First, they want to make sure you’re able to communicate effectively – with coworkers, with your boss/manager, etc. Good communication can prevent some disagreements, and can almost always stop a disagreement from escalating or becoming a bigger issue.

Next, they want to make sure you stay calm and professional when dealing with conflict at work.

The last thing they want to do is hire someone who’s difficult to work with, hot-headed, and will turn small issues into bigger ones. So that’s why employers want to see that you can communicate well.

Behavioral interview questions require well-thought-out, specific responses to questions that are more abstract in nature. This makes preparation and practice vital before every interview.

When faced with a conflict, I like to ask questions and understand my coworker’s perspective. This helps keep the situation calm, helps them feel like they’re being heard, and after this, I’ve found it’s much easier to come to an agreement or compromise while both staying a lot calmer.

I had an upcoming deadline for a client that I knew I wasn’t going to be able to meet. I verbally communicated this fact to my manager and he agreed to speak to the client about a deadline. He forgot the conversation and was upset that my part of the project wasn’t done on time. I calmly reminded him of our verbal agreement, connected with the client and took responsibility for the late work – offering them an additional follow-up after the project was done to make up for the missed deadline. I also suggested to my manager that I would be better about formalizing my plans in writing in the future. After a stressful week, the client was happy and my manager and I had a better understanding of how we should communicate in the future.

Interviewers ask this question is to find out what sets you apart from the other qualified applicants.

“I believe I am the most qualified for the job because I have completed 15 years in this field. While working, I attended a night school in order to stay current with the latest technological changes. I am dependable and goal-oriented, and I work well in teams. Last year, for example, my team increased office productivity by 39 percent by developing a simple record-keeping program for the company’s health insurance. We completed the project well ahead of schedule, too.”

“As my resume states, I have over 10 years of experience working in management in this field. What isn’t stated there is that I was one of the founders of the company and my sales skills grew it from a start-up all the way to its first public offering. The skills I used to do this have been further honed, and I anticipate being able to do great things for your company as well. In addition to having sharp business acumen, I relate well to my colleagues and clients and pride myself on being an excellent communicator, which helps foster a stress-free environment for everyone.”

When the recruiting manager asks you to explain your work style, there are a few important elements they are searching for. They first want to know how you’ll fit into the team and company culture that already exist. The recruiting manager is a potential future boss of yours, thus they are interested in how well you will get along with them.

They’re also interested in your general work ethic and attitude. Do you have the ability to accept criticism, pay attention to directions, and maintain composure under pressure? When asked about your work style, employers may look for characteristics like those.

You must be aware of your strengths and shortcomings in order to answer this question, as well as your capacity for flexibility. Your response should emphasize your abilities, self-awareness, industry expertise, and understanding of the job’s requirements.

“I make an effort to work quickly when working alone in order to finish assignments on time. I do, however, also appreciate team projects. In my previous role, one of our clients unexpectedly made a sizable order. Normally, I could have completed the assignment by myself, but it would have required more time. We were able to divide up the project among several employees thanks to collaboration, and the business was able to deliver before the deadline. Since it might be challenging to evaluate one’s own work with objectivity, I appreciate the opinions of my supervisor and my coworkers. The continuous criticism has made me a more skilled professional who produces better outcomes.”

They want to see if you purposely applied for this job at that particular company and that you aren’t pursuing it simply for the sake of finding a job.  It will help the employer determine your excitement about the opportunity and the motivations that led you to pursue the job.

Looking over the company website, and from our previous discussions, I believe this role would also give me the ability to progress in my career and develop my skills in a lot of different areas such as ‘X, Y, Z’.

“I understand that you seek an individual with outstanding leadership skills. I have extensive experience building and leading teams to success, and I truly enjoy helping people work hard and achieve goals. I also have strong communication abilities, and I noticed that your company values individuals who are able to effectively communicate unique and creative ideas.”

Employers want to know you’re passionate about what they do, whether it takes the shape of a product, a service, a mission, or a brand. You can also connect your passion to the company’s core values, which can often be found on their website. Showing you’re passionate about the position is particularly important if you’re applying for a role at a nonprofit where the mission matches your personal values.  It’s critical that you take the time before the interview to learn everything you can about the company.

They are trying to determine if you would fit in at the company and if you would add value to their existing team.

“For most of my adult life, I’ve strongly supported X because I believe that Y…”
“X is very important to me in both my professional and personal life because I strongly believe that…”
“I’m very passionate about X and would be thrilled to work for an organization that subscribes to the same core values…”

“I see this opportunity as a way to contribute to an exciting/forward-thinking/fast-moving company/industry, and I feel I can do so by/with my …”
“I feel my skills are particularly well-suited to this position because …”
“I believe I have the type of knowledge to succeed in this role and at the company because …”
“I’m excited about this job opportunity, as it would allow me to …”

I firmly believe in taking a collaborative approach to each project so when I saw a position with your company to join the production team I knew I had to apply. I’ve seen your work in theatrical production, and your behind-the-scenes video really inspired me because I saw the teamwork in action. I love working with a team to achieve a common goal, and I know my background in production has prepared me for this role. I look forward to becoming a valued contributor to this phenomenal team.

They’re honestly curious, first of all.

If you’re working as a lab scientist they’ll be curious about how you got into it. Did your parents have scientific careers? Did you fall in love with the topic after an introductory course in college? Etc.

Then, they want to figure out whether you enjoy the field. Are you passionate about it, or at least interested?

Because if you seem like you care, you’ll work harder and overcome challenges. If you don’t seem to care at all, you’re more likely to quit when things get tough. Or come in late. Or slack off.

You’ve always had an interest in this career or type of job from a young age.

You have a parent, friend or family member who encouraged you to get into it, and you found that you like it a lot.

You care about helping people and making an impact and this career allows you to do that.