Tell me what you’ve done to bolster trust within your team.
What they are asking here is how you've gone about earning credibility in the workplace. Even if you were the top performer at your last job, you still have to prove yourself when working with a new team. It takes time to establish relationships and even more time to show you have what it takes. When hired at a new job, it's natural to want to prove yourself. Your approach to building relationships while exhibiting a strong work ethic is a tricky balancing act. There are many ways to approach this; your approach aims to reveal your personality type to the interviewers and how well you'll fit into their team.
In order to build rapport and trust with a new team, a recruit needs to learn the ins and outs before suggesting it needs fixing. The best way to evaluate what you can contribute is by first working side by side with those who are more familiar with the environment. Seeking their insights, asking questions, and getting a clear understanding of their systems before you offer suggestions for how to improve upon them goes a long way. Familiarize yourself with the 30/60/90 rule: The first month of a new hire's 90-day probation period should focus on familiarizing themselves with the team, company, products/services, clients, etc. Month two should be spent studying current processes and procedures and identifying strengths and weaknesses. In the last month, that hire should be well-grounded in the role and capable of identifying growth opportunities. Past the 90-day mark is considered an acceptable time to implement innovation.
"I'd get to know everyone there. I'd work hard side by side with them and keep my head down. I'd exhibit my positivity and ask for their insights and their tips and tricks to get the work done as efficiently as I could. I'd actively listen and participate and keep asking tons of questions to absorb as much as I can. Once I feel I've built some strong working relationships, I'd keep trying to identify kaizen opportunities and would innovate from there. I'm there to contribute and make the team stronger as a whole. That's my goal."
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
I listen to understand. I offer assistance if and when needed.
Jaymie's Feedback
Building trust among teams and patients is essential. Listening and being supportive are two great ways to build relationships and trust with coworkers. Can you give specific examples of actions you've taken to build trust? Perhaps you were transparent about an error, demonstrated accountability for your actions, admitted when you didn't know something and asked for help, extended empathy to others, etc. Going into a little more detail will help highlight your skills and abilities in this area and make a strong impression.
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