You’re looking at two resumes and they’re practically mirror images – same degree, comparable work experience, the same list of technical skills. To the casual observer, they’re like two peas in a pod. But one of them is going to take off on your team and flourish, and the other one will be dusting off the old resume in six months for new job interviews. So how do you determine which is which? Personality interview questions!
Personality interview questions are the one hiring tool that people seriously under-utilize, but they might just revolutionize the way you build your teams. Most hiring managers keep forgetting that technical skills get you the interview, but personality is what gets you hired.
If you’ve ever hired a genius who turned out to be an absolute nightmare to work with or a person who just doesn’t seem to fit your team, this is for you! Let’s discuss why personality interview questions are important for company culture fit, employee retention and your business success.
Why Personality Interview Questions Matter in Today’s Hiring Process
Technical skills matter. Of course, they do. Anyone in a position must possess some level of skillsets. Ergo, a programmer ought to be able to code and a salesman ought to be able to seal a deal. But here’s the thing, the majority of hiring mistakes occur because a candidate simply didn’t click with the team. And that’s not because they weren’t up to the task. Rather, it’s often because they lack the aligning personality 9 times out of 10. Behavioral interview questions and personality questions dig into all the things you can’t see on their resume. Things like how they’ll perform under pressure and if they can really think on their feet.
Are they simply saying they are a team player or will they actually work that way? Can they break through their boundaries to learn new skills? Here’s the thing about hiring nowadays: most business owners are still getting it wrong, with 84% of large companies focusing on skills-based assessment. Meanwhile, smart companies aren’t deciding between skills and candidate’s personality, they’re considering both. Think of it this way: technical skills describe what someone is capable of doing, but personality gives you a sense of what they will do, how they will do it and whether or not they’ll actually stay with the business long enough for it to matter.
A candidate for the software engineering role may admittedly nail all the technical tests but be unable to get on with designers due to a complete lack of emotional intelligence. Or a sales candidate could be brilliant at selling, but can easily crumble when things go awry or they hear some negative feedback. You need to see the whole picture, and you’re going to need both the ‘can’ and the ‘will’ to do that.
The Best Personality Interview Questions to Ask
Here’s some common personality interview questions that always reveal the truth about candidates:
Problem-Solving and Adaptability Questions
“Describe a situation when you encountered a challenge that you had no clue how to address. Walk me through your process.”
Do they freeze during uncertain times or do they look for creative solutions? The best fit will specify concrete steps like doing their research, asking for help, breaking down problems. Watch out for STAR method (situation, task, action, result).
“Tell me about a project that changed direction at the last minute. How did you adapt?”
This shows the candidate’s adaptability and grace under fire. Suitable candidates will demonstrate that they’re capable of pivoting without melting down, describing specific situations in which adaptability made a difference
“Give me some work-related situations in which you were forced to learn something brand new. How did you approach them?”
Perfect to test their growth mindset. You’re seeking curiosity, willingness to take action and comfort with being a beginner. This is what distinguishes those who can scale future projects from those who plateau.
Team Dynamics and Communication Questions
“Describe a situation when you had a difference of opinion with a colleague or supervisor. How did you handle it?”
It’s wonderful to get insight into their interpersonal skills, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. Top applicants will show they can respectfully disagree, consider other people’s perspectives and come to mutual agreement.
“Tell me about your best team experience. What made it work so well?”
Hear what qualities they respect in their teammates, and how they contribute to shared successes. This exposes the candidate’s character and his perfect working environment.
“Describe a situation when you had to inspire struggling team members.”
Essential if you’re looking for someone in a leadership role or a position where they have to influence their colleagues. Best candidates give specific examples of being empathetic, helping, and succeeding.
Work Style and Self-Awareness Questions
“If you could change one thing about your personality or work style, what would it be and why?”
This gauges self-awareness and openness to development. Suitable candidates detail genuine weaknesses and hint at concrete steps they’re undertaking to address it.
“Do you like working alone or in a group? Give me an example of a time when you’ve done each successfully.”
Not a trick question. Instead, this question exposes the candidate’s preference and flexibility. Your best fit should do both, depending on the requirements of each project.
“Describe a time you got criticized and you didn’t agree with it. How did you respond?”
Good candidates will admit it stung, then outline how they worked through it. Look for defensiveness vs openness to criticism
Values and Motivation Questions
“What is work-life balance like for you, and tell me about a time you had to defend it.”
Key for assessing candidate’s values and ability to avoid burnout. You want someone with boundaries, not a martyr who’ll quickly get burned out from bad time management or work-life imbalance.
“Tell me about a project or accomplishment you are proud of. What made it special to you?”
This reveals intrinsic motivation. Are they motivated by a desire to solve problems, to help others, or to achieve certain professional goals? Knowing what makes them tick helps you know if you’re a good fit.
“Tell me about an occasion when your values conflicted with a company policy or action. What did you do?”
Great candidates will show that they can deal with conflict professionally yet stick to their guns when it comes to their values.
What NOT to Ask: Interview Questions to Avoid
Certain interview questions are simply not worth the stress. They’re either unlawful, or really repulsive to overachievers. The ‘tell me about yourself in three words’ question: This generates rehearsed, meaningless answers. Ask for specific examples instead. Questions about personal life unrelated to work: Do you have kids? What does your spouse do? These aren’t just invasive. They expose you to discrimination suits. Stick to situational questions about work, the candidate’s adaptability ability to execute.
The ‘what animal would you be?”: These weird questions either waste time or cause serious candidates to think you’re unprofessional. Hypothetical scenario-based questions without context: “What would you do if…” questions give candidates the opportunity to fabricate cool answers. Ask about past experiences instead. Real life examples of behavioral questions expose real habits.
And absolutely do not rely on personality tests as your only assessment: Yes, personality tests provide solid data points, but relying on them alone is horrible best practice. They’re subjective, and not as good at predicting job performance as behavioural interview question.
How to Evaluate Personality Interview Answers
Asking good questions is only half the battle. Here’s how to evaluate responses.
- Listen for the S.T.A.R. method: Outstanding candidates instinctively structure answers using STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result). If stories don’t touch on specific actions and/or outcomes, dig deeper with follow-up questions. “Can you walk me through exactly what you did?”
- Demand specificity: Cliché sample answers like ‘I’m a real go-getter’ or ‘I always try my best’ mean nothing. Great candidates provide specific examples with details: project names, specific challenges, measurable positive outcomes. Specificity indicates truth.
- Watch for self-awareness: The best candidates don’t play the blame game when they discuss failures. They talk about what they learned and how they’ve grown. This emotional intelligence increases their odds of being a success.
- Assess alignment, not sameness: Many hiring managers confuse culture fit with hiring people just like them. Instead, assess if candidate’s values are in sync with your company’s core values, while still bringing viewpoints with culture add.
- Trust your gut, but verify: If something feels off, then ask for more information. Sometimes people are just nervous. And sometimes they’re a really bad fit. More data helps make more informed decision.
Making Personality Assessments Standard Practice
The biggest hiring mistake managers make is treating personality assessment as an afterthought. Here’s how to build it into your recruitment process systematically:
- Start early: Conduct personality interview questions in your first interview, not just final rounds. Why bother with a second round, if you know there’s a core company’s culture fit problem?
- Create structure: Come up with some standard behavioral interview questions and personality questions you ask each candidate. This guarantees apples-to-apples comparison and minimizes bias.
- Train your team: Clearly communicate what you’re looking for and how to gauge responses. Maybe provide rubrics or sample questions with guidance.
- Combine assessments: Complement personality interview questions with technical evaluations, problem-solving skills assessments and best work samples. The combo provides you the most complete profile of candidate potential and suitability.
- Study your winners: What personality types do your top performers have in common? This is not to clone them, but to better understand what works in your workplace.
- Make it mutual: Give candidates room to ask about your culture, values and work style. Top candidates are also observing and deciding if you’re the right fit for them.
Final Thoughts
Personality interview questions aren’t about finding the perfect new employees. Rather, they’re about finding the right individuals for your team, your culture and your work environment. The best candidate is not always the one with the most polished answers. An individual with good personality traits, high work ethic, and good communication style will easily integrate with your current team and fuel success.
Hiring managers who consistently build amazing teams aren’t lucky. They’re intentional. They ask the right questions. They listen carefully to answers. Assessing, not only what candidates are capable of, but who they really are.
So next time you’re sitting across the table from a candidate whose resume looks impeccable, remember that their resume that got them through the door but, the right personality interview questions will tell you if they should remain.