How do you motivate others?
"In my previous marketing role, I found that every team member is different and responded to different motivators. It was important to get to know the people on the team, discover what motivated them, and find a good mixture of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. I've built a couple of useful habits for motivating my teams. I provide positive feedback often, use failures as teaching opportunities to show team members how they can avoid a difficult situation in the future, and show my team that I'm working on their side and that I'm here to help them develop and grow. This approach to leadership helps my team members stay motivated and engaged and handle challenges better."
This question is often used for manager interviews, but it can also apply to individual contributors working on a team where you are depending on the work of others to accomplish your goals. Be prepared to share how you successfully motivated those around you so you can convince the hiring manager that you'd do the same on their team.
Motivated people have a positive outlook, are excited about what they're doing, and know that they're investing their time in something worthwhile. In short, motivated people enjoy their jobs and perform well. Share a real-world experience where you helped someone find the motivation to accomplish something. Don't just talk about hypotheticals. Talk about what you've done and what you've seen works.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
"In my previous roles, I found that every team member is different and responded to different motivators. It was important to get to know the people on the team, discover what motivated them, and find a good mixture of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. It's best to use failures as teaching opportunities to show team members how they can avoid a difficult situation in the future, and show my team that I'm working on their side and that I'm here to help them develop and grow. This approach to leadership helps our team members stay motivated and engaged and handle challenges better."
Marcie's Feedback
Nice! It sounds like you recognize the importance of identifying what motivates your team members so you can properly incentivize them. How exactly do you get to know the people on your team? How do you determine what motivates them? Can you provide some examples of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that some of your team members prefer? The more details you provide, the more memorable and meaningful your response will be to the interviewer. Good job!
