Candidate Interview Guidance: How to prepare for a Spotted Zebra interview

What to Expect

We use a structured interview approach with three types of questions designed to understand your capabilities from different angles. This isn't about trick questions, it's about giving you the best opportunity to showcase what you can do.

The Three Question Types

Behavioural questions: “What have you done?”

These questions focus on real situations you’ve handled. We are looking for clear examples of what you did, how you approached the situation, and what happened as a result.

How to prepare:

Think of a set of examples that show a range of skills relevant to the role (different stakeholders, types of challenges, and levels of complexity).
Structure your answers in a clear way. The STAR method can help:
- Situation: What was the context?
- Task: What needed to be achieved?
- Action: What actions did you take and why?
- Result: What changed as a result, and what did you learn?
Aim for specific detail where you can, such as decisions you made, trade-offs you considered, and how you measured success.
If your work was team-based, explain the overall outcome and your personal contribution.
Include at least one example that didn’t go to plan and what you learned or changed afterwards.

Helpful prompt to practise:

What was the hardest part, and what did you do that made the difference?

Reflective questions: “What have you learned?”

These questions explore the insights you’ve developed through experience. We are interested in what you have learned over time and how that shapes the way you work now.

How to prepare:

Think about patterns you’ve noticed across roles or projects, such as what tends to work well and what doesn’t or has caused problems in the past.
Choose one or two experiences that changed how you approach your work.
Be ready to explain what you learned, how you learned it, and how you apply it now.
If you would do something differently today, share what you would change and why.

Helpful prompt to practise:

What principle do you follow now that you did not follow earlier in your career?

Situational questions: “How would you approach this?”

These questions describe a realistic scenario and ask how you would respond. There is rarely a single correct answer. We are looking for your approach, how you make decisions, and how you work through trade-offs.

How to prepare:

Talk through your thinking step-by-step. A simple structure can help:
- Clarify: What information would you want to confirm?
- Prioritise: What would you tackle first and why?
- Options: What approaches could work?
- Trade-offs: What would you weigh up?
- Decision: What would you do and how would you communicate it?
It’s absolutely fine to ask clarifying questions. That often reflects good judgement.
If you make assumptions, say what they are. This helps the interviewer understand your reasoning.

Helpful prompt to practise:

What would you do in the first 30 minutes, and what would you do after you have more information?

General Preparation Tips

Before the interview

Review the job description and highlight the skills and responsibilities that feel most important.
Prepare 5–7 strong examples that show different types of work (a challenge, a success, influencing others, solving a problem, working through ambiguity, etc).
For each example, note:
- Your role and decisions
- Any constraints you were working within (time, budget, stakeholder expectations)
- The outcome and what you learned
Prepare a few questions for the end of the interview that help you understand the role, the team, and how success is measured.
If you find it easier, bring brief notes. Many candidates find it helpful to have a list of examples and key points to hand.

A few final reminders

Authenticity matters more than sounding perfect.
You do not need to have done everything before. We are interested in how you approach problems, learn, and apply your experience.
It’s okay to think out loud in situational questions, and it’s okay to ask clarifying questions.