10 Personality Interview Questions: [With Sample Answers]

Are you worried about acing your personality-focused interview? It’s common to wonder whether your personality will make the cut during the interview process.

No one wants to miss their dream job because the interviewer felt they wouldn’t fit into the company culture.

Don’t worry you can easily prepare for personality-focused questions. Keep reading to learn more about what traits interviewers are looking for in these interviews and what to avoid.

We’ve also shared ten common personality-focused interview questions, why interviewers ask these questions, and sample answers.

What Should I Say in a Personality-Focused Interview?

What you say in a personality-focused interview will determine whether or not you stay in the running or get booted out.

However, there is no way of knowing what you should say. It comes down to confidently stating your answers to portray the right traits.

Reviewing practice questions and answers can give you the confidence to approach the interview authentically and put your best foot forward. It will also help you know what skills interviewers are looking for and what traits to avoid showing.

What Skills Are Personality-Focused Interviewers Looking For in a Candidate?

Here are the traits interviewers are looking for when asking personality-focused interview questions:

• Communication: Interviewers are looking for candidates that can communicate effectively. They want someone who can actively listen, reply to the relevant points, sift through information, and react appropriately to body language.
• Collaboration: All roles require the ability to work well with others, cooperate with people from varying backgrounds and with different personalities, and focus on building the team.
• Dependability: Can an organization rely on you to deliver projects on time? Personality-focused interview questions can help an interviewer see whether or not you’re dependable.
• Integrity: Interviewers want people who can conduct business ethically. They want someone honest and upfront and will ask questions to gauge whether you are one.
• Emotional Intelligence: You must demonstrate an ability to regulate your emotions and work with those of others. Some personality interview questions will test your emotional intelligence.

What Traits Are Personality-Focused Interviewers Looking to Avoid in a Candidate?

A personality-focused interview also focuses on finding signs of condescending people. No organization wants to hire someone hard to work with.

These are the traits you should not display during your personality-focused interview:

• Arrogance: You should not come off like a know-it-all who will make life unbearable for your teammates.
• Ignorance: Similarly, you don’t want your answers to show that you know nothing and don’t take the initiative to learn and grow.
• Close-mindedness: It shows you are hard to teach and correct and will likely not embrace new technology, teammates, or initiatives.

Sample Personality Interview Questions and Answers

Below we detail our sample questions individually to help you understand what the interviewer is looking for and what to avoid when answering them. We’ll also provide a sample answer to help you craft yours.

1. What are you passionate about?

Interviewers ask this question to get to know a candidate better. It is a genuinely harmless question that lets them know what you are passionate about both in and outside work.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

When answering this question during an interview, always be honest. If possible, try to communicate how your passion would make you an asset to your potential employer and team. You should try and share a professional or career-related passion, but if you draw a blank, share your other passions.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Avoid overthinking or giving a fake answer. The interviewer is likely to connect with you based on an authentic reply.

Example Answer

“This probably isn’t surprising coming from a software engineer, but I love experimenting with code. Recently, my friends dared me to develop a fun game, so I’ve been teaching myself C++.

I absolutely enjoy the discovery process and getting involved in a new coding community, and it’s one of the best parts of software engineering.”

2. How do you define success?

Interviewers ask this question to determine what kind of employee you’ll be. Your answer helps them evaluate your work ethic and what you prioritize.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

The best way to answer this question is to use specific examples of your achievements and explain what contributed to those successes. You want to share what you learned from each experience and how you continue to generate positive results.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Do not take this as a moment to brag or bring down another person. Your answer should not be an achievement but rather what makes you define that as a success.

Example Answer

“I define success as constantly challenging myself to learn and grow while helping my team to do the same. Whenever my team and I have achieved a new high, I consider that a success.

However, I still enjoy the journey toward higher levels of work, including analyzing and learning from mistakes. I believe that results, improvement, and any steps taken toward progress are vital markers of success.”

3. Tell me about a time when you came up with a creative solution to a challenging task. What was the result?

Interviewers want to know whether or not a potential hire is creative and willing to actively brainstorm to find solutions. They want proactive, creative people who don’t back away from challenges but step up to ensure projects and relationships move forward.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

When answering this question, focus on showing you can think outside the box and figure out a way to solve issues. Show your ability to initiate momentum and try new things.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Do not state that you have never had a creative solution to a problem. Remember solutions to school problems or issues where you volunteer if you can’t think of a time at work you solved a problem creatively.

Example Answer

“I remember a time as a new server that a wedding guest crashed into the side of the cake. It was not a complete hole, but it was noticeable. The entire staff had been notified that the bride was particular, and I knew that a hole in the cake would cause problems.

I remained calm and quickly thought through my options. I noticed a small pile of flowers left behind by the florist and quickly nipped the stems and petals of three of them. I arranged the petals in the hole on the cake to look like the cake always had flowers there. We rolled the cake into the reception hall, and the cake-cutting went off without a hitch.”

4. How do you handle stress and pressure?

Interviewers ask this question because they want to know how you’ll deal with stressful situations if you get the job.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

Give a detailed account of how you handle stress when answering this question. Provide an example of a time you were stressed and the skills you used to cope.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Do not focus on your negative feelings or reactions when answering this question. You want to keep the focus on what good things you did rather than what you didn’t do or what you did poorly. Also, don’t deny the stress of a job and pretend you’ve never been overwhelmed.

Example Answer

“I have found that I enjoy a healthy amount of stress when it comes to my job. The pressure to do better or more makes me better at my job.

I like projects with tight deadlines, and if a project doesn’t have one, I assign one myself. It motivates me to work smarter and faster to complete my work on time.”

5. What are your hobbies?

Interviewers ask this question to get to know you better, and it’s similar to “What are your passions?” They want to know what you enjoy doing to relax. In some organizations, your hobbies will come in handy during retreats or client meetings.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

Be honest when answering this question because there is rarely a wrong answer. It’s an opportunity to maybe have something in common with the interviewer. Always have two to three hobbies ready to give as an answer to avoid looking like you have no interests outside work.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Avoid any controversial topics or hobbies. It’s essential to stay on top of the recent controversies, especially concerning your field, the country, and the company culture.

Example Answer

“I love playing tennis and spend most of my spare time perfecting my skills. Learning and playing tennis requires dedication and has given me drive and focus, which I use as a financial advisor.

I also enjoy hiking every other weekend with a group of local hikers. I love the challenge of adapting to a new environment and communicating with other hikers on the best routes.

Hiking has helped me develop my resilience, teamwork, and problem-solving skills which I find useful in everyday life. ”

6. What do people most often criticize about you?

When an interviewer asks this question, they are looking for self-awareness and want to know if you’re open to correction and criticism. They also want to know what you’ve done to improve perceived weaknesses.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

Your answer should highlight a weakness you are actively working to resolve. You want to show that you listen to others and take criticism as a chance to improve, not argue about your better traits.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Avoid using anything too negative, like violence or self-pitying. You also want to avoid saying you disagree with the critic or have done nothing to change.

Example Answer

“I’ve been told that I often rush to decide without fully considering others’ perspectives. I have been working on developing empathy, patience, and active listening to ensure I don’t overlook an opinion of a team member and try to understand every perspective.”

7. Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict with a coworker or manager. How did you handle that?

The interviewer asks this question to understand how and if you deal with conflict at work because conflicts will occur and they don’t want to hire someone who can’t handle them.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

You want to give the interviewer a good idea of the situation, discuss your approach to solving the conflict, share the results, and reflect on what you learned from the experience.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Do not focus on who was at fault or the gossip surrounding the conflict. Also, avoid laying blame on the other person.

Example Answer

“As an entry-level UX designer, I was assigned to a team working on a product for a bank. One of the senior designers often talked over me during brainstorming sessions and dismissed my ideas.

I felt frustrated and defeated, so I reached out to the team lead who advised me to share with the designer how their behavior affected me. I took their advice and quietly approached the designer during lunch to discuss this.

They apologized and remarked they never intended to make the same mistake their superior had when they first started. We began a mutually-beneficial relationship, and they’re my mentor today.”

8. When was the last time you were angry? What happened?

Interviewers ask this question to learn how you deal with anger. They want to know what makes you angry and how you deal with it.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

Focus on sharing an experience at work and not a personal one. Highlight a time when you resolved your anger and did not escalate the situation to show that you can work through uncomfortable situations without hindering team productivity.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Do not focus on the object of your anger or the drama surrounding why you were angry. Also, avoid downplaying your anger by saying you got over it or ignored it.

Example Answer

“In my previous position as a customer service representative, I spoke with a customer who had been on hold for several minutes and was angry about the wait time.

Their anger caused me to become defensive and almost cost me a constructive conversation. I caught myself in time, took a deep breath, and counted to ten in my head. I was able to gather my emotions while the customer felt heard.

We had a constructive conversation and I resolved their issue. I actually earned a 5-star rating from that customer simply because I spent time calming down which gave them time to speak their mind.”

9. What are your pet peeves?

Interviewers ask this question to get insight into who you are and how you’ve behaved in the past.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

Research and link your honest answer to something relevant to the organization. Always explain why something peeves you and end your answer on a positive note.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Avoid lying or giving a prideful answer, such as people not doing overtime. Also, don’t go into too much detail, and keep it as short as possible.

Example Answer

“In the past, I didn’t like that my manager seemed to always check on my work and progress. I learned to create clear expectations about when and how to offer updates on projects by setting weekly briefing meetings with them.”

10. Do you prefer to work independently or with a team?

Interviewers ask this question to know whether you would fit into the company culture and or to find out the best way to structure your day if they hire you.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

While there is no wrong answer to this question, you want to research the role and company to help you answer. Some companies want a team-focused hire, and others don’t mind you saying you prefer independent working.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Don’t leave the interviewer guessing. Go beyond a one-word answer and give details about why you prefer one over the other.

Example Answer

“I enjoy brainstorming with others and feel motivated when I do. I find that group participation makes the time move faster and the project comes alive. I also know that everyone has something different to contribute and want those diverse ideas included in every project.”

Other Questions You Could Be Asked

There are different types of interviews you may need to take before you land a role. Interviewers could also ask you different types of questions in one interview to better understand your qualifications. Here are the interview questions or types you should prepare for:

• Peer Interview Questions: The goal of an interviewer asking peer-focused interview questions is to gauge how you would fit in the team and organization if they hired you for the role.
• Teamwork Interview Questions:  Interviewers ask teamwork-focused questions to get a sense of how you work in a team, what role you tend to take on within a team, and whether or not you like working on a team.
• Group Interview Questions: The group interview approach and questions allows the interviewer to observe each candidate’s soft skills in real-time.
• Collaboration Interview Questions: Interviewers ask collaboration-focused questions to see whether or not you value collaboration in the workplace and to understand how you’ll fit in with company culture.
• Management-Style Interview Questions: These are questions used to understand your management style and see if it fits into the company culture and the role requirements.

Additional Tips for Personality-Focused Interviews

Personality-focused interviews are the perfect occasion for you to interview the company as they interview you. The questions asked during these interviews can be signs of a toxic workplace or a fantastic one if you know what to look for and prepare well.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind when going for a personality-focused interview:

How Do You Prepare for a Personality-Focused Interview?

Research the company values, goals, current projects, and hires. Keep these facts in mind when answering. Arrive at the interview early and try to remain as relaxed as possible.

Confidently greet each person and maintain eye contact. Be friendly but professional and polite. Answer questions honestly with specific examples.

What Should You Wear to a Personality-Focused Interview?

Wear a simple, stylish, and professional outfit. Unless otherwise instructed, always assume the dress code is formal. Wear something that fits well and makes you feel comfortable and confident.

How Should You Introduce Yourself In a Personality-Focused Interview?

Introduce yourself with your legal name, profession or current title, accomplishment, pursuits, and a goal you’re working towards.

Use strong words such as creative, organized, methodical, result-oriented, and observant, among others.

What Questions Should You Ask at the End of a Personality-Focused Interview?

The right questions can help cement you as the ideal candidate for a job. Here are some questions you can ask the interviewer at the end of a personality-focused interview:

1. Which unique personal quality helps you navigate your daily tasks in this organization?
2. What activities does the team do together outside of work?
3. How would other team members describe you?

Frequently Asked Questions

A personality-focused interview is a critical part of selecting the right candidate for some jobs. The right personality can help you land the position of your dreams if you can highlight it in the interview.

Wrapping Up

Passing a personality-focused interview can be challenging, but it is not impossible. Personality interview questions help the interviewer gauge whether you are a good fit for the organization and the role you are applying for.

While you should be yourself, focus on highlighting the professional, job-relevant version of you during this interview. With well-thought-out answers, you’ll ace your personality-focused interview.