What type of work environment are you looking for?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
What You Need to Know
How to Prep
Experienced Example

How you answer this question should reveal something about your experience as a professional, by informing them about your level of self-awareness, and whether you have honed in on the optimal conditions to enhance your productivity. Lastly, it might reveal how adaptable you are to working in any environment, whether among others in a more collaborative environment, or alone on more solitary projects.

Zalando advertises they offer a "hybrid working model with 60% (or more) remote per week, actual practice is up to each team to best support their collaboration. You can enjoy free drinks and fresh fruit baskets daily, promoting a healthy and energised work environment. Across the company, we apply expert advice on healthy workplaces to design current and future offices and fulfillment centers. We focus on various initiatives to make our workforce healthier, so that they can help shape our future. It is clear that the work environment will change through the growing use of technology. Therefore, we closely analyze the skills that are in high demand now and for which demand is on the rise."

Be self-reflective, and try to define where you would classify yourself on the scale of being an extrovert, ambivert, or an introvert. Do you prefer organized chaos or meticulous order? Do you prefer one environment over another, and are you adaptable and happy to do whatever it takes to further the goals of the team? Then, familiarize yourself with the working environments that Zalando offers, and whether they feel like the best fit for you.

"I work best in meritocratic work cultures, where opportunity is awarded based on performance. Ideally, a supportive work environment where there is room to grow, the freedom to ask questions, voice concerns, and to share ideas. So long as the mentality is positive, the teams work well together, and every teammate is valued for being a unique individual, where everyone is encouraged equally, you'll find I can be productive in any environment in such a work culture. Another reason Zalando feels like a good fit."