15 Crisis Management Interview Questions and Answers

Crisis management is the process by which an organization deals with a major disruptive event that threatens to harm the company, its stakeholders, or the general public.

When a crisis occurs, it can have a profound impact on an organization and its reputation. That’s why it’s so important for companies to have a plan in place to deal with these types of events.

One way to ensure your company is prepared for a crisis is to interview candidates for positions that would be responsible for managing such an event. But what kind of questions should you ask to find the best person for the job?

In this article, we will provide some sample questions you can use to help identify the best candidate for a crisis management position in your company.

1. What is crisis management?

This question is an opportunity to show your knowledge of the field and how you apply it. You can define crisis management, explain what a crisis is and describe some common types of crises.

Example: “Crisis management is the process of managing a situation that could damage a company’s reputation or cause other problems for its stakeholders. A crisis can be anything from a natural disaster to a data breach. There are many different types of crises, but they all have one thing in common—they need to be managed quickly and effectively so the business doesn’t suffer long-term consequences.”

2. What are some examples of crises that can face a company or organization?

This question can help the interviewer understand your knowledge of what a crisis is and how you would handle one. You can answer this question by giving examples of crises that have happened in the past, or you can give hypothetical situations to show how you would respond.

Example: “Crises can happen for many reasons, but some common ones are natural disasters, data breaches, employee misconduct and financial issues. In my last role as an IT manager, we had a server failure that caused us to lose important client information. I immediately contacted our backup team to see if they could restore any lost files, and then I notified all employees about the situation so they knew not to send sensitive information until we resolved it.”

3. Can you explain what the four phases of crisis management are?

The interviewer may ask this question to assess your knowledge of the phases and how you apply them in a crisis. Your answer should include an explanation of each phase, including what it is and why it’s important.

Example: “The four phases of crisis management are preparation, response, recovery and prevention. In the preparation phase, I would identify potential risks that could lead to a crisis situation. Next, I’d develop a plan for responding to these risks by creating a communication strategy and identifying resources we can use during a crisis. During the response phase, I’d implement my strategies and communicate with stakeholders about the issue at hand. Recovery involves assessing the damage and making changes to prevent similar situations from happening again. Finally, in the prevention phase, I’d evaluate our current systems and make improvements where necessary.”

4. How do you deal with an unexpected crisis at work?

Employers ask this question to learn how you react in a stressful situation. They want to know that you can handle pressure and make quick decisions when needed. In your answer, share an example of a time you faced a crisis at work and what steps you took to resolve it. Explain the process you used to solve the problem and highlight any skills or experience you have that helped you succeed.

Example: “When I first started working as a public relations specialist, my team was tasked with handling a major social media scandal for one of our clients. The client’s CEO had made some inappropriate comments on Twitter, which went viral. We immediately began damage control by releasing a statement from the company explaining why the CEO would be taking a leave of absence while we investigated the incident.

We also worked with influencers to help spread the message about the brand’s apology. It was important to us that we were transparent with our customers so they could trust us again. After two weeks, we announced that the CEO would return to his position after completing sensitivity training.”

5. What do you understand about risk assessment and how would you implement it in your workplace?

Risk assessment is a skill that many employers look for in their crisis management employees. They want to know that you can assess the risks involved with any situation and implement strategies to reduce them or eliminate them entirely. Use your answer to highlight your risk-assessment skills by explaining how you would use them in this role.

Example: “I understand that risk assessment is an important part of crisis management because it allows me to determine what the best course of action is when I’m working on a project. When assessing a risk, I consider all possible outcomes and develop plans to prevent those outcomes from happening. In my last position, I used risk assessment to help my team create a plan to handle a potential PR disaster before it happened.”

6. What does corporate social responsibility mean to you?

This question is a great way to assess your understanding of the company’s values and how you align with them. It also shows that you are aware of what the company does for its community, which can be an important factor in deciding whether or not to accept a job offer. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention specific examples of how you have contributed to corporate social responsibility efforts in the past.

Example: “Corporate social responsibility means being socially responsible as well as environmentally friendly. I believe that businesses should give back to their communities by supporting local charities and giving employees time off to volunteer. In my last position, we had a program where every employee could take one day per month to work from home while volunteering at a charity of their choice.”

7. What are some common mistakes people make during a crisis?

This question can help the interviewer determine how you handle mistakes and learn from them. It also shows your ability to give constructive feedback to others. Use examples of past experiences where you made a mistake, learned from it and applied that knowledge in future situations.

Example: “I’ve seen many people make the same mistake during a crisis. They try to hide information or don’t respond quickly enough to questions. This is usually because they’re afraid of what the public will think about their company. However, I always encourage my clients to be as transparent as possible. The more honest and open we are with the public, the faster they’ll trust us again.”

8. What do you understand about situational awareness?

Situational awareness is a skill that helps you understand what’s going on around you. Employers ask this question to see if you have the ability to keep track of your surroundings and notice any potential threats or problems. In your answer, explain how situational awareness can help you perform your job well. Share an example from your experience where it helped you avoid a problem or respond quickly to one.

Example: “Situational awareness is something I’ve learned in my previous jobs. It’s important to know what’s happening around you at all times so you can react quickly to anything dangerous. For instance, when I was working as a security guard, I noticed some teenagers who were acting suspiciously. I called for backup and we approached them together. They turned out to be harmless, but by being aware of my surroundings, I was able to make sure everyone was safe.”

9. Is it possible to prevent all kinds of crises from happening? If not, then why?

This question is a great way to assess your ability to think critically and make decisions. It also shows the interviewer that you understand how important it is to prevent crises from happening in the first place. Your answer should show that you know when prevention is possible, but also that you’re willing to handle crises if they do happen.

Example: “No, it’s not possible to prevent all kinds of crises from happening. However, there are some things we can do to reduce their likelihood. For example, I always recommend my clients have an emergency plan in place for any kind of crisis. This includes having a social media policy in place so employees know what to do if something happens online. Having these policies in place helps ensure that everyone knows what to do in case of a crisis.”

10. Do you think it’s possible for companies to be proactive when dealing with crises? Why or why not?

This question is an opportunity to show your critical thinking skills and how you apply them to crisis management. Your answer should include a specific example of when it was beneficial for you or your company to be proactive in dealing with a crisis.

Example: “I think it’s possible, but only if the company has a strong reputation that can withstand any negative press. For instance, I worked at a small marketing firm where we were hired by a large corporation to create their social media presence. When we started working on the project, we noticed some questionable content on their Instagram page. We brought this up to our client, who said they would take care of it. However, after two weeks, the content was still there.

We decided to post something about taking responsibility for our work and apologizing for not meeting our client’s expectations. This helped us build trust with our client and showed them that we cared more about their brand than our own.”

11. What do you know about business continuity planning? How have you implemented it in your previous roles?

Business continuity planning is a process that helps organizations prepare for and respond to emergencies. This question can help the interviewer assess your knowledge of this important function in crisis management. In your answer, try to show how you have used business continuity planning in previous roles.

Example: “Business continuity planning is an essential part of any organization’s risk management strategy. I’ve been involved with business continuity planning since my first role as a junior project manager at a software company. We had to develop plans for every aspect of our operations, including IT systems, human resources, finances and more. These plans helped us understand what we needed to do to ensure the company could continue operating during an emergency.”

12. What steps should organizations take before, during, and after a crisis?

This question is a great way to assess an applicant’s knowledge of crisis management and how they apply it in their work. When answering this question, you can list the steps that organizations take before, during and after a crisis. You can also include examples from your own experience with crisis management.

Example: “Before a crisis, I recommend that organizations create a plan for handling any potential crises. This includes creating a team of people who are prepared to handle a crisis at all times. During a crisis, I think it’s important to be transparent about what happened and why. It’s also helpful to have someone available to answer questions from the media or other sources. After a crisis, I suggest taking time to reflect on what went well and what could be improved.”

13. What are some ways to mitigate the damage caused by a crisis?

This question can help the interviewer assess your crisis management skills and how you apply them to mitigate damage. Use examples from past experiences where you applied these strategies to effectively manage a crisis situation.

Example: “I believe that one of the best ways to mitigate damage is by having an effective communication plan in place before a crisis occurs. I always make sure my team has contact information for each other, as well as key members of the organization’s leadership so we can quickly reach out to those individuals if needed. Another way I’ve mitigated damage in the past is through transparency. If there are any facts about the situation that we know, I’ll share them with the public immediately to avoid speculation.”

14. Are there different types of crises? Give me some examples.

This question is a great way to show your interviewer that you understand the different types of crises and how they can affect an organization. You can answer this question by defining what each type of crisis is, giving examples of each one and explaining how you would handle them.

Example: “There are three main types of crises—natural disasters, human-caused crises and reputational crises. Natural disasters include things like hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. Human-caused crises could be something like a data breach or a product recall. Reputational crises happen when there’s a problem with the company’s reputation. I’ve been in all of these situations before, so I know how to handle them.”

15. What do you understand about crisis communications?

This question is an opportunity to show your knowledge of the field and how you apply it in your work. You can answer this question by defining crisis communications, explaining what makes a situation a crisis and describing the steps involved in managing a crisis.

Example: “Crisis communications is the process of developing a plan for communicating with stakeholders during a time of crisis. A crisis is any event that threatens the reputation or financial stability of a company. I understand that effective communication is essential when handling a crisis because it helps me keep my team informed about our response and keeps stakeholders calm. To manage a crisis effectively, I first assess the situation, develop a strategy based on the assessment and then implement the strategy.”