30 Personality Interview Questions You Must Prepare to Answer

Hiring someone based on resumes and cover letters is no longer enough. Certain personality interview questions must be asked during the interview process to find or discover one’s true self or disposition.

This method has become very pertinent to help organizations get the best hands. For job seekers, mastering or being able to answer these questions is no longer an option, especially now that unemployment is on a steady rise.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that In April 2020, there was a major spike in unemployment: 14.8% due to job cuts related to the pandemic. Since then, unemployment has steadily declined, reaching 6.7% in December 2020.

Undoubtedly, there are numerous personality questions, each aimed at exposing a particular trait of a prospective employee. We’d be looking at some of these questions while providing answers to some to uncover the proper personality interview questions and their answers.

Therefore, If you’re a job seeker and wondering how to tackle personality interview questions, read this article for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, the table of content below will guide your navigation.

Why ask personality interview questions

Soft talents aren’t often apparent on paper. In the hiring process, knowledge and experience are vital. Still, screening for the correct personality qualities can help you ensure that potential employees perform well under pressure and interact with their coworkers.

Personality interview questions reveal:

• Openness to criticism
•  Flexibility
•  Team spirit
•  Aspirations
•  Work ethics

During your interviews, ask personality questions to compare candidates with similar hard talents and choose the ones that best match your culture. These questions can also be used to identify potential creative hires.

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Remember that while some personality tests are designed to categorize people, applying them in your recruitment process may cause your hiring judgments to be skewed. They frequently feature generic questions with equally generic answers (e.g., “How well do you perform under stress on a scale of 1 to 5?”).

Recruiters cannot assess candidates’ honesty or ask for additional clarifications because they are not allowed to justify their selections. Ask candidates for real-life examples to understand if and how they use these qualities on the job.

How to Assess Candidates’ Answers to Personality Interview Questions

• Candidates who provide memorable responses will be noticed. It’s ideal for focusing on possible candidates who excite your interest throughout your discussions, especially if you’re looking for roles that need client interaction (e.g., sales positions).
•  There’s a distinction to be made between personality questions and personal interview questions. Questions about the candidates’ age, ethnicity, religion, criminal record, and plans to have (or not have) children are not permitted.
•  Keep your questions job-related, and if required, have someone from HR or Legal double-check them to ensure you’re not asking any unlawful or inappropriate interview questions.
•  It’s not about finding your next beer mate regarding personality interview questions. Don’t dismiss candidates that don’t fit your company’s culture at first glance. Keep an open mind to talented people who can bring something new.
•  “What is your favorite movie?” and such icebreakers are unnecessary. Inquire about the candidates’ personalities and how they might affect their work. Concentrate on how they apply their expertise and collaborate with colleagues.
•  Candidates are evaluated on their ability to think creatively and come up with responses to non-traditional questions. However, remember that many people find interviews stressful, so allow candidates plenty of time to answer.

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Responses You Should Look at For (Red Flags)

Below are some traits you should look for in prospective employees. If paid attention to, it will help you decipher their character and decide if they are a good fit for your organization.

Inappropriate responses

Candidates should maintain a professional demeanor in their responses, as they must comply with the law. For example, if they make too many jokes, it’s a sign they’re not taking the interview (and maybe your job) seriously.

Lack of enthusiasm. 

People with low energy levels are less likely to be engaged at work. If you don’t notice any glimmers of enthusiasm when candidates discuss their jobs, attempt to figure out what drives them.

Self Esteem Issues

Candidates are asked to outline their most significant professional accomplishments in response to certain personality interview questions. If they can’t locate one, they either lack experience or have low self-esteem, both of which are red flags, especially for senior-level positions. They are either dishonest or not team players if they inflate their accomplishments.

See Also: Importance of Interpersonal Skills in 2023 | Workspace Ethics

Workaholics

The best performers aren’t typically the hardest workers. Workaholics are prone to harmful workplace practices since they have no other interests than their professions and prefer to work long hours regularly (rather than addressing deadlines with their superiors).

Rehearsed Answers

Candidates will most likely come prepared for these types of questions if they want to impress you during the interview. They may lack that characteristic if they give general responses and can’t articulate how they apply a desirable quality to work (or in their personal lives).

Having looked at the importance of these questions and the red flags one must avoid, let’s look at …

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35 Personality Interview Questions

Teamwork

For questions like these, you want a story that illustrates your ability to work with others under challenging circumstances. Think team conflict, difficult project constraints, or clashing personalities.

1. Talk about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality differed greatly from yours.
2.  Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?
3.  Describe a time when you struggled to build a relationship with someone important. How did you eventually overcome that?
4.  We all make mistakes we wish we could take back. Tell me about a time you wish you’d handled a situation differently with a colleague.
5.  Tell me about a time you needed information from someone who wasn’t very responsive. What did you do?

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The questions above aim to discover how much of a team player a prospective employee is. Discussing how closely they worked with someone before, a time they faced a conflict while working on a team, and how they solved it would give you an insight into what to expect.

It will help you determine if such an employee is a lone wolf or a team player.

Client-facing Skills

If the role you’re interviewing for works with clients, be ready for one. Find an example of a time when you successfully represented your company or team and delivered exceptional customer service.

1. Describe a time when making a good impression on a client was especially important. How did you go about doing so?
2.  Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a client’s expectations. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?
3.  Tell me about when you ensured a customer was pleased with your service.
4.  Describe a time when you had to interact with a difficult client. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?
5.  When working with many customers, delivering excellent service to them is tricky. How do you go about prioritizing your customers’ needs?

As a prospective employee, you must tell the employer about your client-facing skills. This will convince them to decide whether you’re suitable for such positions.

Ability to Adapt

Times of turmoil are finally good for something! Think of a recent work crisis you successfully navigated. Even if your navigation didn’t succeed, find a lesson or silver lining you took from the situation.

1. Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. What was going on, and how did you get through it?
2.  Describe a time when your team or company was undergoing some change. How did that impact you, and how did you adapt?
3.  Tell me about the first job you’ve ever had. What did you do to learn the ropes?
4.  Give me an example of when you had to think on your feet to delicately extricate yourself from a difficult or awkward situation.
5.  Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with the situation?

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Adaptation is very crucial to surviving in today’s business. Therefore, employees must be flexible enough to adapt to changing business terrain.

The questions above will help employers ascertain the prospective employee’s ability to adapt to certain changes in the work environment. How prospective employees answer this question will go a long way to determining if he or she would be considered for such a client-based opportunity.

Time Management Skills

In other words, get ready to talk about a time you juggled multiple responsibilities, organized it all (perfectly), and completed everything before the deadline.

1. Tell me about a time you had to be very strategic to meet your top priorities.
2.  Describe a long-term project that you managed. How did you keep everything moving along promptly?
3.  Sometimes it’s impossible to get everything on your to-do list done. Tell me about a time your responsibilities got a little overwhelming. What did you do?
4.  Tell me about a time you set a goal for yourself. How did you go about ensuring that you would meet your objective?
5.  Give me an example of a time you managed numerous responsibilities. How did you handle that?

See Also: 15 Ways On How To Be a Good Conversationalist in 2023

Communication Skills

You probably won’t have any trouble thinking of a story for communication questions since it’s not only part of most jobs; it’s part of everyday life. However, the thing to remember here is to also talk about your thought process or preparation.

1. Give me an example of a time when you successfully persuaded someone to see things your way at work.
2.  Describe a time when you were the resident technical expert. What did you do to make sure everyone was able to understand you?
3.  Tell me about a time when you had to rely on written communication to get your ideas across to your team.
4.  Give me an example of a time when you had to explain something fairly complex to a frustrated client. How did you handle this delicate situation?
5.  Tell me about your successful presentation and why you think it was a hit.

Motivation and Values

Many seemingly random interview questions attempt to learn more about what motivates you. Your response would ideally address this directly, even if the question wasn’t explicit.

1. Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment.
2.  Describe a time when you saw some problem and took the initiative to correct it rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
3.  Tell me about a time when you worked under close or extremely loose supervision. How did you handle that?
4.  Give me an example of a time you could be creative with your work. What was exciting or difficult about it?
5.  Tell me about a time you were dissatisfied with your work. What could have been done to make it better

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Conclusion

One must prepare to answer certain personality interview questions in today’s business world. These questions aim to discover your personality or character traits and therefore offer you opportunities that suit you.

The post has outlined a number of these questions. Answering them before an interview session would keep you a step ahead of your competition.

References

• themuse.com – 4 Steps for Answering Off-the-Wall Interview Questions
• zippia.com – Personality Interview Questions (With Example Answers)
• resources.workable.com – Personality interview questions and answers

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