Adaptability

5th January 2024

Adaptability – The ability to change to accommodate different conditions. This soft skill is necessary in an ever-changing work environment.

LinkedIn recently carried out a survey to reveal the key soft skills professionals look for in candidates, this survey identified that 69%¹of managers say the most important soft skill they screen for is adaptability.

Employees who possess adaptability skills are more likely to achieve better outcomes, as they’re comfortable with making strategic adjustments and shifting priorities accordingly. With over 54%² of employees requiring significant reskilling or upskilling in order to keep pace with emerging technologies, adaptability is an essential skill for most organisations.

The Top 5 interview questions to screen for adaptability:

You have been asked to do something you’ve never done before, tell me about a time that’s happened to you in the past. How did you react and what did you learn?
1. This question will allow you to listen out for excitement when it comes to tackling new challenges. It will also highlight the willingness to leave their comfort zones and the learnings they have gained from the experience.

Have you ever been assigned a task that was outside of your job description? If so, how did you handle the situation and what was the outcome?
- Understand what their old job roles entailed and how they react to trying something new. They’ll also have chance to explain the steps taken to ensure the task was carried out successfully.
Sometimes you may need to adjust to a colleague’s style of working in order to complete a project, tell me about a time when you’ve had to adjust your style of working.
- This question will show how flexible the candidate can be when required. They’ll also be able to reflect on what they’ve learnt from this experience, both good and bad.
Tell me about a time when you have embraced a new process, system or piece of technology that was a major departure from the old way of doing things.
- Listen out for eagerness to explore new ways of working. Did they discover a better way of working and did they embrace the change?
What is the biggest change you’ve had to deal with and how did you adapt to this change?
- Does the candidate accept that change is inevitable? This question will highlight how they evaluated the situation and the steps they took to ensure they received the support needed to adapt successfully.