Interview questions at WellPoint
We analyzed 196 interview reviews for WellPoint from various job sites, social network groups and forums.
Here are the most frequent job interview questions asked by HR managers during initial phone or onsite interviews. This list does not include technical or factual questions.
12 frequent non-technical questions at WellPoint:
According to our research, hiring managers at WellPoint ask soft skills interview questions 59% more than at other companies.
1. What is your greatest weakness? top question
How to answer
This question ranks as the most challenging for many people. Fortunately, Mr. Simon is here to help!
Interviewers are not out to trick or trap you! They ask this question to gauge your level of self-awareness, your honesty and openness, and your capability for self-improvement.
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About Yourself
No one is perfect and your interviewer doesn't expect you to be perfect either.
While it is good to be honest and open, it will not help you to put yourself down.
What's important is to find a weakness that you have overcome. How you turned what might be considered a negative into a positive.
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About The Company
Research the company (website, social media, etc) to learn about the company culture.
What personal and professional qualities do they value?
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About The Fit
This is the time to clearly state a true weakness that you have overcome.
Be as specific as possible and stay away from vague cliches like “I work too hard.” It would be difficult for anyone to try and explain how they overcame a weakness like that
Mr. Simon emphasizes the Present-Past-Present method of responding to behavioral questions. When you are asked about your greatest weakness, you should be able to successfully use this approach as well. Here is an example of how someone might answer this question.
Present - "I have always had a fear of public speaking, and believe this may have held me back in my career, especially when having to make presentations to management."
Past - "Last year I learned about Toastmasters International and decided to join this group to help me gain confidence in myself and improve my ability to present to others in just about any situation."
Present - "By overcoming this weakness I believe that it has made me a much stronger candidate for this position, someone you can count on to make presentations to management, conduct training and communicate at a high level."
It's important to show how well you've overcome a weakness by motivating yourself and learning a new skill to grow professionally.
Pro Tip
Use this question to sell yourself!
Statistics
This question is asked 2.3x more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
2. How would you handle a customer with difficult behavior?
How to answer
People skills are highly valued in every company, especially in a company that occasionally deals with difficult customers. It is important to show how you can manage difficult personalities.
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About Yourself
Look back on your experience. Have you dealt with a difficult or disruptive customer? Remember how you diffused the situation and how you turned things around.
- Do you have certain principles, or methodology, to deal with difficult people?
- Do you have strong people skills, are you good at conflict resolution?
- Are you high on emotional intelligence? Can you give an example?
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About The Company
- What have you found about the company and its culture?
- What have you learned about how the employees value each other?
- How do they treat their customers?
- Knowing their line of business or industry, what can be some examples of difficult customers?
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About The Fit
When a question like this asked in an interview, it is an indication that you will probably encounter difficult customers, or other difficult stakeholders while working for this company.
This would be an excellent opportunity to use the Present-Past-Present approach to respond to this question.
Start with the Present. Speak about your “conflict resolution” skills and how you apply these today.
Next go back to a Past situation - remember your Star Stories to relate a relevant situation that happened in a previous job where you resolved a problem for a difficult customer.
Finally, come back to the Present, summarizing what you learned from past experiences and how you will apply them to the job you are interviewing for today.
If you can give an example of how you handled a difficult person in the past in a situation similar to what this company may require from you, this will strongly increase your chances of showing yourself as a good fit.
Pro Tip
One methodology for diffusing a difficult situation is called “the triple A” approach:
- Acknowledge - what the other person is feeling,
- Apologize - for the way the other person is feeling,
- Admit - that there was an issue that you are working on to get it resolved.
If the difficult situation involves a customer, it would add that extra touch if you added another "A" to your approach by Asking for the customer's contact information so you can update them of any progress on their issue.
Statistics
This question is asked 96% more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
3. Why did you leave your last job?
How to answer
This question may be a little touchy for some people, but it's a question asked by interviewers, to find out why you left, in order to better understand how you may or may not make a good fit with their company.
Remember, never speak ill of your old company (this will not go over well).
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About Yourself
There are a number of reasons why people leave or plan to leave their jobs. One very important recent factor has been the impact on jobs and job security due to Covid-19 and all of the issues raised by remote vs. on-site work.
Regardless of the causes, there are three possible reasons that you left your last job or are planning to leave your current job:
- You are looking for a career change
- You are unhappy with your current employment
- You were let go.
Whatever the reason, it's best to always speak in a positive light.
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About The Company
Based on your research about the company and the position you are interviewing for, what do you like most about the company? What excites you about the work as it is outlined in the job description?
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About The Fit
Let's take a closer look at how you might respond to each of the three reasons for leaving your last job.
1. You were let go
You should simply state the facts (e.g. the company was downsizing, your position was eliminated, your department was offshored, etc.). Focus on the positive. You might want to share your accomplishments at your previous employment by relating a pertinent STAR story if you feel that would be relevant.
2. You are looking for career advancement or a career change
In your response you should be upfront, honest and as enthusiastic as you can be about the position. Consider using the Present-Past-Present method when giving this answer. Start with the Present by describing a career goal that is important to you. For instance you are a data analyst applying for a data management position and you are ready for this move. Then go back to the Past to indicate that at your previous job, there were little or no promotional opportunities in your field. Then come back to the Present and say that you are ready to take on the manager role and know that you will do an outstanding job for the company.
3. You are unhappy with your current employment
Sometimes a job just isn't going to take you to the next step in your career.
Keep two things in mind when answering this question, 1) never "bad mouth" your current employer and 2) focus on the postive when speaking about the job and your reason for wanting to leave.
The following is an example of how this question might be answered. This individual was looking to move up to a project manager position and did not feel that her current employer was the right place to achieve her goal. You might find her answer helpful in crafting your own response.
"I really like my job as assistant project manager and love working with all of my coworkers on the team. However, the way the department is set up there is no real path to promotion. There are currently 3 project managers and they are all relatively new in their jobs. As far as I can see, they are all doing a good job and opportunties for promotion may not be opening up in the foreseeable future."
Her comments were positive and her reasoning was clear and consise. Always try to keep your reasons positive and try not to create an impression that you were unhappy with the way you were treated.
Pro Tip
Whatever the reason you are looking for a new opportunity, make sure you are able to show how you are the perfect fit for the job for which you are interviewing!
Statistics
This question is asked 62% more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
How to answer
This question belongs to a family of behavioral, or even more precisely, reflective questions.
The interviewer wants to learn two things about you by asking this question.
- They want to know what you think about the job you are applying for. Remember, they are interviewing you for the job that's open right now. Are you a good fit and will you do a good job for them?
- Just as important, they want to get an idea of your ambitions and goals for yourself and if your goals align with their needs, especially going into the future.
In this way the employer should see how you see yourself today, and whether you are ambitious and strive to grow as a professional, and whether you like to learn and develop your skills.
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About Yourself
What challenges do you like overcoming? Where are you starting from and where might you be going?
For example, let's say the position you are applying for is junior accountant. It includes a wide range of tasks such as basic bookkeeping, financial analysis, and reporting. If accounting is your chosen field, then you would most likely want to move in the direction of obtaining your CPA so that you might step up to more responsibility as an accounting manager or senior auditor within the next 5 years. Your responses should make sense in how you see yourself growing in your professional career.
However, at this point, if you are happy just where you are and want to further your current skills, that is also fine as long as there is a growth path for you that can be imagined and described.
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About The Company
Research the company to learn what career opportunities may be available in the department you are applying to, and what the trends are in the company in general.
- Is the business expanding, are they opening new locations, or starting new projects?
- Or are they heavily automating and cutting staff?
Let’s say you are applying for a UX designer position for a brand-new product.
In the future, if the product becomes a success - which is what the company hopes for - the company will hire more designers and you may become a lead designer, or you may become a product manager.
On a side note: If you train your mind to be open to opportunities you will be amazed at how much this world has to offer to you!
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About The Fit
And, of course, try to see where the perfect fit lies between your own potential and aspirations, and the company’s trends and hopes.
However, beware of the risk of showing too much excitement for future opportunities compared to your attitude towards the current position.
As we said earlier, you must show interest and enthusiasm for the position you are applying for. If the interviewer senses that you are more enthusiastic about future growth than about the current position, they may conclude that you are not the right person for the job at hand.
Pro Tip
This question gives you a good opportunity to showcase your Key Selling Points (e.g. “As I am very good at delegating tasks, I can easily see myself leading a team of software testers in the future…”), and end your statement by asking about current initiatives and goals at the company.
In thinking about the possibilities that may lie ahead, you also might want to consider taking a personality test (I recommend 16Personalities which is based on the Myers-Briggs test), research the internet on what career paths are possible with your skills and current job.
It is generally NOT a good idea to say something like:
“Oh, I cannot imagine what happens to me tomorrow, let alone in 5 years”.
This will show you as a person who is unimaginative and not forward-thinking enough to grow with and be a good fit for the company.
Statistics
This question is asked 36% less frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
5. What are your strengths? Give an example
How to answer
Many people think they know their personal strengths and consider this question simple. However, to impress your interviewer you must be ready to turn your response into a meaningful and insightful answer.
It’s an open invitation to talk about your Key Selling Points, your accomplishments and to show how you match the employer’s values and requirements.
You must be ready to stand out and demonstrate your unique value as a candidate.
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About Yourself
Reflect on your best professional qualities. What are they? Are you dependable, flexible, friendly, hardworking, a strong leader, formal, punctual, good team player?
Pick at least three personal strengths that will help you at your new workplace, and make sure you can give specific examples to demonstrate why you say these are your strengths.
If no key strengths spring to mind, ask your friends or colleagues what they think your greatest strengths are. What examples can demonstrate your success due to these qualities?
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About The Company
Make sure to research the company and read the job description thoroughly in order to identify the key strengths required for the role.
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About The Fit
Recruiters and hiring managers want to know how your strength relates to the job you’re applying for.
Match the skills required by the position with your list of strengths. Choose up to 5 top skills. These are your Key Selling Points! Prove your point by providing examples.
Craft your stories using the STAR method.
Pro Tip
Tip 1: Aim to strike a balance between over-confidence and underselling yourself. If you list too many strengths, you risk sounding arrogant. Listing too few implies a lack of confidence or even a lack of skills.
Tip 2: One of the most in-demand skills nowadays is being adaptive. In order to emphasize your adaptiveness, try to think of an example when you had to quickly learn something new, or quickly become a team member with a completely new group of people, or started contributing quickly in a new environment or project.
Statistics
This question is asked 6.3x more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
6. Describe a time you went above and beyond for a customer
How to answer
Good customer service is the expectation, it is the norm. When the interviewer asks this question, they want to know how your skills have enabled you to take that extra step to provide the kind of service that make you and the company you work for, great in the eyes of your customers.
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About Yourself
Think about a time you were the customer, how were you treated when you had a problem or issue that needed to be resolved? Did the company solve your problem with great service and a memorable experience?
Now think about a time you had to help a customer. What did you do to make that experience unforgettable for them?
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About The Company
Think carefully about the company and what they are looking for. Read online reviews and any other available information.
- What are their standards for treating customers?
- What complaints have you seen that can give you a hint of some of the challenges associated with customer service?
- How focused is the job description regarding customer service functions? This will give you a strong hint that customer service is an area to be aware of for the upcoming interview.
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About The Fit
A great way to show your fit for the job is to use the Present-Past-Present method in answering this question. The following is an example of how you might apply this approach:
Start with the Present by telling the interviewer what skills you have that will ensure the best customer experience. These might include attributes like patience, listenting, attentiveness or any other customer service related skills you might possess.
Next go back to the Past to tell a story of how you went above and beyond for a customer. Use the STAR method to help frame your story and be sure to bring your skills into the narrative.
Finally, come back to the Present to describe for the interviewer how you will bring your customer service skills to the job you are applying for, to help ensure that the company can always rely on you to provide the highest level of customer service.
Pro Tip
Showing you have compassion and empathy for customers is always an excellent way to answer the question. However, always remember to frame your answers in terms of how the company addresses these issues.
Statistics
This question is asked 2.4x more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
7. Why did you choose your major?
How to answer
Everyone has his/her reasons to pick a major.
There are hundreds and hundreds of careers to choose from and most people pick a major that will give them a background in the career they want to pursue.
When you come to a job interview you will be definitely asked this question.
The interviewers are seeking to understand your underlying motivations for selecting this career.
It is also a good question for them to learn how much planning and thought actually went into your career selection. It is a window into your personality and interests.
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About Yourself
This is your chance to highlight your strengths and how your major prepared you for your future plans.
Your answer to this question should reflect your passion and interest in the field you chose. Be genuine.
There’s every reason to display your passions and interest in your major. They will give interviewers a sense of who you really are.
Think about who or what influenced your career choice and include the positive influences, not the negative ones.
- How does this tie into your major?
- How will you bring your passion and unique knowledge to the new company?
Emphasize your strong people skills and excellent communication skills, allowing you to connect with others.
Think of the skills and experiences you gained through your major, think back to assignments and projects from your studies, internships and previous jobs. Consider the skills you developed working on those projects.
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About The Company
Write down a list of skills and experiences you gained through your major studies.
Then, look at the job listing itself.
Match up any of your skills and experiences that relate to the requirements of the job. How can you apply them to your new position, as well as the future?
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About The Fit
Use this question as an opportunity to mention a few skills related to your chosen major that would also be relevant in the workplace.
Point to a good culture fit.
Be positive, showing your enthusiasm. Let them know you're excited to be where you are.
Discuss what you enjoy about the industry you’re considering and why you could see yourself working in it. Even if your major is not directly related to the job, you can likely find connections between the two.
This is also a chance to explain other ways you have developed skills that will fulfill the role you're applying for.
For example, perhaps you were a biology major who is applying for a job in computer programming. You might explain that you took a number of online and extracurricular classes on programming to develop the skills needed for the job.
Pro Tip
Let your past decisions and accomplishments shine through. Once you nail your interview, you'll be on your way to a successful career path.
Statistics
This question is asked 3.4x more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
8. Why and how did you choose your career?
How to answer
By asking this question, the interviewer tries to understand what led you to choose your career path and hopefully to find out how enthusiastic you are about the work you do and how well you will fit into the job that you are applying for.
The answer will show whether your desire to work “here” and if it is a determined part of your overall career plan or it is just a stop along the way to other things.
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About Yourself
- What characteristics and skills do you have?
- What makes you good at what you do?
- What attracted you to your career path?
- What strengths do you possess that make you the best candidate for the job?
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About The Company
Do your research and learn as much as possible about the organization and the career path you might forge there.
Match up any of your skills and experiences that relate to the requirements of the job. How can you apply them to your new position, as well as the future?
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About The Fit
Don’t just explain how you originally found this career.
Show you’re still glad to be doing it, that will put the hiring manager’s mind at ease that you’re motivated to do the work, and that you’ll be a big success if they hire you.
Your answers should provide the basis for a discussion about your passion for the work you do, your qualifications, and your skill set.
Make a list of factors that led you to this choice.
At the interview, tell only about those that characterize you and the situation in a positive light.
It may have been a successful internship with a similar function, which confirmed your desire to work in this field.
It could be a successful example of your parents, relatives or friends, which is indicative to you. You might have been motivated by your own academic success in this field which led you to enter it.
Pro Tip
Say that your chosen career best reflects your interests and you see it as continuing to be the most promising one for you.
Here’s a simple formula for answering this question:
First, address the origin of your motivation by tying it to your personal history. Then, explain what keeps you energized about the work on a daily basis that led you to where you are today. Finally connect your story and motivation to this job, the one you are interviewing for.
Statistics
This question is asked 7.8x more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
9. What is the biggest lesson you've learned from a mistake you made?
How to answer
It’s important to know how to answer a job interview question about mistakes.
They ask questions like this to learn if you are upfront and honest about mistakes that you made.
They also want to know if you learned from your experience and how you met the challenges to improve your performance.
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About Yourself
Do your best to tell a positive story about how the mistake was made, how you dealt with it and what learned from it.
We all make mistakes from time-to-time. Answering some of the following questions will help you understand your own view of dealing with mistakes and their consequences.
For instance:
- How do you use a mistake to improve your abilities?
- Are you self-aware enough to acknowledge failure and weakness?
- Do you take smart risks?
- How do you view success, failure, and risk in general?
- Do you take responsibility for past mistakes instead of putting the blame on others?
- If the situation repeats, what would you do differently? What would you do again?
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About The Company
Before the interview, look over the job listing, research the company.
Try to think of a mistake you have made in the past that is not too closely related to the requirements of the job you are interviewing for. What kind of challenges might you face if you get the job here?
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About The Fit
It’s your opportunity to emphasize the skills or qualities you gained from your past negative experience that are important for the job you’re interviewing for now. The best way to answer a question like this is to use the Present-Past-Present method.
Start with the Present by ensuring the interviewer that even though you have made mistakes in the past, the lesson that you learned is to always carefully double-check your work and to make sure you plan ahead for any possible contingencies.
Next go back to the Past to relate a STAR story that will tell the interviewer about a time when you made a mistake but were able to make the right adjustment to turn a potential negative into a positive. You might say something like: "I was responsible to provide one of our best customers a time frame for completing an important project. In my eagerness to impress them I miscalculated how long it would take and we missed the deadline. The customer was very disappointed and we nearly lost their business. After my manager explained the problem to me I worked very hard to improve my approach to project management and meeting timelines and nothing like this has happened again."
Finally come back to the Present to tell the interviewer that you have the ability to learn from negative experiences and going forward you will approach all tasks with a mindset that will enable you to adjust quickly.
Pro Tip
Make absolutely sure that the interviewer understands that you learned from the experience.
Never blame others for what you did (however, if you were part of a team failure, you could relate this experience, just be sure to own up to your part in it).
Always be accountable for what you could have done differently in the failure. Demonstrate that you’ve had the maturity to benefit from previous “lessons learned” and you can move on with increased wisdom and competency.
Statistics
This question is asked 3.8x more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
10. What experience do you have in this field?
How to answer
This question may help you convince the interviewer how smoothly you would fit into the position to which you are applying. It's your chance to WOW them! Be sure to focus on the experience that is relevant to the company and position.
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About Yourself
Start with defining your Key Selling Points you want to emphasize for this position.
- What job experiences brought you to those points?
- What were the job titles and the most relevant responsibilities?
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About The Company
Do your research of the company and the requirements for the position.
- What is the company looking for in terms of experiences and qualifications?
- What problems are they trying to solve with this position?
Most importantly, make sure you are able to highlight and speak about at least 3-5 of your key experiences that match up with the requirements listed in the job description.
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About The Fit
Using the Present-Past-Present method is a perfect way to answer this question.
Starting with the Present, speak about your experience as it relates to one of the key requirements in the job description. You might say "I noted that the job description requires experience in employee training and this is an area in which I have a great deal of knowledge and skill."
Then go back to the Past to describe how you improved overall training of staff from 82% to over 97% within your first year on the job. Senior leadership took note of this accomplishment for which you received a company commendation.
Finally, come back to the Present to describe how you will help ensure that the company maintains the highest possible compliance with all employee training requirements.
Nowadays, every hiring manager wants results, so think in terms of specific achievements and try to structure your example accordingly.
Pro Tip
When telling your story, remember to talk about your STARs!
S - What was the Situation?
T - What was your Task?
A - What Action did you take?
R - Talk about the Results.
Statistics
This question is asked 10% more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
11. What do you do if you disagree with someone at work?
How to answer
In the workplace, it is not always possible to agree with everyone since we are all human beings and have our own unique thought processes.
This question helps to find out how you handle situations of conflict and disagreement with other people at work and whether the disagreement is controlled or acrimonious. The interviewers will also note whether your response shows that you will fight, give in, or seek proactive resolution.
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About Yourself
Think of the times you had to deal with disagreement with your co-workers.
- What were the different ways you were able to address the situation?
- Did you try to look at the matter at hand from the other person's perspective or did you always stick with your own viewpoint?
- What were the key lessons you learned through your experience?
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About The Company
Research the company and its culture.
- What do they value?
- How do they deal with conflict resolution?
- How do the employees value each other?
- Do they have any specific standards and policies?
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About The Fit
Your response should show that you are reasonable and thoughtful, always trying to keep the situation under control, avoid disputes if you feel that dialogue may become aggressive.
Tell the interviewer that if you disagree with someone, you
- always focus on facts
- listen to the points they are presenting
- never attack his or her ideas and beliefs, because that's not at all helpful or productive
- recognize the good.
These statements will help you to highlight your skills like listening, communication and emotional intelligence.
Give examples from your own experiences of how you used politeness and adaptability.
Phrases such as “What you are saying may be correct, but I do not think it is applicable in this situation,” “I think ABC is a better solution. What do you think?” Or “Can we try out this option instead?” show how you master potential conflict situations.
Pro Tip
Emphasize that you look at professional differences of opinion as a positive thing.
Remember that even though it is important to put your views forward, it is also important to understand what the other person’s views are.
Explain that your goal is not to win but to clear the air in any disagreement at work for the benefit of the company.
Statistics
This question is asked 7.3x more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
12. What would your colleagues and managers say is your best quality?
How to answer
This question is an open invitation to talk about your Key Selling Points and professional strengths but from another person’s point of view.
Most prospective employers ask this interview question to compare your self-assessment to how your references might describe you, as well as to assess your own perspective on your soft skills, to determine how well you’d fit into their group dynamic and company culture.
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About Yourself
Spend some time reflecting on how others perceive you so that you can speak smoothly without overinflating or undervaluing yourself.
Recall conversations with coworkers or managers in which you received acknowledgment or feedback. Take a look back at what your managers said about you in annual reviews.
Ask former coworkers or managers to help you to determine the strengths that made you unique.
- What would they consider as your best traits?
- Would they say that you are dependable, trustworthy, flexible, and honest?
- Do you always show up to meetings on time and promptly reply to emails?
- Would your coworkers say you are punctual and responsive?
If you frequently lend a hand when coworkers or customers struggle, it is highly likely they will say that you are helpful.
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About The Company
Research the company to learn what the employer or interviewer values. Compare their values with your qualities that you think would be a good fit.
Carefully read the job description as it is a great guide for what employers want to see in candidates.
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About The Fit
Use the question as an opportunity to emphasize your strengths and mention your Key Selling Points. It’s important to highlight how well you communicate and how well your personality and work style will match the company and team culture.
Though you may have several different areas of strength, focus on those that are relevant to the job. Adaptability, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and effective communication – are the most common skills that can be helpful in any job, be sure that those you worked most closely with will name them when speaking about you.
Using the STAR method, you can describe a successful team project from your previous job, mentioning how well you interacted with your colleagues.
For example,
“My past coworkers have told me that I am highly organized and quite good at time management. During one specific project, the other team members complimented me for developing and sticking to a timeline for all the different aspects of the plan. We ended up successfully completing the project ahead of time, and it went really well! I’d love to have a similar relationship with my team members in this position.”
Pro Tip
A potential hiring manager may check your references, so it’s important to be honest and consistent with the feedback you give the interviewer, and the feedback the former manager or colleagues will give to you.
Statistics
This question is asked 18.4x more frequently at WellPoint than at other companies.
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This page has been updated on February 23, 2024.
