How To Answer- Describe Your Work Style

WHAT IS A WORK STYLE?

Your work style is how you prefer to plan your work tasks, communicate professionally with others, and like to get tasks done. Different workers have different work styles—for example, someone who likes to ponder things may spend a lot of time thinking and gathering inspiration for new ideas. Others with a more action-oriented work style may take those ideas and turn them into a reality. Some workers like to have a collaborative work style—extroverts like to brainstorm around a conference table. Others are more introverted and prefer to brainstorm alone.

In this article from the How To Answer Series by Your Legal Career Coach, we bring you guidance and tips on how to answer ‘Describe Your Work Style.’ during an internship or job interview. Read on!

WHY DOES A RECRUITER ASK THIS QUESTION?

When you’re asked to describe your work style, the hiring manager is looking for a few things. First and foremost, they want to know how you will fit into the current team and corporate culture. Because the hiring manager will be your prospective future boss, they want to see if you will get along with them. Next, they want to observe your work ethic and general attitude. Do you appear to be able to absorb feedback, follow instructions, and remain calm under duress? When it comes to your work style, companies are looking for features like these.

TIPS TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION

• Talk about how you organize your days. Do you have a structure or flow to your tasks? Do you start the day with something challenging? Do you like multitasking? If you do, does it affect your performance and quality of output? You might also want to mention the number of hours you’re willing to work, and if you’re someone who routinely stays late to complete tasks.
• If you can work with speed and efficiency without compromising the quality of work, be sure to include this in your answer. This will make you appealing if the job requires meeting tight deadlines. Talk about what strategies you employ to avoid mistakes – recruiters want people who have their own system of checks and balances when working.
• Your ability to blend in with existing staff is something the interviewer will want to know from the get-go. Talk about your experiences with working in a team, the kind of roles you took, and the things you did to support teammates. You can also talk about how you work alone, particularly your workflow and quality assurance setup.
• Another important element of your work style is how you like to communicate with your boss. Do you prefer to be guided, or do you like to be given a task and left alone to complete it? Thinking about your ideal relationship with your employer will help both you and the interviewer decide whether you are a good fit for the job.
• If this position necessitates constantly staying in touch, you should highlight how you communicate with your boss, coworkers, and clients throughout the day. Do you prefer email, phone talks, or face-to-face encounters to communicate? Before you respond, consider about what this job entails. Most occupations will necessitate a mix of communication methods.

For example, if you are applying for a law firm, an ideal answer may be something like this-

My work style is extremely flexible—working on so many different projects requires me to be adaptive. In general, I try to work on one project at a time, working as quickly and efficiently as possible to achieve the best results. All of my projects require collaboration, so I use the team environment to check for errors. I am a perfectionist and a driven worker, and I think my clear communication skills allow me to bring out the best in any team, in any project.

OR

I am extremely dependable. I have rarely missed a day’s work, and am known for coming in early and staying late to finish important tasks and achieve results. This dependability extends to my collaborative work as well. I always meet deadlines and help my teammates to meet theirs as well. For example, on my last project, a teammate was struggling to complete his assignment for the team, and I stayed late every day that week to help him not only complete his assignment, but exceed our initial estimated turnaround time for the project.

Read our article on ‘How To Answer- How Many Hours A Week Do You Normally Work?’ HERE.

HOW NOT TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION

The first big mistake you need to avoid is telling something that is not true or is not something you relate to. Hiring managers will often ask follow-up questions about your answer, and lies tend to lead to more lies, which can make you anxious and cost you the job.

Another mistake to avoid when answering questions about your work style is refraining from too many different words or ideas in response to this interview question. It is important to narrow it down and pick two to three points at maximum.

As a final mistake to avoid is saying “I am not sure,” when asked to describe your work style. When the interviewer asks this, they are trying to determine if you are a fit for the company, and you will leave them having second thoughts if you are unable to give a clear, specific answer.

YLCC would like to thank Sachet Labroo for his valuable insights in this article.

Read our article on ‘How To Answer- Describe Your Work Ethic’ HERE.