In the world of personal interview questions, this one is the most straightforward. There’s no doubt what the hiring manager wants to know, giving you a lot of insight into what you should cover.
Often, the biggest challenge here is that it’s incredibly broad. There really aren’t any limits, and that can make it a surprisingly hard one to navigate.
Ideally, you want to focus on traits that help you professionally. However, it’s also okay to throw in something that’s a bit outside of the box, too, as it may help you stand out from the crowd.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
Tips to consider when assessing candidates’ personality traits
Consider the fact that personality and personal interview questions significantly differ. Asking questions about a candidate’s age, religion, origin, criminal records or plans to have children isn’t appropriate. Know where to draw boundaries and focus on the relevant questions. Alternatively, consider seeking a second opinion from HR or the legal department to ensure you ask the right questions.
Not all personality questions are relevant. This is because some questions are only good icebreakers or for creating rapport and are not providing room for candidates to express their skills or knowledge, and how they are relevant to the role. Some of these questions include:
What’s your favorite movie/TV show/quote/novel, and why?
What are your pet peeves?
Do you enjoy traveling?
What types of activities or hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?
Ensure you give candidates adequate time to come up with responses. Consider the fact that interviews are stressful for most people. Therefore, as you evaluate their creativity and ability to come up with answers, be patient and give the candidates time to think through their responses.
Is asking personality interview questions important?
Unlike technical skills, you can’t determine a candidate’s soft skills on paper. Therefore, asking specific personality interview questions provides an opportunity for hiring managers to screen candidates for the right personality traits that ensure the new hires can be productive in stressful situations. Typically, personality interview questions will demonstrate:
How a candidate handles criticism
A candidate’s ability to be flexible
A candidate’s ability to work in teams
Goals and aspirations of the candidate
Work ethic or work style of the candidate
Although there are numerous personality tests you can opt to use online, it is advisable to refrain from using them since they ask generic questions which produce generic answers, which may be misleading and result in hiring the wrong talent. Assessing candidate’s personality traits by asking these questions during interviews provides more room for candidates to justify their answers using quantifiable examples from previous experiences or projects, as well as allowing the hiring manager to ask follow up questions if need be.
Soft skills are essential in all industries and every position because they determine how well a candidate interacts with other employees. However, as the hiring manager, it’s essential to decide on the personality traits which would best fit the role you’re hiring for, and ask the relevant personality interview questions. Below is a list of these questions:
If you could change something about your personality, what would it be?
If your manager asked you to complete a task you thought impossible at first, how would you go about it?
Describe a time when you missed a deadline. What did you do when you realized you are falling behind?
Do you prefer working in a team or individually?
Tell me about a time when your manager wasn’t satisfied with your work. How did you handle the situation and what did you do differently?
What are you passionate about?
What is the best idea you’ve ever come up with in your career? / Describe a time when you came up with a creative solution to tackle a problematic work-related situation.
Would you say you are the kind of person who always looks at the big picture?
Do you consider yourself a detail-oriented individual?
What is the most useful criticism you’ve ever received?
How do you handle stress and pressure?
Describe yourself using three adjectives.
Would you say you are easy to talk to?
What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
PERSONALITY Interview Questions And Answers! (20 GREAT Answers to Personality Interview Questions!)