Interview Question: "Do You Prefer Working Alone or in a Group?"
Why do employers ask, "Do you prefer working alone or in a group?"
This interview question really doesn't have a correct or incorrect answer. Employers genuinely like to know the personality types of their candidates, especially since many different jobs can require independent work, teamwork or a mix of the two. So for jobs that require employees to work as part of a team regularly, employers will be looking for candidates whose personalities best fit that role. In other instances where jobs require more independent work, employers will likely want to hire a candidate whose personality is more suited to working on their own.
How to answer, "Do you prefer working alone or in a group?"
When you prepare your answer to this interview question, use the steps below to highlight your strengths and provide examples of how your personality fits with each work style:
1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages
There are advantages and disadvantages to both working regularly as part of a team and on your own. When the interviewer asks this question, be sure to discuss what you feel are the pros and cons of each working arrangement.
For instance, regularly working on a team can be highly advantageous when completing lengthy and complex work projects, as everyone on the team will have specific tasks that work together to achieve an objective. Likewise, in other circumstances, independent work may be more advantageous to encourage focus and attention to detail on highly involved projects. Here's an example:
"I feel that both teamwork and independent work situations come with their advantages and disadvantages. One advantage to teamwork is the collaboration with diverse professionals, however, working in groups every day can take away from focus and productivity in some cases. Similarly, even though independent work can provide the space for quiet concentration and productivity, it can also take away from some of the creative ideas and strategies that can come from group collaboration."
2. Explain your preference
After discussing what you feel are the benefits and drawbacks to both working independently and in a group, provide your own preference. For instance, if you find that working independently keeps you more productive and motivated throughout the day, explain this to the interviewer. If you find that working as part of a team engages you, motivates you and encourages you to overcome challenges to achieve objectives, tell the interviewer. Take a look at this example:
"I truly love being a part of a team where I can brainstorm with my colleagues to find the best methods for completing projects. I find that my teammates help keep me motivated to achieve goals and energize and excite me about new ideas."
3. Use past experiences to support your preference
When you explain your preference for working either in a group or independently, give some examples of your past work experience that can help the interviewer understand why you prefer one over the other. For instance, maybe you find it easier to concentrate and focus on your work when you complete tasks alone.
Similarly, if you feel that working with teammates in past experiences helped you achieve something or perform more effectively in your job, share that example with the interviewer. Here's an example:
"I feel that both teamwork and independent work situations come with their advantages and disadvantages. For instance, in my last workplace, some of the software development projects I worked on required extreme concentration and focus, but since we were completing different stages of the project in small groups, finding the time and space to focus independently was somewhat of a challenge. However, working as a team allowed us to complete many aspects of the project through group collaboration and integrating solutions from everyone's unique perspectives and talents."
4. Refer to the job description in your answer
The job description will tell you what the employer is looking for in their employees. For instance, if you see that the job will require you to perform tasks such as collaborating with others, attending regular team meetings or other activities that require you to work in a group, you'll want to provide examples of how you did this in past roles.
It's important to note that if the job description requires one work style over the other and you feel that it doesn't match your career needs, consider finding a position that does match your preference. Here is an example:
"I know this position requires a lot of independent work, and with my past experience completing a majority of projects on my own, I feel that this role is suited to my work style and personality."
5. Discuss your flexibility with both work environments
Another key element to your answer to this interview question is to provide examples of how you can be flexible working in both work environments. For instance, give examples of past experiences where you split your time equally between group and independent work.
Several ways in which you can demonstrate your flexibility include providing examples of team collaboration, taking initiative to complete projects on your own or any other evidence of your ability to work in both types of environments. Use the following response as an example:
"In my past role, I spent equal amounts of time between collaborating with my team and completing tasks independently. Typically, we would meet at the start of a new project to brainstorm and delegate specific tasks of the project according to our unique skills and talents. This allowed my team and I the room to work together as well as giving us two days throughout the week where we could focus on our own and come back together later to check in with our team leaders."
Example answers
The following example answers can help you get an idea of what to include in your answer when you meet with the interviewer:
Example of working independently
"I prefer working independently because it has the advantage of giving me room to focus and stay productive throughout the day. I understand this position will require me to initiate projects independently much of the time, and with my experience, attention to detail and motivation to succeed, I am confident that this role will suit my personality."
Example of working on a team
"In my past role, I was part of the marketing team and spent much of my time with my colleagues developing strategies, implementing new approaches to lead generation and improving budget plans to reduce marketing costs. I love working with diverse professionals that motivate me and engage me, as this allows me to use my creativity and learn from others on the job. I know the position with your company will require me to be a part of a larger team, and I'm truly excited to contribute new ideas as part of the team."
Example of demonstrating flexibility
"Both independent work and teamwork have their benefits and drawbacks. I love the flexibility of this position because it will allow me to collaborate with others and initiate my projects independently. In my past role, I worked as part of the finance team, and I enjoyed collaborating and learning from my colleagues and team leader. However, I was also required to complete many data entry tasks and record financial documents independently, which I also enjoyed because it gave me the space I needed to focus on completing important tasks."
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