Ken Chase 
Today's employers are always looking for employees who can adapt to changing circumstances and unexpected challenges, so find out how to answer adaptability interview questions
Many of today's job seekers can no longer rely on their hard skills and experience to land a job. The workplace has been evolving for some time now, as companies have been forced to adapt to remain competitive in an ever-changing economy. As a result, companies are more focused than ever before on acquiring talented individuals who can effectively adapt to change. Of course, it's not enough to be adaptable; you will also need to be able to showcase that skill in your job interview. Are you prepared to answer common adaptability interview questions?
Fortunately, we have you covered! In this post, we'll explore ten of the most common adaptability interview questions and explain why interviewers ask them. We'll also provide examples, showing how you can answer those questions in a way that leaves a positive impression on your audience.
Why do interviewers ask these adaptability interview questions?
Interviewer questions on adaptability are asked for the same reason that employers ask most interview questions. They can be one of the best ways for the hiring team to gain a better understanding of who you are as a person and a potential employee. By asking these types of questions, the interviewer gains insight into how you work, how you react to unexpected challenges and pressures, and just how flexible you really are as an employee.
As a job candidate, it's important to understand why adaptability matters to employers. As noted above, new technologies and societal attitude shifts have changed the way many of us work. Unfortunately, many people are not as adaptable as they might need to be to keep pace with those changes. For employers, interview questions about flexibility and adaptability can be an effective tool for determining which candidates are the most likely to quickly adapt to new systems, technologies, and other changes in their work environment.
10 adaptability interview questions and examples of how to respond
Below are ten of the most common adaptability interview questions and sample answers that you can use as examples to craft your own responses.
1. What does adaptability mean to you?
This question, or some variation of it, is often used as a way to test your understanding of adaptability and its importance in the workplace. Your answer should provide a brief definition that emphasizes the importance of being adaptable and an example of how your ability to adapt has helped you in your career.
“In my experience, adaptability is a measure of how well you can change when circumstances require it. Of course, the ability to adapt is a critical skill for all employees to develop. When I was working with ABC Corporation, we went through two M&As in just three years, with significant restructuring both times. Fortunately, I was able to rely on my ability to adapt to quickly reorient my work style to meet those changing circumstances.”
2. Can you give me an example of a time when you were forced to adapt in your job and how you did it?
This is another question that gives the interviewer a chance to explore your ability to adapt to change, by getting you to talk about your experience with those types of adaptations. Make sure that you have at least one great story that properly showcases your adaptability skills.
“Early in my career, I was working as the product line manager and came into work one morning to discover that upper management had decided to switch out the entire line for another supplier's products. After doing my due diligence to quickly get up to speed on the new line, I gathered my team members and we talked through the changes to ensure that we were all prepared to move forward with the new products. In the end, the transition ended up being virtually seamless.”
3. What do you do when you are assigned a task and feel like you don't have the right information or resources?
This question can help the interviewer to assess your thinking process to better understand how you deal with unexpected challenges. Your answer should demonstrate your ability to handle challenging circumstances by providing an example of a time when you overcame a similar obstacle. For example:
“Unfortunately, situations like that occur more often than most of us would prefer. For me, though, the important thing is to ensure that I immediately communicate with my superiors to ensure that we are on the same page. I remember an instance where I was put in charge of a website project but almost immediately realized that we had been given the wrong client information, thanks to someone mixing up the files. I informed management of potential delays and contacted the client to secure the data we needed. They were grateful to me for identifying the error and, as the issue was rapidly resolved, the delay was very minor and made up later in the project”
4. How well do you improvise to complete tasks that face unexpected challenges?
Sometimes, adapting to change requires improvisation at work. When an interviewer asks you about your ability to improvise, they are simply assessing your ability to think on your feet and use creative problem solving to overcome obstacles. Again, you should cite an example that illustrates your improvisational skills.
“I consider improvisation a critical skill for succeeding in my job, since I often encounter sudden changes to parameters and unexpected challenges. One example from my time at Superior Graphics comes to mind. Our Project Manager at the time became ill just as we started a major design project for our biggest client, so I was tasked with taking on the role to ensure successful completion. I met with the client and our team and reorganized some tasks to make sure all scenarios were covered. We ended up finishing the design two days ahead of the deadline.”
5. What would you do if your supervisor came to you and told you that one of your client's projects has had a complete change in direction?
This question can be used to test your ability to shift gears to meet unexpected challenges. Your answer should include an example of a time when you successfully managed that type of change. For example:
“In my last supervisory role at XYZ, one of our long-standing clients passed away and his son took over the company. Within days of assuming his father's role, he contacted us with a whole list of dramatic changes that he wanted us to implement for his project. Ordinarily, that level of change would have taken weeks to achieve, but I was able to work with my team to completely reorganize his project in just two days. Thankfully, I had talented people working with me on that effort!”
6. Tell me about a time when you were given a new project with an extremely short deadline, and how you balanced that with your regular duties.
This is another great question that interviewers can use to gather insight about how you deal with adversity. It can also enable hiring personnel to get a better understanding of how you think and the process you use to prioritize your work duties. Make sure that you have a prepared answer that highlights your thought processes and willingness to balance competing demands. For example:
“A couple of years ago, my previous employer had a project manager unexpectedly quit, leaving behind several unfinished projects that needed to be completed within a few days. At the time, I had just expanded my own project portfolio and the company considered me “fully booked” for scheduling purposes. After reviewing my work plan, however, I realized that I could shift some of my work around and make room to complete one of my former colleague's projects. My supervisor reviewed my plan, agreed to assign me the project, and the rest is history.”
7. How adaptable are you to sudden workplace changes that you cannot control?
Many interviewers include at least one stress test question during their interviews. This one is designed to assess your attitude toward changes that are outside of your control. When answering, you may want to emphasize to the interviewer that you understand that you simply cannot control most unexpected changes, especially in the workplace.
“In my experience, most of the changes I've had to deal with at work have been outside of my control, so I guess I would have to say that I am used to just adapting as necessary. As I told a colleague during a series of massive changes at Alpha Inc in the last downturn, the important thing is not whether you can control change itself, but whether you can control your reaction to change. I think that philosophical approach has helped me to remain calm and grounded, even when I'm surrounded by things that I cannot control.”
8. Give me an example of a time when you needed to learn new systems or technologies at work. How did you get up to speed and how long did it take to adapt?
This question can give you an opportunity to highlight your technology skills, while also reinforcing your ability to quickly adapt to change. Try to focus on the positive things you learned as you adapted to those changing circumstances. For example:
“Like many other people, I was forced to work remotely for an extended period of time during Covid-19. Though some of my peers were struggling to adapt to the new video conferencing and time management systems our company implemented, I found the whole experience invigorating. I threw myself into the tutorial videos and managed to gain a workable level of competence with those systems in the weekend prior to our first day of remote work.”
9. Would you describe yourself as open-minded when it comes to new people and ideas?
This question might seem like it can be answered with a simple yes or no, but that would be a mistake. You should use it as an opportunity to highlight all the reasons why your adaptability skills make you the best candidate to deal with new ideas and people in an open-minded way. For example:
“I'm glad you asked that question. Throughout my career, I've found that maintaining an open mind is absolutely essential if you want to succeed in this industry. My own commitment to being open to other ideas and personalities has served me well, and I feel as though everyone I've met has helped to teach me things that have made me a better person and employee. If you hire me for this role, I'm confident that I will continue to experience that same growth as I interact with everyone on your team.”
10. When was the last time you needed to learn a new skill to keep pace with changes in your job?
Interviewers often ask some variation of this question to assess your commitment to ongoing learning. Today's employees need to be agile and open to developing new skills if they want to keep pace with new technologies, new software, and new systems. Your answer could be something like:
“Frankly, that sounds like my experience in every job. Since I first entered the workforce, it seems as though I'm developing at least one new skill each year! Whether it was adapting to remote video conferencing technology to manage off-site work during the recent pandemic or the time I spent learning the new CRM system at ABC Corporation last year, skill development is an ongoing, never-ending process.”
Take it forward
As the economy continues to change in the coming years, employers are likely to continue to emphasize adaptability skills in their hiring decisions. By knowing how to answer these common adaptability interview questions, you can better ensure that you are prepared to ace your next interview and demonstrate your ability to adapt and succeed in the workplace.
Still feel like you need help preparing for that critical job interview? If so, then this is the perfect time to reach out to our TopInterview career coaches to get the professional assistance you need to increase your chances of landing a job offer.