6 Interpersonal Skills Interview Questions For Professionals

Interpersonal skills are traits that help professionals effectively communicate and interact with others. During an interview, a hiring manager may ask you questions to analyse your interpersonal skills. Learning some common questions and reviewing their sample answers can help professionals perform better in the interview. In this article, we discuss some common interpersonal skills interview questions an interviewer may ask along with their sample answers.

Interpersonal Skills Interview Questions With Sample Answers

Many hiring managers ask interpersonal skills interview questions to determine if a candidate can effectively collaborate with other professionals in the workplace. In general, interpersonal skills are helpful in finding creative solutions to problems and resolving conflicts. Interviewers often ask questions related to interpersonal skills to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of candidates. Irrespective of the field of work, interpersonal skills can play a significant role in your overall performance.

It can help in building strong work relationships, increase the overall productivity of the team and create a positive work environment at the workplace. Try showing your leadership quality while maintaining positivity and politeness during the interview. Here are some common questions that an interview may ask to check your interpersonal skills and how you use them in diverse situations:

1. How do you build relationships when you start a new job?

By asking this question, interviewers can know if you are able to fit into the company's culture and environment. Answer in such a way that reflects your collaborative nature and ability to make new relationships with other professionals. Mentioning real-life experiences can help your answer look more realistic. There are many practices one can do to build new relationships such as becoming proactive and helping others with their problems.

Example: "Initial days at a new workplace can be stressful. According to my own experience, if you try interacting with everyone with a positive attitude, they will surely start liking you. I try my best to respect everyone's time and space by being polite. I ask them questions while talking as it helps me know more about them and the things important to them.

I understand that some relationships are easy to make and some take a bit longer. From the first day of joining a new workplace, I make sure that I stay true to everyone I meet and be myself. I always try to interact with my coworkers politely and make them comfortable so that we can share things with each other."

Read more: Interpersonal Skills: Definitions And Examples

2. Tell us about any conflict at work and how you resolved it.

Interviewers can ask this question to know how you approach a conflict and evaluate your thought process when you find yourself in such diverse situations. While answering this question, take your time and answer in a way that reflects your positive attitude. Keep your answer relevant to the position you are applying for and try explaining both problems and resolutions. In general, conflict can be task-related, discrimination in the workplace or creative idea conflict.

Example: "Confronting a fellow employee is never easy but we can always explain the situation respectfully and try to resolve the conflict. In my previous job, one of my teammates was missing deadlines which resulted in pushing our project behind the time schedule. I decided to talk to him politely and we worked together to improve his productivity. To improve the workflow, I split the tasks evenly between the employees."

Read more: How To Answer The Question “Describe Yourself In One Word” (With Sample Answers)

3. What are your expectations from your supervisor or manager?

The answer to this question can be different from what the interviewer expects from you. By asking this question, an interviewer can analyse how well you handle instructions. Answer this question in a way that shows you can work independently without having an issue with the authority. Here is a good example of how to respond to the interviewer asking about your expectations from your supervisors or managers:

Example: "According to me, a supervisor should be positive and supportive in nature. Whenever I have a doubt or any concerns related to the job, I should feel comfortable sharing my views with my supervisor. It is always helpful when someone is available and willing to listen to you.

In my previous job, the supervisor always treated everyone equally and was ready to listen to what employees had to say. Unbiased behaviour towards the employees definitely helped in creating a warm and positive environment at the workplace. I think supervisors should be open and honest with their employees and let them know if there is anything to improve."

Read more: How To Answer The Salary Expectation Question In Job Interviews

4. What are the methods you use to motivate your team?

Many interviewers ask this question to understand if you can lead and manage a team. A team can have different people with different mindsets and opinions. Some professionals may find it challenging to motivate the team and increase their efforts to work hard.

While answering this question, avoid mentioning things that portray you in a negative way such as punishing an employee. A good and supportive leader can tell team members their areas for improvement and motivate them to learn and improve. Using these things in your answer can make the interviewer think you have the ability to motivate your team.

Example: "In my opinion, it is important to make team members comfortable at the workplace. The first step is to get to know them and find out the circumstances under which they work passionately. Over the years, I have found that the key to motivating the team is to give every member proper recognition and the tasks they enjoy and are good at. In my previous job, I found out that providing deserving members a reward or a bonus can also give the motivation to work harder."

5. How can you display your customer service?

Interviewers can also analyse your interpersonal skills by asking questions related to customer service. When answering this question, show how quickly and accurately you can serve customers. Discuss how well you are with customer satisfaction and provide necessary information to them. Construct your answer to reflect the true meaning of customer service.

Example: "According to me, customer service is more than just making the customers happy and satisfied. It also includes answering the questions they have and fixing the issues they face with a positive attitude. I put customer satisfaction as one of my top priorities and try my best to keep them happy as it helps in gaining a loyal customer base.

In my previous job, I had a customer who had an issue with the item supply. We did not have that particular product at our store so I called our other four warehouses and we were able to find the product. I shipped the product which was received by the customer within three days. I always focus on working hard to meet customer needs."

Read more: How To Answer: "Why Do You Want This Job?" (With Examples)

6. Can you describe your last presentation experience?

The presentation skills of professionals can tell how well they research and deliver the information. Interviewers can ask questions related to your presentation skills to assess your data interpretation, attention to detail, body language and audience engagement. While answering this question, discuss how you planned and executed your last presentation. You can also discuss things you learned from the experience.

Example: "A year ago, I worked on a marketing campaign for a new product. I devised ideas and strategies to present the product to target customers. I researched the requirements of customers and found how the new product is fulfilling them. Then, I outlined the key features of the product and created an order to deliver the information.

After preparing the speech and visual materials, I practised in front of friends. Adding attractive images and using catchy one-liners made the presentation more interactive. As presentations are more than monologues, I always try to engage with the audience and answer their questions."