Describe what teamwork means to you.
"Anyone who has been part of a team knows teamwork is everything. No one in here can it all on their own. Not in a place like this. So, I'd say that with those of us who are providing a public service, performing a job few have the steel to do, that of protecting and serving, we're answering a higher call, one we can't do on their own. In a place like this, it's more than a team. It's a family. Everyone needs to have each other's back. If a member of the team doesn't have everyone else's back, and they're in it for themselves, that's a problem."
Your interviewer is assessing if you're more social and team-oriented versus task-oriented and introverted. Teamwork fosters camaraderie. It can strengthen communication and create a support system, emotionally and professionally. Your aim is to convey an understanding of what it takes to perform well in your role and the environment. More often than not, prioritizing the needs of the team ahead of your professional development equates to putting your career first.
As with any behavioral question, it is framed in a way that asks you 'about a time' when you faced a situation in the past. Your interviewer will listen to your example and study how you responded to and handled the situation, and what you learned from it. They will take the information you share and view it as a predictor of what to expect from your performance in the future. When answering a behavioral question, the STAR method is the recommended approach to organizing your answer. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result, and is intended to help you frame and organize your response in a way that will resonate with your interviewer. So you would start by introducing the situation you faced and the task at hand. You would then present the action you took, why it was significant and how you came to deciding on this approach, and ultimately the result of your actions.
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
Working together towards a shared goal by having open and honest communication, and helping out each other when someone is having trouble. It is not just about one person in a team, it is about everyone involved.
Jaymie's Feedback
Teamwork is important to CBSA! You did a great job sharing what teamwork means to you in the workplace.
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