Killer Interview Question: Which Three Words Would Colleagues Use To Describe You?

A double-headed addition the killer interview questions collection: which three words would colleagues use to describe you?. And for an extra twist: which three words would your boss choose?

Recently-appointed Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella favours this line of questioning when interviewing new recruits:

I will ask the individual to tell me what their manager would say about them, what their peers would say about them, what their direct reports would say about them, and in some cases what their customers or partners may say about them. That particular line of questioning leads into fantastic threads, and I’ve found that to be a great one for understanding their self-awareness.

One trick to watch for: don't choose wildly different words for your boss than for your colleagues. if you do, you either look like a suck-up or someone who very deliberately cultivates a specific image for their boss.

How would you answer the question?


    I'd tell them to call my references if they were so mad keen to find out.

      Really @benjabimon? You'd throw away your chance of working for a great company because you wanted to be smug during the interview?

    It's a tough question. But then I always find self-evaluation hard.
    Luckily, I've worked for excellent employers in the past where answers to those very questions are sought from colleagues, managers and customers as part of the staff appraisal process.
    I'd just look back at those for inspiration.

    I just had this question in an interview 3 days ago, I answered reliable,helpful and something I forgot but got a phone call 2 hours later for offering me a position.

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