Interview questions about work ethic
A strong work ethic is important in any line of work. As you prepare for your interview, consider how you would answer the following questions.
- What is work ethic?
- How responsible are you at work?
- How comfortable are you with interacting with your co-workers?
- How comfortable are you when it comes to working with the public?
- Will you stay until all of your work is done?
What is work ethic?
Before considering specific work situations, it is important to consider what work ethic means to you.
Example answers
Football Coach
To me, a good work ethic means being dedicated. You need to be dedicated to your craft, whether it’s on the field or in the office. That means you need to keep an open mind and be prepared to work every day.
You need to be in place and ready to go well before work. If you are five minutes early, you are on time. However, if you are on time, you are late.
College Professor
The most important part of work ethic is dependability. I need to know that you are going to be on time. I don’t want to wait on you to start because you are not prepared.
How responsible are you?
An employer asks this question to gauge how much they can trust you with or without supervision. This is especially important for positions involving security.
Example answers
As a police officer, I am entrusted with the public’s safety every shift. I know I need to understand that my actions can impact those around me.
I have to be responsible for my weapon and make sure I am up to date on all of my paperwork. If my weapon is compromised, I am endangering the public and myself. That is not responsible. Paperwork needs to be kept current for cases to close properly. Handling both situations allows my bosses to know they can trust me.
Information Technology Worker
In terms of my job, I am responsible for securing sensitive data. I have to keep in mind that I am responsible for securing my workspace if I need to walk away during the day. I understand that if the material falls into the wrong hands, people’s information can be compromised.
It is also my responsibility to not talk about anything at work once I leave or log off for the day.
How comfortable are you with interacting with your co-workers?
Whether you are at home or in person, professional interactions are important when it comes to working. Your potential employer may ask this question to see how you fit into the company culture.
Example answers
In my position, I am constantly interacting with my co-workers. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day. I feel it’s a good way to get a reading on the day. It also lets them know that I’m here for them throughout the day.
At-Home Customer Service Agent
As someone who works from home, I have to rely on the others I work with for assistance during a shift. While I may not consider all of them as friends, professional courtesy is important.
We need to work together for the common good of helping the customer who comes to us.
Retail Manager
Due to the nature of my position, I am constantly interacting with my co-workers. In my eyes, it is important to have a professional level of respect for everyone on the team, whether they are a seasoned worker or brand new to the store. Professional respect is important to create a welcoming environment that allows people to work together with a low stress level. I hope to lead by example by displaying professional respect every day. The way I look at it, if the team knows everyone respects one another, they can focus on the public, and it reflects in their customer service.
How comfortable are you working with the public?
The question of working with the public is the cornerstone of interview questions about your work ethics. Whether you work in a restaurant or the gaming industry, you should keep the public in mind. How do you approach them daily? This question often goes hand-in-hand with the question above concerning how you interact with your co-workers.
Example Answers
Restaurant Manager
In my position, I am often balancing working with the public and my team throughout the day. It is important to understand that you cannot let any negativity show while you are at work. In the ideal world, none of us would have stress to deal with outside of work. However, in the real world, it’s important to leave the stress at home. My comfort level of working with the public involves me smiling every opportunity I get. Yes, some of them are fake, but the intention is there. Ideally, I want them to relax and enjoy our establishment, so I approach them how I would want someone to approach me.
Video Gamer
As a professional video game player, I realize I am in a small field. Yes, there are countless numbers of gamers who play for fun and relaxation after work. However, there are a lucky few of us that play for a living. To succeed at my craft, I need to have an extremely high level of work ethic. I need to focus on the game yet present myself in an approachable way to the public. Yes, streaming services allow me to interact with them, and these are amazing platforms. However, I know I cannot take the stress of a bad match or game out on them, or my dream job can disappear in the blink of an eye.
I approach the public to understand that we are drawn together by our common love for the game(s) that I am playing. I want to have a conversation with them but not talk down to them. I want to make sure they understand everything that is going on during a game. I may even take some time to explain things while going through old matches. I don’t want the newest gamers to think they can’t come to me for tips. At the same time, I know I have t keep the content relevant for players of all levels, so my approach to the public is truly a daily balancing act.
Will you stay until all of the work is complete?
One of the most common interview questions used to determine work ethic is some form of “will you stay until the job is done?” Ideally, you want to make sure everything is done so that you can clock out on time. However, there are times when you may have to stay behind to finish a project because of a deadline or another situation. How would you answer when your boss asks you to work overtime so that deadlines are met and not missed?
Example Answers
My goal is to make sure my entire to-do list is cleared by the end of the day. I will stay to tie up anything needed at the end of the day when it is called for. Having a calendar and breaking down a large list into something smaller makes it easier to focus and know when I may need to stay so that we are caught up for the next day. A clear schedule means we are prepared.
The moment I signed up for nursing school, I knew there was never going to be an ordinary day in my career. Honestly, that was one thing that appealed to me about the field. My approach to staying until the job is done is, of course, that I will. I mean, I am not going to walk out in the middle of an operation or helping a patient because it’s my break time or time to go home. Over the years, I have trained my body not to expect food on a constant schedule. I have also learned how to adapt at a moment’s notice.
One minute everything is running smoothly; the next second, a serious situation can occur. In that blink of an eye, I realize if I leave now, not only am I putting undue stress on those around me, I could potentially endanger a co-worker or a member of the public. I don’t want to do either of those things, so I understand I must stay until I am cleared for a break or to go home. Our physicians know we are not robots. Eventually, we will eat and rest, the exact timing of which is up to the public.
Questions about your work ethic shouldn’t be looked at as a personal attack during an interview. You should consider them an opportunity to show your potential employer your dedication and drive as you apply for the job.