Every prospective employer will want to know whether or not you will be able to fit in with the other employees already working there. Being able to get along with your co-workers will not only make you a happier employee, but will also make for a more productive team. You can seem the perfect candidate on paper. However, if in person you seem as if you will not be a good match for everyone else that you'll be working with, then all your skills and experiences will quickly be forgotten.
- Do you generally speak to people before they speak to you?
Say something non-committal like, "This will depend on the circumstances".
- Are you competitive?
Your answer depends on the sort of job you are doing. If you will be working as part of a team you will need to show that you can work in the best interests of the team and not just for your own benefit.
- Are you aggressive?
It's best to counter with "If you mean by this someone who gets things done, then the answer is 'Yes'." You need to carefully defuse the implications of this question.
- Do you work well with others? Or are you a loner?
Some jobs mean that you have to work very closely with other people whilst other jobs mean that you are largely working on your own, so you need to say that you are happy in both situations.
- Do you need other people around to stimulate you or are you self-motivated?
You need to say that you are self-motivated - always say so. Every boss likes that.
- Are you accepted into a team quickly?
Hopefully you can answer with a resounding "Yes" to this question. If not, say "Yes" if you know what's good for you. Even if you've had problems with this in the past, this group of people may be different from your previous experiences.
- What will your referees say about you?
Say that you would expect excellent references.
- Do you mind working for someone older or younger than yourself? What about people of the opposite sex?
Here you can say that you are prepared to work with anyone.
- How ambitious are you? Would you compete for my job?
Depending on the position you are applying for you may want to sound fairly ambitious, but don't come across as if you are after the interviewer's position.
- Are you a leader?
State how you have successfully acted as a leader, giving examples of your successes.
- Tell me about a time when you had to accomplish a task with someone who was particularly difficult to get along with.
Show your ability to be sensitive to the needs of others but still be able to influence them. Don’t say "I just avoided them" or "They made me cry." Describe how you positively dealt with the situation to the mutual benefit of everyone involved.