make a difference. My personal values of integrity, sustainability, and service strongly align with Room & Board’s culture.
3. How would you handle an unhappy customer?
This tests your approach to customer service and conflict resolution skills – critical for any role at Room & Board. They want to see you can de-escalate issues and strengthen relationships.
Tips:
- Listen actively and empathize. Don’t get defensive.
- Take ownership. Offer solutions, policies allow.
- Follow-up to ensure satisfaction. Learn from the experience.
Sample Answer: When facing an unhappy customer, I would first listen closely to understand their full perspective. I’d express empathy for their frustration while avoiding defensiveness. If there was a mistake or shortcoming on our end, I would take ownership and apologize for the situation. I would then walk through all options to make it right based on our policies, going the extra mile if needed to ensure they leave satisfied. Afterwards, I would follow up to confirm their issue was fully resolved. Each interaction is an opportunity to not only address the immediate concern but to strengthen the customer relationship over the long-term. I would make notes on how to prevent similar issues in the future and share these insights with my team.
4. How would you respond if a customer complained about the quality of a product?
Room & Board prides itself on quality. This question probes how you would uphold their standards if they are called into question. Show you are solution-focused.
Tips:
- Thank the customer and do not be defensive. Listen fully.
- Offer options aligned with policies like refunds, repairs, replacements.
- Escalate feedback appropriately so improvements can be explored.
Sample Answer: If a customer complained about product quality, I would start by thanking them for the feedback. Room & Board’s commitment to quality is so core to who you are, so I would take this very seriously. My first step would be to listen closely without getting defensive, so I fully understand their experience and concerns. I would then walk through all options we have available based on our policies, whether that be a replacement, repair, refund, or credit. My goal would be resolving their issue to their complete satisfaction. I would make sure to document the feedback and work with my manager to relay it to the appropriate teams internally so improvements can be made if needed. Follow-up would be critical to ensure the customer feels heard and that we exceeded their expectations in making it right.
5. How would you incorporate sustainability into your day-to-day work?
Sustainability is hugely important for Room & Board. Be ready to share how you would actively further their environmental commitments.
Tips:
- Give specific examples of sustainable practices you would implement or support.
-Highlight how you’ve promoted sustainability in past roles. - Discuss ideas to further their environmental stewardship.
Sample Answer: I’m passionate about sustainability and would love to incorporate eco-conscious practices into my daily work. For example, I would reduce paper usage by setting printer defaults to double-sided and minimizing hard copies. I would also champion sustainability in interactions with customers and partners, promoting Room & Board’s use of recycled materials and carbon-neutral shipping. To reduce waste, I would be diligent in recycling and composting whenever possible. I’m also excited to support Room & Board’s participation in environmental initiatives, like planting trees and organizing community clean-ups. In my past roles, I spearheaded conversion to paperless systems and facilitated eco-friendly vendor sourcing – experiences I would leverage here. I look forward to bringing my creativity and passion for sustainability to advance Room & Board’s industry-leading environmental stewardship even further.
6. How do you stay motivated when faced with rejection?
Sales and customer service roles at Room & Board involve hearing “
Step 1 – Preparation
I always harp on about the P-word, but again, this is the first and most important step. You wouldn’t pitch to a big client or give a speech to a big group of people without practicing first, would you? The same goes for your interview. You want to be as comfortable with your speech/pitch/value proposition as possible. Memorise it enough that you don’t need notes and are still able to speak with confidence and authority.
Planning ahead will not only help you learn, but it will also boost your confidence, both of which are important for doing well in an interview.
Research:
- The company
- Its directors
- Its strategy
- Risks and opportunities
- Stakeholders
Make sure you know who will be interviewing you. Learn all you can about them. Read reports, browse the website, even check them out on social media. Is there someone you can talk to and get inside information? Get to know everything, don’t just wing it.
Step 2 – Bond with your interviewer
Most boards have an inherent sense of purpose. Despite what the news says lately, they usually want to make a difference and want to work with people who feel the same way. A critical part of showing that dedication is understanding your Why. Are you interested in joining that board? What drives you to become a board director? Knowing this will help you be honest, passionate, and real with the board, and it will help you make a great impression.
It also pays to create an emotional bond with your interviewer. When you have something in common with someone, you listen differently and show that you’re just like them. Being on the same level as them makes you feel even better about your confidence and shows them how well you can work with and relate to your peers, which is a very important trait for a board director to have.
One great way to bring this up in an interview is to ask the interviewer, “Why did you join this board?” You may find that they share some of the same reasons you did, which will help you connect on a deeper level.
How to Pass the Police Oral Board Interview (Without Breaking a Sweat)
FAQ
What is board room interview?
How to pass a board interview?
How to prepare for a board interview?
By preparing for the 6 types of board interview questions, you can reduce your anxiety significantly. To begin with, you must know your Unique Selling Point (USP) – the reason you should be appointed. Having this clarity means that you can begin to guide the interview towards the message you want to deliver. This is essentially your board profile.
What questions should I ask when interviewing a board chair?
We have compiled a list of some of the most important Other questions you need to ask in the process when interviewing a Board Chair Why do you want a career as a Board Chair (if that is the case)? Describe a challenging project, and how you overcame it? How much time will you dedicate to this role? How quickly do you make decisions?
What are the questions in a board interview?
The questions provide a model by which to refine the interview and personalize it for each board member. How and why did you initially become involved in the organization and choose to become involved in the board? As you look ahead in the next several years in which the board gains its footing, what do you see as its priorities?
What questions should I ask a board member?
Questions about your Governance Style – what sort of non-executive are you – your style of interaction with the board and Chair. Questions about your Skills and Commercial Acumen and why they are relevant at the board level.
