Personality Interview Questions and Answers

Last updated on Jan 04, 2023
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Personality Interview Questions

Every employer wants to hire a candidate who meets their technical experience requirements together with positive personality characteristics. To get hired in a company only hard skills are not required, soft skills are equally important which refers to one’s personality traits and intangible qualities. In this article, we will help you to strengthen your soft skills with some Personality Interview Questions and Answers. For any organization, when it comes to the final decision about whom they want to hire, they are left with a handful of qualified candidates. At that time candidates who presented their strong soft skills stick in their minds above the rest, as soft skills are a must for a positive work environment and productive teamwork.

Most Frequently Asked Personality Interview Questions

Here in this article, we will be listing frequently asked Personality Interview Questions and Answers with the belief that they will be helpful for you to gain higher marks. Also, to let you know that this article has been written under the guidance of industry professionals and covered all the current competencies.

Q1. What types of activities or hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?
Answer

This question helps the interviewer a lot about your social skills such as teamwork leadership qualities. There are some qualities which are developed in our personal life like discipline, independent work ethic, strong decision making, dedication, etc., and also works in our professional life. Choose an answer that matches the skills reflected in your job description.

Some of the examples are-

  • Running a small book club that shows your public speaking and leadership skills.
  • Yoga activities show your punctuality and discipline traits.
  • Work in NGOs which show your calmness, kindness, and patience.
Q2. How do you handle stress and pressure at work?
Answer

We are all stressed out in our careers. Feeling the stress to show your best means you do care for your job. Be truthful when giving this answer, the interviewer wants to know how you cope up with extreme pressure not that you never stressed out.

Offer up solutions you have used to manage the stress like-

  • Strong communication
  • Time management
  • Prioritization
  • Coordination
  • Ask for support and help
Q3. Would you say you are the kind of person who always looks at the big picture?
Answer

Choose your word wisely while answering this question.Being a big picture type of person is a good thing as they are creative, strategic, and clear in their vision but you may show a negative side of yours as they can also be a bit messy, forgetful and disorganized. So be both i.e. big picture and detail-oriented person. By this you are telling them that you have a clear vision and are planful too, you are creative and know prioritization too.

Q4. If you could make one change to your personality, what would it be and why?
Answer

This question is asked by hiring managers not to let you count your negative attributes but to determine your self-awareness in improving yourself. Tell them the changes which you want to improve but are good in some ways for their organization such as-

  • I am a Risk-taker and always complete my work on an exceptional level but sometimes taking risks could lead to more rework and time-consuming. 
  • I would like to be an Extrovert as I am more inclined to the introvert side and want to change because I would like to appear more friendly.
  • I would like to work on my Facial Expressions which sometimes are useful in times of stress as it looks like I am very calm and sometimes I am misunderstood as it looks I am not engaged in a serious conversation or task.
Q5. What unique qualities do you have that make you a good candidate?
Answer

Finally, a question where you can highlight your skills and traits that you appreciate about yourself. Tell them the qualities which apply for your job as well as make you unique from others like-

  • Detail Orientation
  • Not afraid of failures
  • Effectively Organized
  • Adaptability and Flexibility
  • Leadership and Teamwork
Q6. What would you do if a colleague did something unethical?
Answer

Well, we all make mistakes and that’s okay but accepting unethical behavior or ignoring it would be your biggest mistake at your work. It’s very important to assess the situation by following these ways-

  • I would talk to them in person and warn them that someone fired for exactly the same behavior.
  • I will also take stock of my behavior as none of us are perfect and we all are misunderstood sometimes.
  • Will analyze the situation as it is important who is involved in all this. 
  • Would seek advice from my mentor.
  • I will avoid gossiping even if I might be tempted to tell a friend. Rather I would choose someone who's not a part of the organization.
Q7. How do you spend your free time?
Answer

It’s not mandatory to be sensible in every situation. Tell them honestly what you do in your free time. If you dance and it’s not related to your work that’s okay as that is free time and it is very important to relax your mind in your own ways like-

  • Going on vacation
  • Meditation
  • Spend time with family and friends
  • Visiting old age home
  • Investing time in personal care
Q8. What 3 words would you use to describe yourself and why?
Answer

Choose three descriptive words that describe you and add a short explanation to them.

  • Loyal / Diligent / Reliable I believe in the saying that “A person in need is a person indeed” and strictly follow it. I am the first person who always gets a call when my friends need any help and the same with my professional life as I am always there to help my team members. Like this, you can answer this question. You can also use these combinations-
  • Motivated / Ambitious / Leader
  • Personable / Extrovert / Friendly
  • Ethical / Honest / Organized
  • Creative / Visionary / Innovative
Q9. Why should we hire you for this job?
Answer

This is one of the most asked questions at the end of an interview as an employer remembers that candidate who was enthusiastic about the role given by their company.

Convince them for following points

  • You are a good fit and add value to their organization.
  • You possess a good combination of hard and soft skills.
  • You can do exceptional work and deliver outstanding results.
  • Hiring you will be a great addition to their team and make their life easier
Q10. If your manager asked you to complete a task you thought impossible at first, how would you go about it?
Answer

Everybody must have faced this type of situation at some point in their career. Remember the phrase “NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE” and get rid of your negativity.

Remind these steps and go for it-

  • Get an immediate time estimation to complete the job.
  • Gather all the information and resources to complete that task.
  • Arrange a one-to-one meeting to talk about the task with your manager.
  • Prioritize the task and start with a small step.
  • It’s okay to ask for some support or help.
  • Remind your manager about your existing workload.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Answering Personality Interview Questions

  • Workaholics- Hard workers aren’t always good performers because they have no other interests except for their jobs. Avoid the words “Work” and “Job” in this interview.
  • Canned Answers- You have to convince your interviewer that you are talking about real-life scenarios and not providing generic answers.
  • Don’t share too much or too little information- Remember the interviewer doesn’t want to know about your life but telling them too little makes them wonder why you are not open.
  • Avoid being negative- Try to show them how you came out from a difficult situation rather than how terrible your disappointment was.
  • Inappropriate answers- We know you are talking about your personality but making too many jokes are an indicator that you are not serious.

Additional Tips For Personality Interview Questions 

  • Review about the Job and do some research.
  • Use STAR Method: Describe a Situation, explain the Task, Outline the Actions you took and the Results you have achieved.
  • Be yourself and be honest.
  • Dress accordingly and take care of your body language.
  • Choose the right words like Teamwork, Integrity, Respect, Adaptability, Unity, Professionalism, etc.
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