How would you define empathy?
"I think the literal definition of empathy is the ability to understand and share another person's feelings. My sister would say empathy is rather the ability to feel another person's emotions. But I think of it as understanding what is communicated. Often someone will communicate something one way, yet the emotion behind a statement is communicated in other ways. So empathy is an understanding of someone that goes deeper than the words they convey. It comes with the touchpoints of human interaction."
This question tests your interpersonal skills and how well you communicate and relate to others. It will also clue them into your ability to mediate and negotiate and how you value diplomacy. Key points to touch on are your non-defensive communication skills, ability to actively listen instead of waiting to respond, and ability to mirror, validate and empathize.
Remember, the AI of the assessment vendor will be screening you for how well you communicate. So pay close attention to your choice of words and what they might indicate. Enunciate and try not to stutter or take long pauses. Smile and pretend you are talking to a person, keeping an ear out for any stutters, awkward pauses, or your use of any speech crutch words such as "uh," "like," "um," "you know," "so on and so forth," "and," "well," "but," "so," "ah," "er," and "Etcetera." Practice answering these questions without relying on those words. Record your voice while answering some of these questions to view your performance from another perspective. Doing so will aid you in communicating and being more of a professional.
