Construct Validity
Construct validity relates to whether a particular psychometric assessment...
section one
5 Effective Interview Questions to Measure Patience
Lead consultant at Test Partnership, Ben Schwencke, explains why Patience is worth measuring.
Patience is a crucial soft skill that can impact an employee's ability to successfully navigate challenges, collaborate with others, and maintain focus amidst inevitable setbacks. Patience enables employees to better manage stress, adapt to change, and maintain focus on long-term goals while navigating inevitable setbacks or delays.
For HR professionals and hiring managers, identifying candidates who exhibit patience can contribute to creating a supportive and resilient workforce that thrives even in the face of adversity.
This article presents five effective interview questions specifically designed to assess an applicant's patience in various workplace scenarios. By exploring their past experiences, coping mechanisms, and strategies for staying motivated during difficult situations, these questions will offer valuable insights into a candidate's capacity to exhibit patience and persevere through challenges.
Can you share an example of a situation where you had to demonstrate patience while dealing with a challenging task or project?
A strong answer will provide a specific example of a situation where the candidate faced a challenging task or project that required patience. They should describe the challenge in detail and explain why patience was necessary to overcome it. The candidate should also discuss how they managed their emotions or stress during the situation, showcasing their ability to stay composed under pressure. Additionally, they should outline the strategies they used to maintain focus and productivity, such as breaking tasks into smaller parts, seeking feedback, or practicing mindfulness techniques.
A weak answer will lack specificity and detail about the situation or the nature of the challenge. The candidate may not explain why patience was required, or they may struggle to describe how they managed their emotions or stress. Additionally, they might not mention any strategies they employed to maintain focus and productivity, indicating a lack of self-awareness or adaptability when faced with challenging situations.
- 1. What was the nature of the challenge, and why did it require patience?
- 2. How did you manage your emotions or stress during this situation?
- 3. What strategies did you use to maintain focus and stay productive?
Describe a time when you had to work with a difficult colleague or client. How did you demonstrate patience and effectively collaborate with them?
A strong answer will provide a specific example of a time when the candidate had to work with a difficult colleague or client. They should describe the challenges that arose from the collaboration and how they demonstrated patience while addressing these challenges. The candidate should also discuss the steps they took to establish rapport and build a positive working relationship, such as empathetic listening, clear communication, or finding common ground.
A weak answer will lack details about the difficult colleague or client and the challenges they presented. The candidate may not discuss how they demonstrated patience or the steps they took to establish rapport and build a positive working relationship. Furthermore, they might not describe how their patience contributed to resolving the issue or successfully completing the project, suggesting that they may struggle to collaborate effectively in challenging interpersonal situations.
- 1. What made the colleague or client difficult to work with, and how did it impact your collaboration?
- 2. What steps did you take to establish rapport and build a positive working relationship?
- 3. How did your demonstration of patience contribute to the resolution of the issue or the successful completion of the project?
Can you recall a time when you had to wait for a decision or approval from a supervisor or colleague that affected your work? How did you handle the waiting period?
A strong answer will provide a specific example of a situation where the candidate had to wait for a decision or approval that affected their work. They should describe the impact of the waiting period on their work or project timeline, highlighting their ability to adapt to external factors. The candidate should also discuss the strategies they used to manage their expectations and maintain patience, such as focusing on other tasks, seeking updates, or practicing stress-reduction techniques.
A weak answer will lack details about the situation or the impact of the waiting period on the candidate's work or project. The candidate may not discuss the strategies they used to manage their expectations and maintain patience, indicating a potential inability to cope with uncertainty or delays. Lastly, they might not mention any proactive steps they took to address the situation or keep the project moving forward, suggesting a lack of initiative or problem-solving skills.
- 1. How did the waiting period impact your work or project timeline?
- 2. What strategies did you use to manage your own expectations and maintain patience during this period?
- 3. Did you take any proactive steps to address the situation or keep the project moving forward?
Describe a situation where you had to train or mentor a team member who was struggling to learn a new skill or process.
A strong answer will provide a specific example of a time when the candidate had to train or mentor a team member struggling to learn a new skill or process. They should describe the skill or process in question and explain its importance for the team member's role. The candidate should also discuss the techniques they used to break down the information and make it more accessible, such as using analogies, providing visual aids, or offering hands-on practice.
A weak answer will lack details about the situation or the specific skill or process the team member was struggling with. The candidate may not discuss the techniques they used to break down the information and make it more accessible, suggesting a lack of adaptability or empathy in their teaching approach. Furthermore, they might not describe how their patience contributed to the team member's eventual understanding and success, indicating a potential inability to effectively support and develop others in challenging situations.
- 1. What was the specific skill or process the team member was struggling with, and why was it important for their role?
- 2. What techniques did you use to break down the information and make it more accessible for them?
- 3. How did your demonstration of patience contribute to the team member's eventual understanding and success in learning the new skill or process?
Tell us about a time when you had to handle a slow-moving project or process that required patience to see it through to completion.
A strong answer will provide a specific example of a slow-moving project or process that required patience to see through to completion. The candidate should describe the factors that caused the project or process to move slowly and explain how they addressed these challenges. They should also discuss how they maintained motivation and focus during the slow-moving project, such as setting intermediate goals, celebrating small wins, or seeking support from colleagues.
A weak answer will lack details about the slow-moving project or process and the factors that contributed to its slow pace. The candidate may not discuss how they addressed the challenges or maintained motivation and focus during the project, indicating a potential inability to persevere through difficult situations. Additionally, they might not reflect on any lessons learned or how they have applied those lessons to subsequent projects, suggesting a lack of self-awareness or personal growth.
- 1. What were the factors that caused the project or process to move slowly, and how did you address them?
- 2. How did you maintain your motivation and focus during the slow-moving project or process?
- 3. What, if any, lessons did you learn from the experience, and how have you applied them in subsequent projects?
section two
Limitations of interview questions for Patience
Interviews are primarily a measure of a candidate’s interpersonal skills and communication ability and struggle to measure additional constructs. This is because highly skilled interviewees can convince their interviewers of almost anything, such is the nature of interpersonal skills. Consequently, if an interviewee has convinced their interviewer that they are extremely patient, often this has little to do with their actual level of patience. Ideally, behavioural assessments should be used to select employees based on patience, as they show greater levels of what psychologists call construct validity.
Test Partnership’s behavioural assessments measure a wide range of traits and behavioural indicators that underpin a person’s level of patience. Although behavioural assessments can measure interpersonal skills, they are not biased in favour of candidates with high levels of interpersonal skills, providing a truer estimate of their genuine level of patience. For more information on our behavioural assessments, please contact us directly or request a free trial.
