How would you describe your work ethic?
This question is aimed at determining whether you are career-driven, eager to develop your skills professionally, and to what degree you go above and beyond. How you answer will offer them an idea of whether you prefer to cruise along with the status quo meeting expectations, or if going above and beyond, consistently exceeding expectations is your status quo. This will help the recruiters at Goldman Sachs gain a clearer idea of what drives and motivates you. As their recruiters advise, "Any experience is really good experience. What have you done? What are some of the activities you've been involved with? Where have you shown leadership? Leverage those experiences and quantify them to make them impactful."
Work ethic describes the moral principles that you apply to your work. When Goldman Sachs asks about your work ethic in a HireVue interview, they are looking for specific wording to which they can relate.
Goldman Sachs has four core values:
- Client Service
- Excellence
- Integrity
- Partnership
When you read the company's job posting, check for the mention of particular principles and values. When you respond, clearly outline how those principles align with your work values.
One of the categories HireVue's assessment model will evaluate a candidate for is their personality, work style, and ethics. They'll do this by classifying the candidate's personality according to the "big five personality traits." After outlining your work ethic, share an example of when you demonstrated those characteristics and traits in the workplace. Storytelling impacts hiring managers because it provides evidence of your ethics and personal character. The goal of your response is to show the hiring managers that your moral principles and ethics will be a match for the company. Tell a story about your ethics in action.
"I am a very dedicated and loyal employee. On the Goldman Sachs website, I saw that the organization values Client Service, Excellence, Integrity, and Partnership. My work ethic aligns with these values. I work hard for my employer every day and deliver excellent client service. For instance, in my current role, I am often the last to leave because I am committed to returning every client's voicemail and email before I leave for the day."
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