How to Answer an Interview Question About Demonstrating Adaptability
How can someone best answer this interview question: “Can you share an experience where you successfully demonstrated adaptability to change during a professional setting?”
From tailoring your story to company values to remembering the pandemic as an adaptability example, thirteen esteemed professionals, including CEOs and founders, share their insights on acing the adaptability question in interviews. Discover a spectrum of strategies to articulate your flexibility in the face of change, as we delve into the collective wisdom of leaders who’ve mastered the art of adaptability. This compilation offers a comprehensive guide to impressing your future employers with real-life examples and thoughtful reflections.
- Tailor Your Story to Company Values
- Showcase Growth Through Adaptability
- Balance Values With Flexible Actions
- Clarify Interviewer’s Adaptability Definition
- Demonstrate Quick Thinking in Varied Settings
- Show Commitment Amid Managerial Changes
- Focus on Positive Outcomes from Involuntary Changes
- Apply Proactive Adaptability in Role Relevance
- Transform Challenges Into Growth
- Use Concrete Examples of Adaptability
- Elaborate on Agility During Market Shifts
- Discuss Adaptability in Negotiation
- Remember the Pandemic as an Adaptability Example
Tailor Your Story to Company Values
As an ex-Googler and engineer with a long career in tech, I have interviewed many people, asking behavioral questions like this. It’s important to understand the interviewer’s intention. Changing tasks and/or roles are common in the workplace, especially in big businesses. An entire team or department could be cut or merged with others. Employers want to make sure you can be flexible and adjust to new roles.
Think of a real story from a past job. Consider what the company you’re interviewing with deems important, and make sure your story shows you care about those things too. For instance, when I interviewed at Amazon, I talked about making software design decisions at a previous company. I made choices that followed Amazon’s “Leadership Principles” like “Customer Obsession” and “Disagree and Commit.” Always talk about how you learned and grew from the experience to strike a positive tone.
Sheldon Chi, Ex-Google Engineer, Founder, System Design School
Showcase Growth Through Adaptability
I would use this as an opportunity to demonstrate not only adaptability but also self-awareness, business acumen, and humility. Use examples where the changes were difficult or had a big impact on your day-to-day life and how you dealt with it. In the answer, you can acknowledge it was difficult, but after learning more, reflecting, etc., you understood why the change was made and how it would impact the business.
Then, take it to the next step in how it helped you grow in your craft or skill set. Everyone knows change can be difficult, but the people who thrive are those who see the challenge as exciting and come out on the other end having experienced growth.
Mathew Fox, Talent Acquisition Manager
Balance Values With Flexible Actions
Adaptability is a core characteristic that companies are looking for, especially in the post-COVID era. Sharing how you are adaptable while still staying consistent can be a tricky endeavor.
When discussing adaptability in an interview, it is important to first establish the values that guide you professionally. Then, highlight a situation where your values remained constant, but your execution of them adapted to meet a new need.
“When faced with a situation that requires a changed approach, I always lean into my commitment to excellence to determine the best way forward. This grounds me when doing research, collaborating with thought partners, and deciding on the new approach. This was especially apparent when …”
The statements made before the specific experience prime the listeners to identify those elements in your narrative, ultimately recognizing you as someone who maintains a consistent approach while being able to adjust to current needs.
Brittany Brazell, Human Resources Manager, Our Children’s Trust
Clarify Interviewer’s Adaptability Definition
Interviewees must first recognize that “adaptability” means two different things to interviewers.
Some interviewers consider adaptability to be synonymous with resilience—a person’s ability to deal with stress, pressure, and adversity. Other interviewers, however, think of adaptability as synonymous with cognitive flexibility—a person’s ability to think outside the box and adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
Knowing which particular form of adaptability they are referring to is essential to answering effectively, and getting this wrong could send the wrong signals. For example, when taking the resilience route, you may inadvertently highlight a lack of cognitive flexibility, as you rely on resilience to deal with change.
If you are unsure what definition of adaptability the interviewer means, simply ask which operational definition they are using. Interviewers won’t take offense; I can assure you.
Ben Schwencke, Business Psychologist, Test Partnership
Demonstrate Quick Thinking in Varied Settings
Start by thinking about what the interviewer wants to know about you. Your adaptability will show that you are generally agreeable. It will also show your quick thinking.
Talk about the different environments in which you have worked. Share a little about various supervisors and their leadership styles.
You can give an example of a particular situation where you had to think on your feet. Perhaps you had to deliver a project on a short deadline or cover for an absent employee on a busy day.
Make sure to demonstrate your professionalism and ability to work under pressure when you are answering the question.
James Koskela, Founder and Owner, Zero Day Gear
Show Commitment Amid Managerial Changes
I’ve asked this question a few times during interviews for my company, and one of my favorite answers focused on dealing with a string of changing managers.
A person went through four in the space of a year and was still expected to deliver results despite those results not being adequately scoped, laid out, or even supported. They described how they made a plan and stuck to it with the stakeholders who would most benefit from the deliverables, managing to continue to serve them as well as possible during the upheaval in the department.
I can respect that level of commitment to delivering results in the midst of a changing personnel landscape—not everyone would be motivated to keep going under those circumstances.
Dragos Badea, CEO, Yarooms
Focus on Positive Outcomes from Involuntary Changes
When this question comes up, it’s wise to talk about change that was out of your control at the time. Mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, or a new manager are all good instigating events to utilize. When you describe the adaptability you demonstrated, make it clear what the stakes were, and how unique aspects of your decision-making drove a better outcome.
Trevor Ewen, COO, QBench
Apply Proactive Adaptability in Role Relevance
I would recommend already having an answer in mind for this, as it’s quite a common question to be asked. In terms of answering it, think of a time when you foresaw an issue, rather than reacting to issues or trend changes as they occurred.
Then, think about how that applies to the role. What did you learn from this? How did it show you being proactive, and how did it allow you to continue to flourish?
Wendy Makinson, HR Manager, Joloda Hydraroll
Transform Challenges Into Growth
To stand out when answering a question about adaptability, flip the narrative. Start by acknowledging a moment when you initially struggled with change. It’s refreshingly human, relatable, and adds depth. Talk about a moment of real challenge, then pivot to your comeback story.
Maybe you sought mentorship, conducted research, or embraced a learning opportunity. Highlight the specific steps you took to transform your approach or mindset. This showcases not just adaptability but resilience and a hunger for growth.
Conclude with the positive outcome, focusing on the personal growth into an adaptable professional as much as the successful business outcome. Maybe the experience led to improved collaboration skills, enhanced creativity, or a newfound ability to shift and excel amid chaos. This narrative illustrates adaptability, sure, but also speaks volumes about your self-awareness and commitment to self-directed development.
Michael Morgan, Managing Director, Medallion Partners
Use Concrete Examples of Adaptability
One of the best responses I’ve heard while conducting interviews was from a candidate who came very prepared for the question—they had a whole timeline documenting a particularly tricky project. They used it to demonstrate what the initial project was scoped for, what eventually got delivered, and the adjustments that needed to be made along the way.
This very concrete example was extremely impressive, as usually the answers I get to this sort of question are far more vague and nebulous. “Be as specific as possible” is my advice.
Kate Kandefer, CEO, SEOwind
Elaborate on Agility During Market Shifts
Market shifts are inevitable in almost every industry out there, so talking about how you successfully navigated one is a great way to answer this question.
For instance, you could talk about how, in your previous role, your industry experienced a sudden shift in customer preferences. Rather than sticking to the status quo, elaborate on how you engaged in market research, identified emerging trends, and restructured product offerings to align with the evolving demands. This addresses many skills, like collaborating with cross-functional teams, adapting marketing strategies, and swiftly implementing changes.
The successful outcome not only showcases your ability to adapt to dynamic situations but also highlights the importance of staying agile in the face of industry changes.
John Murphy, Owner, eBike Generation
Discuss Adaptability in Negotiation
In a real-life negotiation situation, I realized that the other side had different expectations. By listening to their concerns and understanding what they truly wanted, we were able to adjust the terms to something more favorable that did not significantly impact us financially compared to our initial offer.
Derek Capo, COO, Starquix.com
Remember the Pandemic as an Adaptability Example
The obvious answer for everyone should be the pandemic when it comes to demonstrating adaptability. There’s no need to bend over backwards to come up with something—pretty much everyone has had to think on their feet and pivot in some way over the past three years.
Perhaps you had to start working from home for the first time, or maybe you even had to switch jobs entirely. Or you might have had a business that needed to change overnight. No matter the situation, being ready for it and taking charge is a skill that every employer will value.
Rick Berres, Owner, Honey-Doers
