How to Answer: How do you feel about working in a diverse and inclusive environment?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Frito Lay job interview.
20. How do you feel about working in a diverse and inclusive environment?
What You Need to Know
Part of being a team player is displaying your ability to work well with everyone, regardless of their upbringing, cultural background, gender, or walk of life. This translates to your cultural competence. It also extends beyond the workplace and how well you would work with and relate to the customers and consumers of Frito Lay. As they state on their website, "Thriving on Diversity & Inclusion, we know the future of our success is dependent on embracing the differences in our values, beliefs, preferences, and expectations. We will continue to make a collective effort to foster a culture where every associate is given the opportunity to perform to his or her full potential, and where every associate feels valued and respected."
Written by Kevin Downey on September 5th, 2023
How to Answer
Share how you have openly collaborated with every member of your team equally in the past. Demonstrate how your approach to teamwork spans diversity, equality, and inclusion. Frito Lay states they are an equal opportunity employer for diversity, inclusion, gender, veterans, and the disabled.
Written by Kevin Downey on September 5th, 2023
Answer Example
"I feel fine about it. I want to work with people who are working as hard as I am and support the team. If my team gets along, works together, supports me, and has my back, I'll do the same. I'll do the same. I want to count on my team, and I want them to trust that they can count on me."
Written by Kevin Downey on September 6th, 2023
About the Author
Before I was in management, there were positions I wasn’t sure I wanted to be hired for. I wasn’t convinced it was the right job for me. Despite this, some of those interviews resulted in job offers. Then, some jobs felt like the perfect fit. I went into those interviews feeling confident and commanding, believing I would get hired. Yet, I didn’t get hired for many of those jobs despite my confidence and swagger.
Later in my management career, I learned there was more to it than being the right fit. I had my agenda, and my interviewee had theirs. When I sat down to interview someone, my goal was to check off all of my boxes. Is this person up to the job? Do they have the right skills? Does their character align with our values? Will they stick around and raise morale, strengthening our teams? What are their goals, aside from trying to land a job? Do they have leadership potential? What would this professional relationship look like?
This is the key to mastering any interview - understanding each other’s goals and objectives. The cold reality is that your interviewer has sat down with countless candidates before and will sit across from countless more. Every one of them wants a job. But only a few of them check off all the interviewer’s boxes.
If you are wondering how you could know what your interviewer is looking for, that’s easy. Most of it is posted all across their careers page. You just have to be on the hunt for those keywords that say it all. For Frito Lay, it’s physical hard work. Grit and determination. Punctuality and teamwork. Faster, stronger, better, and honest. These qualities aren’t unique to any one person. In fact, at some point, you have exhibited every one of these qualities.
The secret formula for delivering a great interview is simple. Actions speak louder than words. If you present yourself sincerely and honestly in every answer, aligning these traits with their values, they will know you prepared thoughtfully. It shows you respect their time and take this opportunity seriously. Your words showcase the actions you took to get ready for your interview. It proclaims you have a strong work ethic. It explains why you are so confident and shows that your interview isn’t a performance but an accurate presentation of who you are as a person and a professional. This is the key to delivering a great interview, which gets you closer to hearing the words, ‘You’re hired.’
Learn more about Kevin Downey