Teamwork Interview Questions & Answers

Teamwork has become an increasingly valuable skill for people today in the Canadian workforce. Companies want their employees to work together to find innovative solutions, so you might encounter an interview question about your teamwork skills or your history of team building and team leadership. How should you answer these questions effectively?

Common Teamwork Interview Questions

Every hiring manager develops his or her own style and question format, but some behavioural interview questions are universal. Learning to recognize teamwork-related questions can help you answer them faster and more thoroughly. Some of the most common questions regarding teamwork might include:

• Have you ever struggled to communicate with colleagues while working together on a project?
• Can you share an example of a situation in which teamwork enhanced your output as an employee?
• What is your idea of an ideal team-building exercise?
• What type of support does a team need to function as efficiently as possible?
• Do you prefer working on your own or as part of a team?

Each of these behavioural interview questions requires a different approach. Consider working through potential answers on your own and then trying them out on a friend or relative to gauge their response.

Answering Teamwork Interview Questions

Make your answers to teamwork questions as specific as possible. Even if the question doesn't ask for it, consider using personal experience to back up your assertions. Consider these teamwork examples:

• We learned during a big project at my last job that administrative support is key to teamwork success. Since there are so many moving parts, we often needed help with documentation, research, and feedback, but because we didn't have support, the project took longer than it should have.
• I've found that collaborative workspaces help promote teamwork. If I can share information and ideas across a desk with a colleague, we have a better chance of coming up with creative solutions to problems.
• I've worked alone and with a team and, in my experience, they each offer advantages. I think I work best in situations in which I can collaborate on some tasks and work alone for others.

Mistakes to Avoid with Teamwork Interview Questions

Make sure you provide honest answers to the questions. Don't insist that you love working as a member of a team if you secretly prefer to work alone in a quiet office. You want your skills, talents, and personality to fit with the company you join.

Don't feel as though you have to answer every question positively, either. For example, the interviewer might ask, "What problems have you encountered in teamwork exercises?" In this case, you shouldn't say, "I've never had any problems with it." The hiring manager knows you're not being genuine. Instead, turn negatives into positives. You might say, "I've discovered that some team members are louder than others, so the quiet members don't get heard. I think the best way to combat that problem is to allow everyone a turn to speak and to provide alternate options for voicing concerns or suggestions, such as email."

Interview questions about behavioural problems or issues require not only a response but also a solution. This will help you answer each teamwork question effectively.