The latest in our ongoing series on answering common behavioral interview questions.
Are you a team player? You better be able to prove it.
All job seekers should be prepared to answer behavioral interview questions (“Tell me about a time…”) about working on a team.
Based on my experience consulting with both hiring organizations and job seekers, I can tell you that teamwork questions are the most common of all of the behavioral interview questions.
This is probably because the ability to work with others is considered critical for most positions — from entry- to C-level.
Most hiring managers want to know if you’re a good team player before they commit to working with you every day. By asking a behavioral question, they are giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your team skills by sharing a relevant example.
Behavioral Interview Question — A job interview question that seeks an example of how you’ve demonstrated specific competencies in the past. These questions usually start with “Tell me about a time…” or “Give me an example of…”
Teamwork behavioral questions can be general:
• Tell me about a team project that you worked on.
• Describe a project that required input from people at different levels in the organization.
• Share a rewarding team experience.
You may also get questions that focus on how you’ve handled a challenging team dynamic:
• Tell me about a time when you worked with a difficult team member.
(This one is a favorite of hiring managers and you may also want to read our post on answering behavioral questions about managing conflict)
• Give me an example of a team project that failed.
Sometimes, you may be asked specifically about experience leading a team:
• Tell me about a time you stepped up into a leadership role. (A future post will give you additional advice on how to answer all types of leadership questions)
All of these teamwork behavioral question offer you an opportunity to showcase how well you collaborate and what a joy you are to work with. You can ace these questions with just a little bit of preparation.