Hilton Interview Questions - How to Ace Your Next Interview

Top Hilton Front Desk Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.

It is one of the classic questions that gets asked frequently. The interviewer is looking for details not mentioned in your Resume/CV.  Provide a clear and crisp answer, as this question will set the tone of your interview.

1. What is your greatest weakness?

• You should not talk about your weakness straight away or try to pass on your strengths as your weakness. Interviewers are smart enough to catch it.
• Instead, speak about weaknesses concerning the position you are interviewing for and talk about your actions to overcome them.
• For example – I have stage fear, and I have enrolled myself on a public speaking course to overcome it.

2. Tell me how you handled a stressful situation.

You should talk about a situation that has occurred in your current job. You can divide the answer into three sections. 

• First – The challenge or problem that was causing the trouble. The impact of the challenge on you.
• Second – How do you assess the problem/situation and understand the root cause of the problem.
• Third – What steps were taken to reduce or neutralise the impact of the situation.

3. Describe a situation that required you to go above and beyond for a customer

The crux of your answer should display your customer-oriented skillset. You have a customer-first mindset and empathy.

• It was raining heavily, and the guest could not book a cab. They had a flight to catch and were running late. The guests contacted me to help them. I connected with the local cab service in the area and arranged a cab for the guests.

4. Tell me what you liked or disliked in your previous position.

It is a trick question to judge your character and attitude. Don’t go overboard by bashing your previous company and position. Talk about your previous experience and what you genuinely liked and disliked. You can tell them about your ambitions and goals in your career and what aspects were missing in your last position.

5. How long do you want to stay with Hilton Hotels?

It is a question that can make or break your chances of working for Hilton Hotels. You should talk about your future goals and ambitions with Hilton Hotel. Tell the interviewers how you want to grow in the position and contribute to the organisation 3-5 years down the line. Every organisation wants to hire quality people devoted to/her future with the company. 

More Interview Questions from Hilton

Behavioural

1. Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult or disruptive person. It may be a client, manager, or co-worker. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?

The hiring manager will use this question to assess your communication and man-management skills. You can tell the hiring manager about the conflict of interest you had with someone. The person was not ready to back down and wanted to work on his idea of doing something. However, your suggestion and ideas were factually and correct.

Make sure you display your skills efficiently, even though this question may seem tricky. But if you provide the right example, you can nail the question.

2. How would you deal with an upset customer?

While working for a  five-star hotel like Hilton, you will come across many upset customers. However, it is essential to understand the reason that upset the customer and then work on resolving the issue.
For example – A customer came complaining about the discount code that was not working. I understood the problem and tried to make him know that the offer has ended. The customer was upset, so I offered them complimentary drinks at the bar. The customer happily accepted the offer.

3. What would you do first if there was an emergency in the hotel?

In any case of emergency, my first and foremost responsibility will be to take care of the guests present at the hotel. Once the safety is ensured, I will try to alert the nearby officials who can help the hotel during such events.

I would make announcements to make the guests aware of the possible dangers. For example – there is a fire break out in one of the rooms, and I will ensure the guests are steered away from the affected area. At the same, I will notify the local firefighters of the situation. 

Please mention details and try to bring out the leader in you. The panel will be checking your attitude and decision-making skills in this question.

4. Can you name a time you had to rise above adversity?

This question aims to check your attitude and problem-solving skills. You can tell when you are in a challenging situation and choose to fight back rather than give up. The interviewers are keen on knowing your undying spirit in harmful conditions. So, make sure you show them this quality of yours. You can tell when you are in a challenging situation and choose to fight back rather than give up.

5. Do you have a particular reason for wanting to work for Hilton Hotels? Why not one of our competitors?

• Most Hilton managers are immensely proud of the company and its accomplishments. If you have ever stayed at Hilton hotels, you know how good they are and should praise them. 
• Discuss their number one ranking on Fortune's list of top 100 companies to work for. One of the best employers in the country must be one of the most tempting jobs out there, wouldn't you say?
• Also, you can discuss their incredible benefits, their culture of excellence, how Hilton hotels are regarded overall, career advancement opportunities, or even how Hilton hotels are your personal favourite when it comes to staying somewhere while on vacation. 
• You should avoid criticising other hotel chains, including Hyatt and Sheraton, which are competitors of Hilton. Doing so shows an inattentive attitude. Instead of attacking Hilton's competitors, focus on what makes Hilton unique.

6. What is your experience with customer service?

Any guests visiting Hilton expect the best customer service. Hence it does not matter if you don’t have prior experience in customer service.

Your answer should show how highly you rate customer service and why you believe in a customer-first policy.

You can mention numbers and details to show your credibility as someone who understands customer service.

7. Consider the situation where a furious guest approached the front desk. What would you do?

• Working for a five-star hotel, that too a brand like Hilton, comes with its own set of challenges. Even the customers expect top-notch service. 
• First and foremost, a course of action would be to bring down the tempers. Apologise for the unfortunate event that happened. Escalate the situation with your manager and cleaning service Head. You can offer a room change to the guest. 
• React according to the situation and comply with the customer first policy.

8. Imagine that twenty guests arrive at the front desk at the same time. What will you do?

• It will be tricky, as guests arriving at high-end hotels don’t like waiting. The situation can go out of hand quickly.
• Your next course of action should be to ask the guests to wait in the lobby and offer them a complimentary drink, or they can relax at the bar with a complimentary drink. 
• You can tell the panel that you will try to ensure that check-ins happen as soon as possible. You will ensure that guests will have a pleasant experience.

Leadership

9. Tell me about a time when you've resolved a problem for a frustrated customer.

• You can talk about how your patience and quick thinking helped resolve customers’ issues.
• For example – I was approached by a customer who was annoyed by the construction work outside. His room was overlooking the area. I heard his complaint and quickly offered him to exchange the room. He was pretty happy and appreciated my attitude.

10. Do you consider yourself an honest person? Tell me why.

Answer this question honestly. The interviewing panel are pretty expert in knowing when anyone is faking. Mention an example where you helped someone with your honesty.

11. How important is it to anticipate guests' needs?

• Anticipation is an essential skill set in the hospitality industry.
  If you are good at anticipating a guest's need, it goes a long way as the guests are touched by the forward-thinking and care shown.
• It can result in brand loyalty and good mouth to mouth publicity.

12. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Speak about your ambition and the career goals you want to fulfil. Make sure you keep Hilton Hotels in your five-year plan.

13. What are your long-term goals?

You can talk about your career goals and future position. The hiring manager wants to see your leadership skills and will you stick for the long haul.

14. Tell me about your most significant professional accomplishment.

You can talk about the highs of your career. You can n about problems that you resolved and got customer appreciation and awards for extra-ordinary work.
You can even mention the promotions you have gotten in your career.

15. Tell us about a time when you demonstrated teamwork.

Every organisation wants its employees to be team plplayersHilton is not an exception here. Working for such a big brand means you are assigned a list of day-to-day duties. 

You can mention don't the times when you helped your co-worker during rush hour or how you mentored new joiners. The hiring panel should get an impression of your patience and teamwork.

16. What is the biggest lesson you've learned from your mistake?

Mistakes don’t count in as negative always. Here errors refer to the learning opportunities you had. You can clearly show the human side of yours and the lessons you have learnt making them.

The hiring manager wants to see your attitude when you make mistakes. So, make sure you show them your hunger to improve.

Technical/Skills Questions 

17. Please walk me through your resume.

You can explain all the points mentioned in your resume. You can briefly say about yourself, followed by your previous experience, and finally, talk about your skillset and hobbies.

18. What experience do you have in this field?

Talk about your relevant skillset in the hospitality industry. You can talk about various situations you encountered while working that positively impacted the company.

19. Do you have any professional experience as a [job title]?

You should honestly answer the question. If you don’t have enough experience in the mentioned position, you should explain why you’re jumping into another place and how you are well-suited. If you have the relevant experience, you can talk about SOPs, work ethics, and technical know-how required.

Company-Specific Questions and Answers

1. What can you tell us about Hilton Hotels?

Hilton hotel was founded on 31st May 1919 in Texas, United States of America.

It is located at 584 locations around the globe. It has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its 100-year-old history.

It is one of the top fortune 100 companies in the world. The current CEO of Hilton is Mr Christopher Nassetta.

2. Why do you want to work for Hilton Worldwide?

If you have experienced Hilton’s customer service, you can talk about that experience. You can talk about the brand reputation, the fantastic benefits, and the work culture of Hilton. You can also mention how Hilton stands apart from its competition.

3. How do you define excellent customer service?

Customer service means being a kind, courteous, and professional representative of the company and serving the customers with one intention to do the best for them no matter what. You can also mention being attentive, patient, and anticipating customer needs are other aspects of excellent customer service.

4. Why should I hire you?

This question, by far, is the most common and complex asked in the Hilton interview. Make sure you are not overselling yourself as a perfectionist. The hiring manager at Hilton is looking for someone who fits their job description.
So make sure you read the job description to understand the role and mention those points when this question is asked.

5. Why did you leave your last job?

You can list down the reasons for limited growth opportunities. You are looking for newer challenges in life. You can mention that you outgrew your last job position and wanted a break from monotonous work life. You wanted something exciting to try out in life.

Conclusion

The list above are some of the most common questions that are asked in Hilton’s general interview. If you are looking for career growth and opportunities no matter what field you are in, It is important to constantly keep upskilling yourself and your talents.

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FAQs

1. What should I wear to a Hilton interview?

You should wear formal clothes. You should wear a proper suit, black shoes, and a cheerful smile.

2. Is it hard to get a job at Hilton?

No, it is not hard to get a job at Hilton. If you prepare thoroughly and present yourself as the candidate perfect for the job, you will easily bag the job.

3. Is it reasonable to work at Hilton?

Yes, Hilton is one of the fortune 100 companies. It is a good paymaster as well.
You can expect to put your career on a growth trajectory working for Hilton.