How to Answer “What’s Your Work Style” in a Job Interview

Interviewing for a new role can be exciting, but it can also come with challenges that leave us feeling insecure and worried that we’re not fully prepared. This is especially true when we are asked questions such as “What is your working style” – about our preferred approach and style in approaching key job objectives and responsibilities.

This question, while seemingly straightforward and simple, is usually asked to help the interviewer gain a deeper understanding of whether your approach to work will align well with the open role and the organization’s work culture. With the right preparation, you can craft your answer so that it’s not only useful, but also reflects what matters most to you and highlights your unique strengths, priorities, and values.

To understand how best to answer this question honestly and confidently, prepare by thinking about your specific style and approach and what “success” looks and feels like to you personally. Get an idea beforehand of how you like to work best, including the types of collaboration that are most successful for you and the business outcomes you find most rewarding and compelling.

Think of the most important accomplishments and results you’ve achieved in the past that make you most proud, and highlight exactly the skills and abilities you have that helped you achieve those results. Think about both your individual contributions and your successes through collaborations and what was possible because of your adaptability, creativity and resilience.

What are some different versions of this question that you can expect?

The question “What is your work style?” it can be approached in a variety of ways, each with subtle differences. Here are some common variations you may hear:

“How do you prefer to work?”

This wording offers a more open-ended approach, giving you the freedom to describe your ideal work environment and work practices that help you successfully complete tasks and projects.

“Tell me about your work process.”

Here, the interviewer may want to explore how you approach the execution of your projects and how you make decisions, manage tasks, work with others, and deal with challenges and setbacks.

“What does your day job look like?”

This version focuses on the current flow of daily tasks and priorities, as well as how you manage deadlines and multitasking. It is also touched by how do you prioritize your current workflow.

“Do you work best independently or as part of a team?”

This question aims to explore collaborative strengths and comfort level working cohesively with others versus being self-directed and taking individual and independent initiative.

“How do you handle feedback and communication with teammates or supervisors?”

With this question, the interviewer probes your communication style, your openness to feedback (both positive and what you may perceive as “negative”) and how you relate to and with others.

Each version of the question provides an opportunity to showcase your strengths and values. Be prepared to provide some concrete examples of how you adapt and thrive in different work environments and situations.

What are hiring managers really looking for with this question?

When interviewers ask about your work style, they usually want to gauge whether you’ll be a strong fit for this particular role, including how you’ll fit in with existing managers and leaders, other team members, and the organization’s values ​​and culture in general. Think what makes you unique and stand out, what you prioritize as important in your career and roles, and the traits and actions that have helped you achieve professional growth in the past and share information that will help interviewers assess:

you Self-awareness and self-mastery: Do you recognize your strengths and areas of growth? Candidates who confidently acknowledge and discuss their key skills, achievements and professional values ​​often stand out from the competition.

Adaptability and flexibility: Can you easily adjust your approach based on the needs of your team or project? Adaptability is especially important in today’s dynamic workplaces.

Collaboration and communication: Effective communicators who respect others, work well with diverse team members, and collaborate openly tend to thrive best in team environments. Interviewers want to understand your interaction style.

Growth Mindset: Candidates demonstrating optimism, resilience and commitment to growth and learning often results in high performance.

Key themes to include in your answer

Your answers should be honest, clear and tailored to the specific role and company culture you are interviewing for. Below are some tips for developing a strong response:

Research the company culture

Before the interview, take the time to research the company’s culture and outstanding qualities. Review their website, read employee ratings and reviews, and explore their social media presence and what leaders and employees are sharing online. This will give you clues about their values, work environment and pace. If it’s a high-energy, collaborative atmosphere, emphasize your teamwork skills. If it’s a more independent, results-driven environment, highlight your ability to work autonomously and produce consistent results.

Align your answers with the requirements of the role

Think about the skills and attributes needed for the job. For example, if the role requires cross-departmental collaboration, discuss your strengths in communication and teamwork. If it’s a role that requires self-management and independence, highlight your organizational skills, focus and reliability.

Highlight key attributes

Hiring managers look for certain traits in almost every role, such as reliability, strong communication skills, flexibility and openness to feedback. Incorporate these themes that fit your unique style into your answer. For example, “I am very responsive when working in a team setting, making sure I communicate openly and receive helpful feedback. When working alone and/or remotely, I’m very organized and focused on deadlines, but I’m also comfortable asking questions when needed, which helps me deliver quality results.”

Embed specific examples

Illustrate your answer with examples from past successes. Talk about a time when your approach to work helped you succeed in a project or contributed to an important goal. For example, “In my last role, I was responsible for a large business integration project that spanned multiple teams and departments and a newly acquired company with divisions in multiple countries. It was a critical project with a hard deadline and affected the responsibilities and results of hundreds of employees. I held weekly meetings with key stakeholders to ensure everyone was aligned, but I also set aside focused time to dive into my own research and analysis to formulate an effective project strategy and to adjust that strategy when necessary. This balance allowed me to complete the integration in a timely manner that met all of the key objectives of the management team.”

Preparing follow-up questions

The “work style” question is also an invitation to ask follow-up questions. Remember, your interview is not an “audition.” It’s a two-way street. Consider asking questions that get to what you need to understand, including team structure, communication style, work culture, key qualities that successful employees share, and more. This can help you determine if the company is a good fit for your personal values ​​and approach.

Succeed in your interviews with more confidence

By carefully answering the question “What is your work style?” demonstrate that you have reflected on your career trajectory and your strengths and talents and how they contributed to growth and success in previous roles. It’s not about whether you’re “good” or “bad” at certain tasks; it’s about alignment to role and culture.

By looking at this question as a way to showcase your unique talents and important ways you’ve contributed in the past, you can share your highest and best version of yourself while listening for clues to help you clearly assess whether this opportunity is right. for you and will allow you to prosper and grow.

Kathy Caprino is a career and leadership coachauthor, trainer and podcaster, supporting the advancement of women in business.