Question: Describe a time when you had to collaborate with someone to get things done.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell me about a time when you had to work closely with someone to complete a project.

Follow-up questions:

What difficulties did you face while working with this person?
If this person was your best friend, would there have been any change in the way the project was completed?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Visualisation

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Agreeableness,Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Team Fit

Work Activity (Task):

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 – Frequency of Contact With Others,Interpersonal Relationships – Work With Work Group or Team (As a member, not a leader)

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Compassion/Concern for Others,Cooperation,Patience,Social Orientation (Work Alone vs Group Work)

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for the candidate’s inter personal skills with the co-workers.
Is the candidate able to adjust to the working style of colleague.
If the candidate is flexible enough to accept new suggestions and work on them for the betterment of the project.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate has a negative perception of working in teams.
If the candidate finds it difficult to collaborate and accept developments suggested by their colleague.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: Unknown