Summary:
Answering personality questions in a job interview is an important skill.
You are more likely to get the position if you answer these satisfactorily.
You may not consider that answering personality questions in a job interview ideally is a critical skill. But it is.
If you fail in this, it is unlikely that the interviewer will invite you to the next round.
To perfect this skill and prepare for these kinds of questions, take time to think about your character and personality traits.
How will you use them to answer specific key personality questions?
Interviews can be excruciating, even for experienced workers, especially fresh graduates who may apply for their first full-time position.
Success takes preparation and a mastery of the art of navigating the many tricky personality test questions hiring managers often ask.
Hiring managers or recruiters will ask unique personality questions to learn about your:
– personality (will you fit in?)
– aspirations (why do you want the position?)
– behaviors (can you cope with stress?)
– competency (can you do the job?)
– ethics (would you bend the rules?)
– management skills (what is your management style?)
– self-motivation (are you energized and focused?)
In this post, you’ll discover how to deal with personality questions effectively.
Previously, we gave some suggested answers to these questions:
- What type of team do you enjoy working in?
- Tell me about yourself
- What do you want to get out of today’s meeting?
- Tell me about your last employer
Today, however, we’re going to discuss four personality-related questions.
We’ve provided some likely answers you can use to help you breeze through to the next stage.
And maybe even get a job offer.
So, let’s dive into the four personality questions on any employer’s list of personality questions to ask candidates.
Key Personality Questions
1. What would your previous boss say about you?
One of the best ways to approach this question is to understand that you must speak positively about your attitude.
Try to have a specific piece of feedback ready rather than generalizations.
Look for what the job advert listed as the essential/required criteria in the job description, then tie your answer to those qualities.
Suggested Answer
If you’ve had an appraisal with one of your previous bosses, pick out the positive comments and use them.
Keep it concise.
Always take note of such things in any appraisal, as the information always comes in handy later.
Example:
“My boss would say I’m a very hard-working, a problem-solver, and a team player.
In my last appraisal, they mentioned that I’m a good communicator and an essential part of the team.”
The keywords you mention should be those you see in the job adverts.
For example, keywords such as hard-working, a problem-solver, and a team player.
Other functional soft and hard skills you can boast about when answering this question if you possess them, might include:
- Client-facing skills
- Commercial acumen
- Conflict resolution training
- Awareness of current industry trends
- Emotional intelligence
- Legal and regulatory awareness
- Organisational skills
- People management skills
- Product and market knowledge
- Project management experience
2. What were your favorite subjects at school?
Here’s an excellent opportunity to talk about what you did in school.
But also how it influenced you moving forward.
This can help to give a more rounded view of yourself as a person.
Example:
“Literature was a big favorite of mine. I enjoy reading and broadening my mind and my horizons.”
3. Tell me about a responsibility that you enjoyed
Here is a question for which you should prepare one or two answers; you can then expand them according to the situation.
Example:
“The company hired a recruit, and I oversaw guiding him on two projects and advancing his skills.
He improved throughout the projects, and it was a great mentoring experience.”
4. Do you prefer to work on your own?
Here, the interviewer assesses whether you can work independently and in a team.
“I work well alone, but I also thrive when I’m part of a team.
Sometimes I had to do tasks on my own in a project.
It wasn’t a problem because I’m very self-motivated but enjoy working with others.
Overall, it’s ideal to find a balance.”
Answering personality questions correctly increases your chances of landing the job.
But giving the correct response requires thoughtfulness, preparation, and more preparation.
Prepare thoroughly and use our tried and tested interview tips to make a good impression on any hiring manager in the future.
Let your unique personality shine.
Meanwhile, discover how to use our incredible 30-60-90-day plan for success to blow away the next recruiter you meet!
What to do and not do when responding to personality questions
Everyone knows that accounting has a reputation for being boring but stable! Just be honest.
“I don’t believe anyone would refer to accounting as thrilling─but it is interesting and challenging.”
