“Describe a situation in which you had to adapt your style, approach, or ideas to meet the needs of others. What was the situation? What did you do in the situation, and what was the outcome?”
How this question works
What it’s testing
As a member of cabin crew, you will work with new colleagues every day. This isn’t a job where you can slowly learn someone else’s work style or personality quirks. Within seconds of meeting for the very first time, you’ll be expected to work seamlessly together as if you’ve been work buddies for years.
You’ll also be meeting, serving, and helping passengers from diverse, cosmopolitan backgrounds on every flight. Their culture, religious beliefs, and political background might be very different from your own. It’s up to you to understand their needs, respect their beliefs, and deliver an outstanding service, regardless of the person’s background.
This question is testing several things:
- Your ability to quickly adapt to the needs of people around you
- Whether your working style is flexible enough to work with a multinational group of cabin crew
- Your respect for different cultures, beliefs, and customs
- Overcoming communication and language barriers
What recruiters are looking for
Recruiters will be looking for an example in which you identified the need to adapt your approach, why this was the right and respectful thing to do, and then how you went about adapting your style or approach to meet the needs of a coworker or passenger.
Strong examples include situations in which you have also provided outstanding customer service to a customer, but don’t be afraid to lean on situations in which you have adapted your style and approach to meet the needs of a coworker.
This question is testing open-mindedness, curiosity, and willingness to change. Recruiters are looking for you to explain your understanding of different cultures and your ability to respect people with different views than your own.
Think about what this might look like on a typical long-haul flight. A passenger whose first language isn’t your own and is flying, perhaps, for the first time ever. They are confused but are struggling to communicate with you. How would you go about delivering a great service for this passenger?
How to structure your answer
This question invites a specific example from your previous work experience. To do so, utilise the SOAR or STAR method to its fullest:
- Situation: Establish the difference clearly. A colleague’s working style, a passenger’s needs, a cultural or communication gap.
- Objective / Task: What you were trying to achieve by changing your style or approach? This could be safety or service-related, or a combination of both.
- Actions: Be precise about why and how you changed your approach. Don’t just say you changed your approach; give concrete examples. Perhaps you changed the words you used, you adjusted your body language, or you respected a cultural difference.
- Result: The benefit to the other person or the outcome, not just that things went smoothly for you.
What you shouldn’t say
Don’t frame the other person as difficult or wrong for needing a different approach. Never show disrespect towards different cultures and beliefs.
What to do if you get stuck
Most people adapt their style or approach for the benefit of others far more than they might give themselves credit for. You can also utilise examples in which you have coached a coworker, explaining how you adjusted your teaching style to help them overcome developmental needs in their role.
