Questions about your ideal work environment are particularly difficult to answer because you will automatically try to say what you think they want to hear. But that’s not always the best approach. Interviewers ask this question because cultural fit is essential for both employee and employer. In two different surveys, results showed that 88% of recruiters said environmental fit is important when assessing candidates, and 73% of participants resigned from their jobs because they felt the environment was not the right fit for them. Your recruiter will not be accommodating your preferences, but they do want to ensure that you will thrive in their current work environment. HR also like to ask this question because having data that says the workforce prefers a certain environment will allow them to make appropriate changes if needed.
How Else Might This Question Be Asked?
This question might also be presented to you as:
What did you dislike the most about your last work environment? What do you value most in company culture?
Basically, any question that uses the words culture or environment is looking to assess whether you are a good fit.
Preparing for Interview Questions About Your Ideal Work Environment
There is more to answering this question than using the general buzzwords. If you describe the company’s culture but it is not somewhere you could thrive, you will not enjoy working there. Equally, if you describe your dream environment and it doesn’t match the company’s current culture, you more than likely won’t get the job. To successfully answer this question, you need to prepare before your interview by working through the following steps:
1. Read the Job Description
Pull out any phrases that hint at the work environment. Words such as teamwork or collaboration suggest you will spend time working with others. Fast-paced and multitasking suggest your day will be busy and varied.
2. Research the Company
Find out about the company and its values. This will be in the ‘About’ section on the company’s website and will give insight into its culture. Review sites such as Glassdoor will also provide a lot of information about how the business operates. YouTube and LinkedIn will have information for you to use. If you find any current or ex-employees, reach out and ask for their opinion.
3. Decide What You Want
A job interview isn’t just to see if you fit into the company. It is also to see if they match your standards. Before your interview, decide your career goals, what type of culture you want to work in and what features you can let go. Some examples of your ideal environment might include:
Transparent Motivating Progressive Flexible Innovative Inclusive Collaborative Challenging Rewarding Trusting
After you have gathered all your information, you can begin crafting your perfect answer.
How to Answer “What Is Your Ideal Work Environment”
When putting this answer together, consider the following advice.
Make Your Answer Personal and Unique
What parts of a work environment do you enjoy and why? Interviewers hear the same generic answers all the time, so surprise them by making your answer personal. For example: Not only does it show you’ve done your research, but it gives the interviewer insight into your priorities and motivations. Instead, find a way to reframe it. The interviewers will appreciate your honesty and integrity.
Don’t say that your ideal work environment is one with lots of vacation time or free breakfasts. You can mention that you appreciate the company’s efforts to ensure their employees’ well-being, but avoid saying, “I like having time off.” Don’t be vague and give simple statements such as “I like working in a team.” Explain why, make it personal and show some personality. Don’t make it all about you by saying things such as, “I like to focus solely on the work and need quietness.” You will come across as unapproachable, and the interviewer will not consider you as someone they want to work with. Don’t essentially read out the job description or the ‘About’ page. It’s lazy and shows no personality.
Example Answers
Below are examples of how to answer the question “What is your ideal work environment?” for different professions. I do prefer being in an environment where managers trust me to deliver that level of customer service and still get all my other tasks done. It is important to me that I enjoy who I work with, that I feel supported, and that I can give the same support back. I also look for environments where I am trusted to manage my team to achieve the best results. Being in an administrative position, where technologies and procedures are always changing, I would benefit from ongoing development and training. I seek an environment where doors are open, people are free to express themselves and managers trust our decisions. My performance shows that I never neglect a client and that I value the relationships I’ve built. As such, my boss offers me the same level of respect. Typical positive characteristics include collaboration, teamwork, trust, innovation, flexibility, inclusivity, transparency, nurturing and progressive. Negative characteristics are boring, outdated, biased, stressful, toxic, micromanaged and unsupportive. For example, if you enjoy working with others because it helps your creativity, find evidence in the job description that you will be working in a team. Always be honest with your answer, and don’t simply recite the job description. Remember, it is just as important for the company to suit your needs as for you to suit them. For additional sources, use websites such as YouTube, Glassdoor and LinkedIn, where current and ex-employees can leave reviews about the working conditions. The company website will also offer details about their working environment in their ‘About’ section. Your answer will provide information to the interviewer about you as a person and forces you to think about your career goals. Answering this question is about balancing your desires with what the company can already provide. To deliver the best response, take the time to research the company, decide what characteristics are important to you and prepare your answer ahead of your interview.
