Is there any type of work environment that you dislike working in?
As you prepare for your interview with Kaiser Permanente, it's important to have an understanding of its workplace culture and environment that it provides to its staff. Knowing that the 235,000 employees are what make their unique business model work, the organization values its employees and provides a supportive environment that encourages teamwork and personal growth. Your interviewer needs to be assured that you can thrive in this environment, so they ask this question to hear the opposite side and if there are any environments that you don't care to work in. Without speaking negatively to a particular organization or person, feel free to talk openly about workplace cultures or environments that you find to be unproductive or difficult to be in.
"I feel very fortunate to have worked in many different workplace styles and atmospheres throughout my career and one thing you can be assured of if I were to join Kaiser Permanente is that I'm a very flexible and adaptable person. I'd have to say that the one environment that I disliked working in was a very siloed organization where working cross-functionally between departments was difficult and even frowned upon. Having to bring communications up through leaders really hindered progress in that situation and it was frustrating. From what I've gathered from you and the team here today, it is exactly the opposite here at Kaiser Permanente and I can really see me thriving in this environment."
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 dislike when there's work politics. I also dislike when the morale of the lab is low.
Lauren's Feedback
Take this as an opportunity to market yourself as a positive employee who can enhance a work environment.
I dislike working in a negative, low morale environment that is plagued with office politics. I am a very energetic, positive person who would like to contribute to a healthy, collaborative team.
Anonymous Answer
I'm flexible to work in any environment. Companies hire a lot of people with a different way of thinking, and that could be a problem for some people. Still, as long you respect each other, do your job with a positive attitude, you can change any environment to a positive one.
Rachelle's Feedback
It sounds as though you embrace diversity and different opinions, which is great!
Anonymous Answer
I do not like working with a toxic supervisor. Almost every interaction with the supervisor is negative. When I do interact, I use deep breathing techniques to keep myself calm. I continue to remind myself that this interaction is a small part of my job and I will be returning to patient care which I love very shortly.
Amanda's Feedback
This is a response you can build on. Consider explaining what makes a supervisor negative other than negative interaction. Is his or her communication poor or unclear? Are your tasks micromanaged? Is he or she trustworthy? You can also go beyond the scope of a supervisor to explain other environmental factors that you dislike around workplace aspects like leadership or management styles, training preferences, work-life balance options, your physical workspace layout, or how employee performance is managed or recognized.
Anonymous Answer
I am able to work in any environment as long as communication is open. Usually, an issue can be resolved when expressing concern to the colleague in question or bringing it up to management whose role is to help maintain a healthy work environment. As long as everyone respects each other's differences and does their part as a team, the environment can be a positive place to work.
Jaymie's Feedback
You avoided speaking negatively about past work environments or team members, which is a good approach when answering this question. You were able to focus on the issues that may cause a challenge for you in the workplace but shared ways to overcome them. Great job!
Anonymous Answer
I do not enjoy working completely alone. When I am by myself working for long periods of time, I have lower energy and I do not work that efficiently. If I am working individually, but there are still people around me, then I am okay with that because I enjoy being in the presence of other people. My work ethic is more efficient in that type of work environment.
Jaymie's Feedback
As long as you are not applying for a remote job or other position requiring you to be alone for long periods, this is a perfectly acceptable answer.
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