As the adage goes, “teamwork makes the dream work.” The saying holds true: 98% of employers think collaboration is one of the most crucial competencies for the workplace.
If you want to hire candidates who can collaborate well with teammates, you’re in the right place.
In this article, we’re sharing 29 interview questions to help you gauge a candidate’s collaboration abilities. Along with general collaboration questions, you’ll also find questions for related competencies, including influence and persuasion and relationship building.
Read on to uncover all of the collaboration interview questions.
General Collaboration Interview Questions
- Tell me about a time when it was critical for you to establish an effective working relationship with someone outside of your department to complete an important assignment or project.
- What is the toughest group that you have had to collaborate with? Describe how you handled it. What was the outcome?
- Describe a time when you had to work effectively with another team that you had never worked with before.
- Describe a time when you set aside your own priorities to help a team member. What did you do, and what was the result?
- Tell me about a time when you wouldn’t have successfully completed a project without teamwork.
- Have you ever been a member of a group or team where two people did not work well together? How did you resolve the situation?
- Tell me about a time when you helped others compromise for the good of the team.
- Give me an example of a time when you were willing to compromise on something relatively important to you so that your team could proceed with a project.
- Tell me about the most memorable contribution you’ve made as part of a task group or special project team.
Influence & Persuasion Interview Questions
- Tell me about a great idea of yours that you pitched to your colleagues or leadership team. How did you convey the idea, and what was the result?
- Tell me about a time when you were able to encourage others to take a chance on a new project or idea.
- Describe a time when you anticipated a problem and persuaded your team to take an alternate route. What happened?
- Tell me about a time when you used your leadership skills to gain support for something that was initially strongly opposed.
- Share a time when you successfully persuaded a colleague to support a controversial idea of yours.
- Tell me about a time when you communicated clearly to sell your team on an idea and work together to achieve the goal.
- Metaphors, analogies, or stories can sometimes be useful when making a case to get buy-in. Give me an example of a time when you were able to do so successfully.
- Share a time when you convinced your colleagues to follow a new process. What steps did you take to persuade your team?
- Tell me about a time when you had to persuade someone to follow a policy or guideline you didn’t believe in.
- Give me an example of a time when you used facts and reasoning to persuade a team member to accept your recommendation.
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Relationship Building Interview Questions
- Describe a time when you tried unsuccessfully to build a relationship with a difficult [customer or prospect]. What happened as a result?
- Describe a time when you built rapport quickly with a colleague who you didn’t see eye to eye with.
- Tell me about a time when you were able to understand a colleague’s needs and adjust your approach accordingly.
- Give me an example of a time when you had to address a disgruntled customer. What was the problem, and what was the outcome? What was your specific role in diffusing the situation?
- Give me an example of a time when you took disciplinary action with a direct report. Why was it necessary, and what happened?
- Give me an example of a time when you initiated a change in process or operations in direct response to customer feedback. What was the feedback, and what steps did you take to implement the change?
- Tell me about a time when you failed to manage an employee’s or your team’s work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a time when you helped motivate a team member or direct report. How did your support help them accomplish their goal?
- What do you feel are some of the key ingredients to building and maintaining successful [customer or prospect] relationships?
- Describe a time when you were able to successfully complete a task because of your relationship with another team member. How did it impact your work on that project?
Hire better with help from 300+ interview questions
Looking for more helpful interview questions? With our interview question-finding tool, you can access 300+ interview questions that you can filter by competency, department, and role.
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