Unleash Your Work Style: How to Handle Working Style Interview Questions

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• Understand What Working Styles Mean
• Read the Job Description Carefully
• Be Honest
• Practice Active Listening
• Use the STAR Model
• Link Your Answer to the Company Culture
• Provide Examples
• Emphasize Flexibility
• Use Your Body Language
• Close with Enthusiasm

Common Working Style Interview Questions and Sample Answers

What’s Your Work Style? Find Out Here!

What Your ”Working Style Interview Question” Reveals about You

Understand What Working Styles Mean

Before you can give an answer to this question, you need to understand what working styles are.

Simply put, your working style refers to the way you work best. Do you work independently or collaboratively? Are you detail-oriented or more of a big-picture thinker?

Knowing your working style helps you understand where you thrive and what environments would enable you to be more productive.

Read the Job Description Carefully

Job seekers—before you go to your job interview, make sure to read the job description. This will give you valuable insight into what kind of working style employers are looking for in a candidate.

Are they looking for someone who’s detail-oriented and organized? Are they seeking someone who’s able to work independently as well as enjoy collaboration?

The answers to these questions will help you craft an answer that accurately reflects your preferred work style and shows that you’re a great fit for the job.

Be Honest

The key to answering this question is honesty. Don’t try to give an answe that you think the hiring managers want to hear. Instead, be authentic and honest about what works best for you.

If you prefer to work solo, say that. If you work best as a team player, say that.

Honesty always pays off, and it shows that you have self-awareness and can align your expectations with your potential employer’s needs.

Practice Active Listening

Don’t rush when you answer interview questions. It’s essential that you listen carefully to the interviewer’s question and understand the underlying objective.

If you’re not sure, it’s better to ask for clarification than give an answer that’s not relevant.

You might also ask for a specific situation or scenario to help you frame your answer more effectively.

Use the STAR Model

The STAR model is a great framework for answering behavioral questions. STAR stands for:

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result

When answering working style questions, describe your Situation or Task, the Action you took, and the Result. It’s also essential to highlight how the results benefited the team and/or company.

STAR answers show how you approach problems and achieve results, which are attractive traits to employers.

Link Your Answer to the Company Culture

Every company has a unique work culture, and your working style should align with it.

Visit the company website, take some time to research the company culture before your interview, and use what you learn to shape your answer.

For instance, if the company values teamwork, emphasize how you work well with others and thrive in a collaborative work environment.

Provide Examples

Once you’ve described your working style, it’s helpful to provide examples to back up your answer.

For example, if you said that you’re a problem solver, give an example of how you tackled a complex problem in the past.

Examples aren’t only useful for showcasing your skills and working style, but they give the hiring manager a better understanding of how you work.

Emphasize Flexibility

Regardless of the type of work style you have, make sure to highlight your flexibility and adaptability in different work environments. Be specific in how you can adjust and work well with different teams and supervisors.

Remember, in today’s modern work world, companies are looking for direct reports who can wear multiple hats and can pivot quickly to meet new challenges.

Use Your Body Language

Employers don’t only listen to your verbal answers; they also observe your non-verbal cues.

Use natural eye contact, smile when appropriate, and maintain an open posture throughout the interview. Avoid fidgeting, slouching, or using filler words like “um” or “ahh.”

Your non-verbal cues convey confidence and professionalism, which boost your chances of getting hired.

Close with Enthusiasm

After answering the question, don’t forget to add a final sentence that shows enthusiasm for the position.

Thank the interviewer for the opportunity, ask follow-up questions you might have about the company if you have any, and use this moment to show your enthusiasm for the role. These concluding remarks highlight the confidence you have in your abilities and make a good impression on the interviewer.

RELATED: How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed: A Guide On Dealing With Burnout

“Describe Your Work Style”

In answering this question, it’s important to highlight your strengths and how your own work ethic and style contributes to the success of a team or group projects.

You might say something like:

• “I’m the type of person who likes to tackle one project head-on and break it down into manageable tasks. I’m also good at delegating work and collaborating with my teammates to ensure everyone’s contributing their best work.”

“How Do You Manage Competing Priorities?”

This question assesses not just your time management style but also your ability to prioritize effectively.

Be specific in your answer, and don’t be afraid to use examples of when you had to prioritize your workload.

A good answer would be:

• “I prioritize my tasks by considering their level of importance, urgency, and how they contribute to larger business goals. I also communicate with my manager or team lead to ensure I’m aligned with their expectations for what should be prioritized.”

“How Do You Handle Feedback or Criticism?”

This question is designed to see how you respond to challenges and criticism.

When answering questions, be honest and give examples of how you’ve evolved in the past.

Here’s a sample answer:

• “I’ve learned to appreciate feedback as a way to grow and improve. In the past, I might have taken it too personally, but I’ve since learned to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a professional.”

“Can You Tell Me about a Time When You Had to Adapt to Change Quickly?”

This question assesses your adaptability and how well you handle change.

Throughout your answer, make sure to discuss the results and positive outcomes of your ability to adapt to change quickly. Be specific in your answer and give examples.

For instance:

• “I was once asked to join a project at the last minute and was able to adjust my schedule, learn a new set of skills, and deliver great work on tight deadlines.”

“How Do You Approach Problem-Solving or Decision-Making?”

With this question, the interviewer wants to see how you approach challenges and work through issues.

In answering, be specific, and give examples. A great answer would be:

• “When faced with a problem, I like to evaluate my options and gather as much relevant information as possible. From there, I consult with my team members, review previous experiences, and make an informed decision. I also like to have a contingency plan in case the solution doesn’t pan out as we initially anticipated.”

What’s Your Work Style? Find Out Here!

If you’re not sure how to answer the question “What’s your work style?”, take a few moments to think about what makes you unique as an employee!

Here are some work styles you might have:

The Planner

If you’re the type of person who needs to plan every detail of your workday and likes to have everything laid out ahead of time, you might be a planner.

Planners thrive on structure and organization and will usually create to-do lists for the day or week. They’ll often develop a schedule, complete tasks, and work steadily through each task until everything’s checked off.

Planners are well suited to roles that demand task management and meeting deadlines.

The Multitasker

Multitaskers are the people who seem to be able to juggle multiple projects at once. They’re comfortable working on different things simultaneously and can switch between difficult tasks with ease.

People who thrive in a fast-paced environment and are always looking for their next challenge are often multitaskers. They enjoy the stimulation that comes with switching gears and tackling new projects as soon as they’re completed.

The Collaborator

Collaborators are social workers who thrive when working in a team. They enjoy brainstorming sessions, bouncing ideas off others, and working towards a shared goal.

Collaboration is essential to their work style, and their communication style is often open and transparent. They’re also great at building relationships with colleagues both inside and outside their existing team.

The Perfectionist

Perfectionists are precise and detail-oriented workers. They constantly strive for excellence in their work, and nothing they produce is ever substandard.

They’ll frequently double-check their work and take the time to ensure that every aspect of a project is error-free. They’re well suited to roles that require a high level of attention to detail, like quality control and analytical work.

They also require little or no supervision as they take ownership of their projects and strive to produce high-quality results.

The Problem Solver

Problem solvers are natural troubleshooters. When issues arise, they don’t panic or become overwhelmed. Instead, they’ll meticulously work through the problem, researching different approaches, and testing hypotheses until they’ve found a solution.

They’re well-suited to roles that require analytical and strategic thinking, like technical support roles and engineering.

What Your ”Working Style Interview Question” Reveals about You

Did you know that the way you answer the question “what’s your personal work style” actually reveals a lot about you?

Your working style says a lot about how you approach tasks and work with others! Here are some of the key things it could reveal:

Teamwork and Collaboration

If you answer that you prefer to work collaboratively, it may indicate that you have job-ready soft skills, such as good communication skills and great interpersonal skills.

Working in a team environment requires a level of cooperation and respect for others’ opinions. This type of working style is beneficial for roles that require collaboration and teamwork.

Time Management and Efficiency

If you answer that you prefer a structured and organized approach to work, it may reveal that you can manage your time effectively.

This type of working style can be beneficial for roles that require meeting deadlines and managing multiple important tasks simultaneously.

Innovation and Creativity

If you answer that you prefer a more creative and free-flowing approach to work, it may signal that you have great innovative and out-of-the-box thinking skills.

This type of working style is beneficial for roles that require creativity and innovation, such as marketing or design.

Flexibility and Adaptability

If you answer that you adapt your working style based on the task, it may indicate that you have the ability to think dynamically and adapt quickly to new situations.

This type of working style is beneficial for roles that require flexibility and adaptability, such as customer service or project management.

Final Thoughts