Hiring Managers typically ask a few interview questions that are open ended in an effort to get a sense of your personality, experience, problem-solving capability, and ability to overcome challenges. If you’re unprepared, these questions can leave you stumped or feeling inclined to speak to your weaknesses. This blog provides sample open ended interview questions and how to prepare strong answers so that you can practice and present answers that show your ability to overcome challenges and deliver positive outcomes.

Question 1: “Tell me about a time when you faced a major setback in your career and how you dealt with it.”

• Prepare an example of a specific setback.
• Describe the actions you took to overcome it.
• Highlight the lessons you learned from the experience.

Question 2: “How do you handle criticism and feedback from supervisors?”

• Discuss your approach to receiving feedback positively and your ability to listen and learn from criticism.
• Show how you incorporate feedback to improve your performance.

Question 3: “Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult colleague or team member and how you handled it.”

• Explain a challenging interpersonal situation without speaking negatively of other collogues or employers.
• Focus on your ability to communicate effectively, find common ground, and resolve conflicts while maintaining a professional approach.

Question 4: “Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision with limited information.”

• Share an example of a situation where you had to analyze the available information, be resourceful, and weigh the pros and cons.
• Explain how you arrived at a well-reasoned decision.

Question 5: “How do you handle high-pressure situations and tight deadlines?”

• Highlight your ability to prioritize tasks, stay focused, manage stress, and maintain a productive workflow even in demanding circumstances.
• Provide examples of successfully meeting tight deadlines.

Question 6: “Describe a time when you took the initiative to implement a significant change or improvement in your work environment.”

• Discuss a specific instance where you identified an opportunity for improvement, devised a plan, and successfully implemented the change.
• Emphasize the positive outcomes it generated.

Question 7: “Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your supervisor’s decision and how you handled it.”

• Explain a situation where you respectfully expressed your differing viewpoint, provided supporting evidence or alternative solutions, and ultimately aligned yourself with your supervisor’s decision.

Question 8: “What would you say is your biggest weakness?”

• Show that you have the awareness to recognize your weaknesses and are committed to personal and professional growth by highlighting specific actions you have taken to improve the weakness.
• If possible, show how your efforts to improve have positively impacted your professional development. You can also speak to a previous weakness from your career and highlight how you went on the journey of improving on this and the impact on you and your role.

Question 9: “Describe a failure or mistake you made, what you learned from it, and how you applied that knowledge.”

• Talk about a specific failure or mistake and how you took responsibility for it.
• Describe the steps you took to rectify the situation.
• Highlight the lessons you learned to prevent similar issues in the future.

Question 10: “How do you manage work-life balance, and what steps do you take to avoid burnout?”

• Discuss your approach to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, such as setting boundaries, practicing self-care, utilizing time management techniques, and seeking support when needed.

It is important to provide specific examples, showcase your problem-solving abilities, and emphasize the positive outcomes and lessons learned from challenging experiences. Tailor your responses to highlight relevant skills and align them with the requirements of the position you’re applying for. Within these questions, you can also open the discussion for realistic expectations of the role and past challenges the team has had to work through. Remember, this is a two-way interview to see if the role, team and company values align for you.