Question: Which of these two do you think works better, “survival of the fittest”, or “survival of the friendliest”, and why?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Some people believe life is all about “The survival of the fittest”. Today, others are suggesting, from new biological evidence, that life is in fact all about the ‘”The survival of the most cooperative”. What do you think?

Follow-up questions:

What is your choice?
Why do you say so?
How would this look like in a work environment?
Would there be particular scenarios that you would choose one over the other?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Traditional,Unconventional

Skills:

Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment),Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Extraversion,Personality-Organization Fit,Personality-Team Fit,Practical Intelligence (Street Smarts)

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Estimating Characteristics of Objects, Events, or Information,Interacting with Others – Assisting and Caring for Others,Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Interpersonal Relationships – Coordinate or Lead Others,Interpersonal Relationships – Work With Work Group or Team (As a member, not a leader),Job Structure – Handling Competition

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Approachability,Compassion/Concern for Others,Cooperation,Human Equity (Opposite of Discrimination),Social Orientation (Work Alone vs Group Work)

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

To understand the interviewee’s attitude towards cooperation vs competition.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee’s attitude to this is incompatible with the work team or organizational culture.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.jobbankusa.com/interview_questions_answers/