Ace Your Univar Solutions Interview: The Top Questions You Need to Prepare For

Getting hired at a leading global company like Univar Solutions is an exciting opportunity, but also a challenging one. With competition fierce, you need to thoroughly prepare for the Univar Solutions interview process to stand out.

In this comprehensive article, we’ll explore the most common Univar Solutions interview questions along with proven strategies to answer them successfully. Whether you’re interviewing for an entry-level role or an executive position, these tips will help you put your best foot forward.

Overview of Univar Solutions

Before diving into the interview questions, let’s briefly discuss Univar Solutions. As one of the largest chemical distributors worldwide Univar Solutions operates in over 100 countries across diverse end markets. The company is recognized for its focus on digital innovation, sustainability tailored services, and supply chain efficiencies.

With a vast portfolio and global reach Univar Solutions offers ample growth opportunities across functions like sales marketing, IT, logistics, and more. However, the hiring process is rigorous, designed to assess how well you fit the role, align with company values, and can drive success.

Thorough interview preparation is key as Univar Solutions seeks candidates who are strategic thinkers, excellent communicators, accountable, and adaptable. With the right mindset and responses, you can ace the interview!

Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Let’s now explore some of the most frequently asked Univar Solutions interview questions along with effective strategies to impress the hiring managers:

1. Why do you want to work for Univar Solutions?

This question gauges your understanding of the company along with your motivation for joining it. The interviewer wants to see if you’ve done your research and are truly excited about the role and Univar Solutions’ mission.

How to answer:

• Demonstrate your knowledge of Univar Solutions’ work in the chemical distribution industry. Mention factors that attracted you such as global footprint, focus on digital innovation and sustainability, and culture of accountability.
• Highlight why you’re passionate about the role and how you would utilize your skills and experience to drive success. Align your strengths with the position’s requirements.
• Convey enthusiasm for the company’s vision and values, emphasizing how they resonate with your own principles and interests.

2. What do you know about our products and services?

Since Univar Solutions deals in distribution of chemicals and ingredients, interviewers expect you to have researched their offerings. This shows your genuine interest in the role along with commercial awareness.

How to answer:

• Provide an overview of Univar Solutions’ range of products and services within chemicals, ingredients distribution, digital solutions, tailored services etc. Mention key customer industries served.
• Demonstrate your understanding of how Univar Solutions creates value for customers through reliable supply chains, market insights, sustainability focus etc.
• If interviewing for a specific role, highlight your knowledge of products/services related to that function. For example, if in sales, discuss chemicals distributed for that client segment.

3. How would you handle an unsafe situation in our facilities?

Safety is paramount for a chemical distributor like Univar Solutions. This question tests your judgment, responsibility and ability to act promptly when facing unsafe conditions.

How to answer:

• Affirm your commitment to following all safety protocols and procedures. Mention how you would quickly notify the relevant on-site emergency team of any hazards.
• Outline how you would secure the affected zone, alert others to avoid it, and implement any required containment steps per Univar Solutions protocol.
• Emphasize that you would not attempt to handle major risks yourself without guidance. Discuss how you would later review the incident to identify areas for safety improvement in the future.

4. Tell us about a time you had a conflict with a coworker. How did you handle it?

Since collaboration is vital at Univar Solutions, interviewers want to know how maturely and effectively you navigate conflicts. This demonstrates your communication skills, empathy and professionalism.

How to answer:

• Briefly describe the scenario – what caused the disagreement and its impact on work. Do not blame or criticize anyone.
• Explain how you approached the conflict calmly, listened to their perspective and expressed your own viewpoint respectfully.
• Share how you sought common ground and compromised where possible to resolve the issue collectively.
• Highlight that you maintained a positive relationship after the incident and agreed to move forward constructively.

5. How do you stay up-to-date on industry trends and innovations?

Univar Solutions prioritizes knowledge of market dynamics within the chemical distribution industry. This question evaluates your proactive learning approach and motivation to stay ahead of the curve.

How to answer:

• Provide examples of resources you utilize to track industry news and trends such as blogs, newsletters, trade events, networking groups etc.
• Discuss how you leverage insights from the above to adapt your work, whether enhancing customer service, improving processes or identifying new opportunities. Share specific instances if possible.
• Highlight your passion for continuous learning and how you apply the latest industry know-how to deliver value in your role.

6. If you were hiring for this role, what skills and experience would you look for in a candidate?

This behavioral question requires analyzing the role from the lens of an employer and understanding the must-have attributes for success. Your response demonstrates strategic thinking and understanding of the position’s demands.

How to answer:

• Identify 2-3 hard skills crucial for excelling in the role such as technical expertise, software proficiency, analytical skills etc. Justify with examples.
• Discuss vital soft skills like communication, collaboration, time management that are needed to thrive in the role.
• From an experience standpoint, highlight important qualifications that would enable handling the key responsibilities effectively. Illustrate with relevant examples.

7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

This common question gauges your career aspirations and whether they align with the growth trajectory at Univar Solutions. Be thoughtful yet realistic in your response.

How to answer:

• Affirm your interest in progressing within Univar Solutions long-term. However, do not appear overly ambitious or unrealistic.
• Share your career goals and how you hope to develop the requisite skills and experience through the current and future roles at the company.
• Demonstrate how your growth vision aligns with Univar Solutions’ needs and priorities over the coming years. Highlight how your development would ultimately benefit the company.
• Emphasize your commitment to performing excellently in the current role as the necessary stepping stone to build your career there.

8. How do you respond to pressure or stressful situations?

Since handling pressure is inevitable in a fast-paced industry, interviewers want to know how you maintain performance and make sound decisions under stress. This assesses your ability to thrive in a dynamic environment.

How to answer:

• Share examples of high-pressure situations you navigated successfully in the past. Discuss specific stress management tactics used.
• Highlight skills like decisiveness, time management, adaptability that enabled you to deliver results despite challenges.
• Emphasize that you do not compromise quality despite time constraints and focus on completing the most critical tasks first.
• Convey how you reach out to colleagues for support whenever needed while driving progress independently.

9. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This classic question aims to understand your self-awareness and ability to continuously improve – critical growth mindsets at Univar Solutions.

How to answer:

• Share 2-3 relevant strengths supported by specific examples. Choose those that best match the role requirements.
• For weaknesses, pick manageable areas that do not completely prevent you from excelling in the role. Showcase your efforts to improve.
• Frame weaknesses positively – i.e. wanting to further develop your public speaking skills rather than saying you’re poor at presenting.
• Focus more on the strengths component and how they would enable you to drive success in the position.

10. Do you have any questions for us?

This provides an opportunity to demonstrate thoughtful interest in the role, team, and company vision. Prioritize open-ended, strategic questions over those with simple yes/no answers.

How to ask:

• Inquire about the organization’s future growth plans and how your role would contribute towards it.
• Ask about the top priorities the team/department is currently focused on and challenges faced.
• Request insights into the work culture and what the interviewer enjoys most about working there.
• Express interest in learning more about career development and training programs.

With rigorous preparation using these tips, you can master the art of acing Univar Solutions interviews. Remember to research the role, company, and your own experiences thoroughly to provide compelling responses. Showcase both your aptitude and your passion for the position. Stay confident and authentic while highlighting your achievements. With this approach, you will be able to have engaging discussions and make a lasting impression throughout the interview process. Best of luck with your applications and interviews – you’ve got this!