Adaptability

Why adaptability is a must

An adaptable company is a successful company. 

From meeting new demands to facing industry changes head-on, employees with superstar adaptability skills will ultimately help your company grow.

Adaptable employees will: 

• Stay cool under pressure
• Be super innovative and test out new tricks to improve their work
• Be solution-focused
• Welcome new team members and fresh perspectives

These awesome interview questions will help you figure out how candidates deal with:

• Unpredictable conditions (e.g. if someone quits unexpectedly)
• Changing circumstances (e.g. when clients change their minds)
• Supporting coworkers in the face of change (e.g. when policies change)
• Attack new tasks (e.g. if they have to take on new roles)

Adaptability interview questions

• How do you react to change?
• How would you introduce awesome new ideas to coworkers who are attached to traditional systems?
• What are the biggest challenges when you start a new job?
• What would you do if a client's needs change suddenly?
• How do you cope with unexpected short deadlines? How would you balance these with your day to day tasks?
• Think of a time you’ve been promoted or given a new role (lucky you!) and how did you adapt?
• If a new Manager starts bringing in formalities you’re not used to, how do you prepare you and your team? 
• How long does it take you to understand how to use new tools? Give us an example. 

Candidates to look for

• New hires need to hit the ground running. Candidates who have a fast onboarding record are likely to find superstar status fast.
• Significant career changes are huge. If your candidate is taking the leap, find out what drives them and how confident they are about the change.
• Candidates who consider all possibilities before making a decision are more likely to be super adaptable.
• For senior positions, think: flexible, innovative, change-loving candidates.
• For positions with tons of projects and collaborators, look for unconventional candidates who avoid routine.

Candidates to avoid

• Closed-minded candidates who love what they know and avoid non-traditional solutions.
• Candidates who get scared of the unknown. Fast-paced companies need fearless candidates who aren’t afraid of taking risks and learning new skills.
• Workplace hermits. Adaptability is all about supporting the team.
• Nervous candidates who freak out with change. These guys (or gals) won’t be any good at finding effective solutions to unexpected issues.
• Negative candidates who blame others and find change too hard.