The Hardest Job Interview Questions for Each Personality

Every personality style has its major fears and many recruiters are following the path of discovering these during the job interview. Their goal is determining how these fears and limitations would affect the candidate during job performance, so HR managers and career coaches may try to bring their interviewee out of their comfort zone. Understanding behavioral styles and a dedicated certification in DISC may help these professionals not only become better at communicating and minimizing conflict, but it also helps you understand how to best address those difficult job interview questions that tend to catch everyone off guard.

Hard Questions for “D” styles

Dominant personalities are assertive and like to get to the point. If you are interviewing a “D” style, they likely want to see the bottom line rather than the details. One of the hardest questions for a “D” might involve discussing how they can avoid seeing issues in black and white, judging situations based on more than just the beginning and end points.

Many “Ds” want to take risks, but sometimes these risks are based on establishing ego or hierarchy. This means you should ask them questions like, “Describe a risk you took in your last position.” The risk they describe should not display a situation in which they put others at high risk.

Finally, “D” styles have a tendency toward command and authority. This means they might struggle to answer questions like, “How do you use feedback from others to gain perspective?” and, “How do you compliment a team when you are not in a leadership position?”

Hard Questions for “I” styles

Influencing personalities can be great communicators with a tendency to be friendly to those they meet. This links directly to a desire for recognition, and it could lead to negative feelings about those situations that don’t allow for positive communication. If you are interviewing an “I,” they might find it difficult to answer questions like, “Describe a time in which you worked with a difficult coworker?”

“I” styles are sometimes associated with low follow-through. For example, they have many visions for projects and ideas they would like to implement in the workplace, but they struggle to initiate them. This means they might struggle to answer, “Describe a time your ideas were put to use in the workplace?”

Hard Questions for “S” styles

If you are to try an “S” style for a job position, you likely already know they are good team players and fabulous listeners. Unfortunately, one of the biggest challenges associated with “S” types is oversensitivity. They might struggle to answer questions related to this facet of their personality and those tangentially related, including, “Is there a type of person you don’t get along with?” and, “Tell me about a time when you put feedback or criticism to use.”

Have in mind that “S” types have a tendency to dislike change. If an interviewer picks up on this, they may find difficult answering questions like, “Describe a time in which you embraced a new routine at the office.”

“S” personalities tend to listen rather than speak, and this can be a problem if they are applying for a job in a fast-paced, communication-heavy environment. They may be puzzled to answer, “How did you handle a conflict at the workplace?”

Hard Questions for “C” styles

“C” personalities enjoy gathering details and facts, making them quite thorough. Unfortunately, “Cs” may find themselves in situations where all the facts are not available. You may want to ask, “How do you overcome a sense of perfectionism?” or give them a scenario in which they must explain how they would move forward without a key piece of information.

“Cs” thrive in organized environments where they can make more methodical decisions. As a new employee, they might not be in the most organized environment, and they may not be given all the information they require to make the most balanced decision. They will have a difficult time if the interviewer says, “Tell me about a time in which you regretted a decision you made.”

Finally, “C” styles may struggle with pulling influence with others. Check if they are prepared to answer the question, “How do you influence those around you to take on your perspective?”

Everyone’s personality has a lot to do with the way they will interact with a job interviewer, and the interviewer must be prepared to ask them questions that would reveal the hidden facets of their behavior. A DISC profile helps recruiters, coaches and business owners to gain insights into the sides of one’s personality that may not align with their goals or work environment.