Do you prefer working with others or alone?
Determine whether you are a team player.
“I’m quite happy working alone when necessary. I don’t need much constant reassurance. But I prefer to work in a group―so much more gets achieved when people pull together.”
Explain your role as a group/team member.
Describe yourself as either a team player.
“I perform my job in a way that helps others to do theirs in an efficient fashion. Beyond the mechanics, we all have a responsibility to make the workplace a friendly and pleasant place to be. That means everyone working for the common good and making the necessary personal sacrifices toward that good.”
How would you define a conducive work atmosphere?
Tricky question. Keep it short and sweet.
“One where the team has a genuine interests in its work and desire to turn out a good product/deliver a good service.”
Do you make your opinions known when you disagree with the views of your supervisor?
State that you come from an environment where input is encouraged when it helps the team’s ability to get the job done efficiently.
“If opinions are sought in a meeting, I will give mine, although I am careful to be aware of others’ feelings. I will never criticize a coworker or a superior in open forum; besides, it is quite possible to disagree without being disagreeable. However, my past manager made it clear that she valued my opinion by asking for it. So, after a while, if there was something I felt strongly about, I would make an appointment to sit down and discuss it one-on-one.”
What would you say about a supervisor who was unfair or difficult to work with?
“I would make an appointment to see the supervisor and diplomatically explain that I felt uncomfortable in our relationship, that I felt he or she was not treating me as a professional colleague, and therefore that I might not be performing up to standard in some way―that I wanted to right matters and ask for his input as to what I must do to create a professional relationship. I would enter into the discussion in the frame of mind that we were equally responsible for whatever communication problems existed, and that this wasn’t just the manager’s problem.”
Do you consider yourself a natural leader or born follower?
“No matter how well developed any individual’s leadership qualities, an integral part of the skills of a leader is to take direction from his or her immediate boss, and also to seek the input of the people being supervised. The wise leader will always follow good advice and sound business judgment wherever it comes from. I would say that given the desire to be a leader, the true leader in the modern business world must embrace both.”
Why do you feel you are a better assistant than some of your coworkers?
“I think that question is best answered by a manager. It is so difficult to be objective, and I really don’t like to slight my coworkers. I don’t spend my time thinking about how superior I am, because that would be detrimental to our working together as a team. I believe, however, some of the qualities that make me an outstanding are…”
You have a doctor’s appointment arranged for noon. You’re waited two weeks to get in. An urgent meeting is scheduled at the last moment, though. What do you do?
“If I were the manager who had to schedule a really important meeting at the last moment, and someone on my staff chose to go to the doctor’s instead, how would I feel? The first thing I would do is reschedule the appointment and save the doctor’s office inconvenience. Then I would immediately make sure I was properly prepared for the emergency meeting.”
How do you manage to interview while still employed?
Best to make the answer short and sweet and let the interviewer moves on to richer areas of inquiry.
“I had some vacation time, so I went to my boss and explained I needed a couple of days off for some personal business, and asked her what days would be most suitable. Although I plan to change jobs, I don’t in any way want to hurt my current employer in the process by being absent during a crunch.”
When do you expect a promotion?
Tread warily, show you believe in yourself, and have both feet firmly planted on the ground.
“That depends on a few criteria. Of course, I cannot expect promotions without the performance that marks me as deserving of promotion. I also need to join a company that has the growth necessary to provide the opportunity. I hope that my manager believes in promoting from within and will help me grow so that I will have the skills necessary to be considered for promotion when the opportunity comes along.”
Tell me a story.
Ask, “What would you like me to tell you a story about?” People who answer the question without qualifying show that they do not think through carefully. Tell a story that shows like people, willingness, and manageability. Don’t discuss love life.
What have your other jobs taught you?
Talk about the professional skills you have learned and the personality traits you have polished.
“There are two general things I have learned from past jobs. First, if you are confused, ask―it’s better to ask a dumb question than make a stupid mistake. Second, it’s better to promise less and produce more than to make unrealistic forecasts.”
Define cooperation.
How to function as a team player in the workplace.
“Cooperation is a person’s ability to sacrifice personal wishes and beliefs whenever necessary to assure the department reaches its goals. It is also a person’s desire to be part of a team, and by hard work and goodwill make the department greater than the sum of its parts.”