What is the kindest thing a boss has ever said to you? How did the compliment make you feel, and did you agree with the praise?
The interviewer wants to know if you can accept positive feedback. They also want to hear about your most significant strengths from the perspective of a former employer. The first goal of your response is to show that you are appropriately humble, coachable, and responsive to positive praise. The second goal of your answer is to highlight a compliment focused on a specific strength that you know is important to this role.
"I recently completed a client project one week ahead of schedule. My client was so impressed that they wrote me a glowing review online that my company published on its website. The review discussed my prompt communication, phone and email etiquette, and strong organization and time management skills. I agreed with the praise, and it felt wonderful to have my hard work recognized. It can be hard for me to accept compliments at times. I am a naturally humble person; however, it does feel nice to earn verbal recognition for a job well done."
"The nicest thing a boss has ever said to me was that they could wholeheartedly trust me to do my work autonomously. I did agree with the praise. I am a very focused individual. I take pride in everything I do, whether the task is large or small. This compliment meant a lot to me and motivated me to continue delivering my utmost work, even when nobody was around to see the effort."
Avoid sounding too modest or humble when you respond. Remember - the interviewer wants to know if you are the type of person capable of seeing your strengths. It's good to be a humble person, but it's also essential to graciously accept people's kind words about you and your work ethic.
This question is another way for the interviewer to discover your greatest strengths. Since this question aims to find out the best qualities that others see in you, be prepared to talk about a compliment that spotlights a skill or strength that you know is important for the hiring company to see in their next hire.
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
The President of my division asked me to join a team that only myself and one other sales rep would be on. He said that the way I conduct myself, and my ability to think objectively and strategically would be a huge value to have on the team. This felt very good to hear and made me feel that my hard work was paying off.
Rachelle's Feedback
What an awesome compliment that must have been! This speaks a lot to your character. Well done.
Anonymous Answer
It can be difficult at times for me to accept compliments, as I am naturally a humble individual; however, it does feel nice to earn verbal recognition for a job or task well done. Recently, in December, I completed a client project two weeks ahead of schedule. The client got in contact with my manager to compliment me on the fast and professional way in which I completed the project. The review highlighted my strong level of organization and time management.
Rachelle's Feedback
Excellent use of the Mock Questions framework. You offer up a very specific example while highlighting your strengths.
Anonymous Answer
He told me that I'm a very hard worker and good to see how much work I put in. This made me feel appreciated and recognized, and I agreed as I had worked very hard toward all my specific goals.
Kevin's Feedback
It can feel great to be acknowledged for one's hard work. However, you want to balance being confident and humble, and agreeing with your boss that you are a hard worker is not the most gracious or humble response. Also, being a hard worker isn't necessarily a specific strength. Every candidate will claim to be a hard worker, and doesn't spotlight your greatest strengths, nor one specifically important for the company to see in their next hire.
“My old boss once told me I was the embodiment of working smarter rather than harder. I’m all about familiarizing myself with every tool of the trade a workplace offers. So once I learn the rules and procedures for everything at work, including why things are set in place the way they are, then I have a better sense of the big picture. So, I examine that big picture, and examine how to customize my approach, in the way that makes the most sense for my work style. You see, I get frustrated by rework. I feel like rework compromises my integrity. Rework costs the business more money when they’re paying someone to perform work that should have been done the right way, right from the start. That doesn’t seem fair, for a company to pay me to do something wrong, and then keep paying me to re-do that work. So, I analyze how things are done, then I analyze how I can do it better according to my lens and approach. Well, my last boss complimented me for this, and wanted to know what my systems were. He then adapted my systems to the entire workplace. That’s the biggest compliment a boss can give.”
Anonymous Answer
When I interned at a law firm, the lawyer who oversaw my work said I was performing better than some of the law students. At this point, I only had three years of college under my belt and was learning everything as I went along. It made me feel great because I was in an environment that was very different than what I was used to. I did agree, I was putting in a lot of work because I had a lot of ground to make up.
Stephanie's Feedback
What an excellent compliment! Your response highlights your accomplishments in a manner that is self-aware, yet humble. You could strengthen your answer by adding an additional sentence about what this compliment says about you and how this might translate to the role you are applying for. (For example, it illustrated your work ethic, flexibility, or ability to succeed in a variety of environments.)
Anonymous Answer
My boss when I first started in the first 12 months, said "You have gone above and beyond on your territory, you have ran with this role, you're an excellent rep. as a result of your hard work in a short space of time you have won these new accounts. I am going to put you forward for the rep of the year."
The praise I totally agreed with, I work really hard and made me feel so good that my work is what was expected and that I went above and beyond. I knew I was a great fit for this team.
Cindy's Feedback
Nice! A great compliment and proof of your success.
Anonymous Answer
I offered to produce a training Powerpoint for my co-workers that outlined overactive bladder, and the medical device we represented. The VP of Clinical Affairs was impressed with my work and was grateful that I delivered it to him with ample time in case he needed to make any changes to it. I was grateful for the opportunity and really happy that I was able to deliver.
Stephanie's Feedback
It sounds like you went above and beyond in this scenario and the VP was pleased. To strengthen your response, I suggest including the specific compliment that was given to you. For example, "The VP was impressed and said this was the most detailed, helpful PowerPoint he had seen in a long time."
Anonymous Answer
One of the nicest feelings while working with my boss or leaders in my career is that they trust me so much and I take pride in that.
The first time when my IGT Business leader visited my site he made comments and same time asked questions. "I travel from airport to your site and I saw total chaos on the roads. Once I enter your site, the site looks like a perfect German factory. How do you drive this transformation to excellence in building this culture?"
Marcie's Feedback
Wow! That's a really nice comment by a boss! You've done a great job answering this question. The comment you mention indicates that you are a strong leader who inspires team members to be efficient, effective, and neat. Great job!
Anonymous Answer
My manager told me while accompanying me on a visit with a customer as a newly appointed territory manager that when I speak people listen. This really hit hard for me and made me feel proud because I always pride myself on people trusting me and being able to make an impact. Although it is sometimes hard to accept compliments as I am humble, this made me really happy and gave me the confidence boost into my new role that I was in control and could do this.
Marcie's Feedback
Awesome! This is a really nice compliment to receive, and it's great that it boosted your confidence. Your answer does a good job of showing that you are able to build trust with clients and that you're a strong public speaker. Emphasizing that you strive to remain humble is also great.
Unlock all 30 Gallup questions
Unlock expert responses for strengths-based and competency-focused Gallup interviews.
Get Started