Answering ‘How Do You Deal With Stress?’ In a Job Interview

According to a survey conducted by Solved, a human resources software company, 65% of employees say they have suffered from burnout in the past year. Furthermore, 72% of employees admitted that harassment has affected their performance. The epidemic of stress and burnout is real. This is another reason why employers often ask interviewees, “How do you deal with stress?” Other translations of this question include, “How do you work under pressure?” and “How do you keep a situation from becoming too overwhelming to manage?”

Because the constant stress of work is increasing, companies want to make sure that their employees can face difficult situations. When you ask, “How do you deal with stress?” Hiring managers learn many things, including:

• Whether you are motivated by stressful situations
• How you deal with stress outside of work
• How your ideas can affect the team and the organization as a whole

The important thing is to show that you can handle stress constructively and be a long-term asset to the company. These tips will help you answer the question, “How do you deal with stress?” and I finally got a job.

Be Honest and Be Positive

If you respond by saying, “I’m never stressed,” the employer will know you’re not telling the truth. After all, everyone experiences stress at work at some point. Instead, have a positive and realistic perspective. When sharing specific examples, focus on how you used your problem-solving skills to succeed. Use your answer to show the value you will bring to the organization. Putting a positive spin on a bad situation will show that you care about yourself and set you apart from others.

Spend Time Creating a Story

Before your interview, think about times you have faced a stressful situation at work. Ask yourself questions like:

• What events led up to that event?
• Are there things I could do differently?
• Did I learn anything from the experience?

Then, list the skills you used to overcome a high-pressure situation. Some examples of transferable skills include strong work ethic, time management, communication, patience and teamwork. Then, create a structured response using the power of storytelling. The STAR method is useful for behavioral questions:

Status: place the story

Work: explain what your goal was

Action: describe what actions you took

The result: end your answer with a positive conclusion

Show how stress has influenced you and motivated you to take action. Also, remember to end your story with lessons learned. That way, you can focus not only on results but also on your ability to grow professionally.

Prepare Your Response at Work

Personalizing your answer will make it more powerful. As you prepare for your interview, research the company culture. Is it an organization focused on teamwork and collaboration or individual results? Do leaders encourage innovation, or value structure and stability? Those answers will help you identify examples of stressful situations related to the job you want. Most importantly, share stories that highlight the stress you may encounter in your new job.

Sample Answers

When thinking about your stories, try to focus on the positives as you describe how you overcame obstacles. Here are a few examples to inspire you:

Example #1:

I find that stress motivates me to do my best work. For example, my boss recently offered me a senior job at the last minute. Instead of panicking, I decided to use my organization and planning skills to prioritize what needed to be addressed first. By rearranging my other tasks, I found time to work on all aspects of the project. Staying calm and focused, I delivered everything before the deadline.

Example #2:

When I find myself in a stressful situation, I try to focus on the task at hand. For example, I recently had to deal with an angry customer. Instead of getting upset, I used my speaking skills to calm him down so we could find common ground. Then, I was able to solve the problem by asking another team member to help. Finally, the customer was satisfied with the result and even gave us a star review.

Example #3:

As a manager, I have come to accept that some stress is part of the job. For example, one of my team members recently quit. Since he didn’t give me much notice, I had to work quickly to redistribute his work. By using stress reduction techniques like exercise and meditation, I was able to stay calm and focused. That way, I was able to provide support to my entire team while delegating work to the right people. I’ve also been able to write a job description and send it to multiple sites within a day or two. Currently, I have a short list of highly qualified external candidates as well as a few internal staff who are interested in the position.

Even if you’re not a firefighter or paramedic, most workers need some tolerance for stress to stay productive. Employers do not expect you to be stress free. They want to know that you can work effectively and use effective coping strategies anyway.

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