Why Do Job Interviewers Ask About Your Work Style?
Having to describe your work style in a job interview can be a nerve-wracking experience. Your recruiter wants to know how you will fit the job and organization; obviously, your answer can make or break your chances of getting hired.
It’s also a good way to gauge whether you’ve researched the company to get an idea of its company culture — which is a must!
Ultimately, the question uncovers your level of self-awareness and ability to communicate your selling points.
How to Answer Interview Questions About Your Work Style
This question is NOT about your experiences in your last job. It’s about your skills, the ways you like to work, and what you know about the industry, company, and role you’re applying for.
If your interviewer asks you “How would you describe your work style?” use the four areas below to craft a well-rounded answer. If your interviewer asks you to “Describe your working style in three adjectives or three words,” use the adjectives under each of the four areas or pick from even more adjectives in our work style dictionary below. Make sure you can explain why you’ve chosen them!
WHAT TO INCLUDE
- 3-5 unique adjectives or “words” that sum up your working style
- Real examples from past work
- Proof that you’ve researched their company and culture
- A mention that you work well in a team, with managers, and solo
WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE WHEN ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR WORK STYLE
- Don’t use obvious adjectives. No “I am a hard worker” or “I am a good worker”
- Don’t skip examples!
- Don’t focus on negative aspects of your current or previous job
4 WAYS TO ANSWER WORK STYLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Below you’ll find four angles you can use to describe your working style: quality/speed-related answers, organization-related answers, team-related answers, and management-related answers. You can focus on one area or, even better, give an answer that covers multiple areas.
Pro Tip: You’ll still want to include real examples from past work as you answer this question, e.g. “I would describe myself as detail-oriented — at my last job, I was known for being the person who you should ask to review an email before sending because I always catch the little things” or “I’m extremely organized but also flexible. At my current job, I lead a team of three, so I’ve learned to both keep people on track and respond to the unexpected — like someone needing a sick day during the busy season.”
1. Quality and Speed
Deadlines matter. If you can work quickly without compromising the quality of work, that’s part of your work style! Mention it in your answer. And talk about what strategies you use to avoid mistakes – recruiters want people who have their own system of checks and balances when working.
Work style adjectives to consider: detail-oriented, accurate, energetic, speedy, thorough, fast-paced, agile, deadline-oriented
2. Organization and Time Management
Talk about how you organize your days. These questions should help you figure out how to easily explain it to your job interview or recruiter:
- Do you have a structure or flow to your tasks?
- Do you start the day with something challenging?
- Do you like multitasking? If you do, does it affect your performance and quality of output?
You might also want to mention the number of hours you’re willing to work, and if you’re someone who routinely stays late to complete tasks.
Work style adjectives to consider: organized, reliable, precise, clock-like, timely, detail-oriented, methodical, thoughtful
3. Team Dynamics and Solo Work
The interviewer definitely wants to know whether you’ll mesh well with the team, so interpersonal skills are an important part of answering this job interview question about work style. Talk about:
- Your experiences with working in a team
- The kind of roles you held
- What you did to support your teammates
You can also talk about how you work alone, particularly your workflow and quality assurance setup.
Working style adjectives to consider: team player, collaborative, easygoing, team-oriented, problem-solver, group-minded, big picture thinker