20 Ancestry Interview Questions and Answers

Ancestry is a web-based platform that helps users create their own family tree and preserve their family history. The company offers a variety of services, including DNA testing and analysis, to help people connect with their ancestors and learn more about their family history.

If you’re interested in working for Ancestry, you’ll need to be prepared to answer some specific interview questions about the company and its services. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how to answer Ancestry interview questions so you can make a good impression on the hiring manager.

Ancestry Interview Process

The interview process at Ancestry can vary depending on the position you are applying for. For some positions, such as Senior Software Engineer or Product Manager, the process may include multiple rounds of interviews with different members of the team. For other positions, such as Customer Service Representative or Administrative Assistant, the process may be shorter and only include one or two interviews. Overall, the interview process is generally fairly lengthy, taking anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to complete.

1. How do you think you can contribute to Ancestry?

This question is a great way to assess your knowledge of the company and how you can fit in. When answering this question, it’s important to highlight what attracted you to the role and why you’re excited about working for Ancestry.

Example: “I think I would be an excellent addition to the team at Ancestry because I’m passionate about family history and preserving memories. I’ve been using Ancestry since high school when my teacher assigned us to create our own family trees as part of a project. Ever since then, I’ve used Ancestry to help me find out more information about my family members and their lives.”

2. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an upset customer, how did you handle it?

An interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your customer service skills. This is because working with customers can be a large part of the job, so it’s important that you have the ability to handle them effectively.

Example: “I once had a customer who was upset because they couldn’t find their family member on our website. I explained to them that we don’t include everyone in our database and that if they sent us a photo of their relative, we would add them to our system for free. They were happy with my response and thanked me for helping them.”

3. What are some ways that you would improve the quality of our site?

This question is a great way to show your knowledge of the company and how you can help improve it. When answering this question, try to think of ways that you could make the site more user-friendly or efficient for customers.

Example: “I would start by making sure that all of the information on the site was accurate. I know that Ancestry has a lot of information about family history, so I would want to ensure that everything was correct. Another thing I would do is add more features to the website. For example, I would like to see an option where users can upload their own photos to create photo albums.”

4. Explain your experience in agile development methodologies and how they compare to waterfall methods.

Agile development is a software development methodology that focuses on creating and delivering products in short cycles. It’s an effective method for developing web-based applications because it allows teams to deliver projects quickly, test them with users and make improvements as needed.

Example: “I’ve worked on several agile development projects throughout my career. Agile methods are great for helping me understand what the client wants and how I can best meet their needs. In one project, I was working with a team of developers who were using waterfall methods. We decided to use agile methods to help us create a more user-friendly product.”

5. Describe what you would do if you noticed that a coworker was not following company policy.

This question is a good way to assess your ability to work with others and how you would handle conflict. When answering this question, it can be helpful to provide specific examples of how you’ve helped coworkers in the past.

Example: “In my last role as an administrative assistant, I noticed that one of my coworkers was frequently late for meetings. After talking with her about it, she told me that she had been having trouble getting her daughter off to school on time every morning. She asked if there were any other options for transportation or if she could start working later hours. I talked with our HR department and they were able to accommodate her request.”

6. When have you been most excited by a project you were working on?

This question can help an interviewer get a better sense of your personality and how you approach work. When answering this question, it can be helpful to describe a time when you were able to use your skills in a unique way or helped someone else do so.

Example: “When I was working as a genealogist at the local library, I had the opportunity to help a woman find her birth mother. She had been searching for years with no luck, but after looking through some old records, I found her birth certificate and was able to locate her mother’s name. The two women met shortly after that, and they both said it was like they knew each other their whole lives.”

7. What is the last book you read for fun? Did you like it? Why or why not?

This question is a great way to learn more about your potential employee’s interests and values. It can also help you determine if they have similar tastes in books as the company does.

Example: “The last book I read for fun was The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I really enjoyed it, but I think that has more to do with my interest in dystopian fiction than anything else. I would love to work at a place where we could discuss books like this one.”

8. What is one thing you would change about our website?

This question is a great way to see how you can improve upon an existing process or product. When answering this question, it’s important to be specific and provide examples of what you would change and why.

Example: “I think one thing I would change about your website is the ability for users to add their own family members. Currently, they have to contact customer service if they want to add someone who isn’t already on the site. This could lead to long wait times and lost customers. If I were in charge of adding this feature, I would make sure that there was a simple way for users to add new family members without having to contact support.”

9. What interests you about this position at Ancestry?

This question is a great way for an interviewer to learn more about your personality and how you feel about the company. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention something specific that drew you to Ancestry or what you like most about working there.

Example: “I am very interested in genealogy and family history, so I was excited to find out about this position at Ancestry. I love the idea of helping people preserve their family’s history and share it with others. I also really enjoy learning new things and researching online, which is why I think this job would be a good fit for me.”

10. How would you describe your leadership style?

This question is a great way to determine how you would fit into the company’s culture. When answering this question, it can be helpful to describe your leadership style and what makes you effective in a management role.

Example: “I believe that my leadership style is collaborative. I like to work with my team members to find solutions to problems or challenges. I also think that I am an empathetic leader who cares about the well-being of others. This helps me create a positive environment where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas.”

11. If we hired you, where do you see yourself in 5 years?

This question is a great way to learn about your career goals and how you see yourself growing in the company. When answering this question, it’s important to be honest and specific with your answer.

Example: “I hope to have progressed within the company by then. I would love to continue working on my skills as an ancestry specialist and help more people discover their family history.”

12. Do you have any experience training new employees?

This question can help an employer determine how you might train your own team members. If you have experience training others, describe what you did to make the process as effective and efficient as possible.

Example: “I’ve had a lot of experience training new employees because I worked at my previous company for five years before we hired more staff. I was one of two people who trained our new hires, so I helped them learn all of the basics of their job and how to use our software. I also made sure they knew where everything in the office was located, including the break room and restrooms.”

13. Describe a time when you worked as part of a team. What role did you play? Were you successful?

This question is a great way to learn more about your potential coworkers and how they work together. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention something specific that you learned from the experience.

Example: “I worked with a team of genealogists at my last job. I was new to the field, so I really appreciated their help in teaching me the basics of family history research. They were all very knowledgeable and passionate about what they did, which made them fun to work with. We also had a lot of success working together on projects.”

14. Give an example of a time when you had to solve a problem that was not straightforward. How did you approach the problem?

This question is a great way to show your problem-solving skills and how you approach challenges. When answering this question, it can be helpful to describe the steps you took to solve the problem and what the outcome was.

Example: “When I worked at my previous job, we had a customer who wanted to change their family tree design. They were unhappy with the color scheme they chose when creating their tree and asked if there was a way to change it. I explained that unfortunately, there wasn’t a way to change the color scheme once the tree was created. However, I offered them a discount on another tree design so they could create one without colors and then add the colors later.”

15. Can you tell me about a time when you were working on a team project and there was conflict, how did you handle it?

This question is a great way to see how you work with others and your ability to resolve conflict. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention the steps you took to resolve the conflict and what you learned from the experience.

Example: “In my last position as an IT specialist, I was working on a project with two other specialists. We were all tasked with creating a new system for our company that would help streamline operations. One of the specialists wanted to use a specific software program while the other preferred a different one.

I suggested we try both programs and compare their results. After comparing the two systems, we found that the first specialist’s suggestion was better suited for our needs. The second specialist agreed and we implemented the new system.”

16. Where do you feel comfortable working: independently or in teams?

This question is a great way to determine how you will fit into the company’s culture. If your interviewer asks this, they are likely trying to get an idea of whether or not you would be able to work well with others and if you can handle working independently.

Example: “I feel comfortable working both independently and in teams. I have always been someone who enjoys collaborating with others on projects and assignments, but I also enjoy having time to myself to focus on my own work. In my last role, I worked mostly independently, however, I did collaborate with other team members when needed.”

17. What is your favorite product or service currently offered by Ancestry?

This question is a great way to show your knowledge of the company and its offerings. When answering, it can be helpful to mention something you have used in the past or are familiar with.

Example: “My favorite product from Ancestry is definitely their DNA testing service. I’ve always been interested in my family history, so when I saw that they offered this service, I knew I had to try it out. The results were fascinating, and I learned more about myself than I ever thought possible.”

18. What do you know about our products and services?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of the company and its offerings. It also shows that you have done some research on the organization before coming in for an interview. When answering this question, it’s important to be honest about what you know and how much you’ve learned so far.

Example: “I am familiar with Ancestry because I have used it myself. I love the fact that it has such a large database of information and records. I also like that there are many different ways to search for information and find new family members. The mobile app is especially helpful when I’m out and about.”

19. How would you describe your work ethic?

This question is an opportunity to show the interviewer that you have a strong work ethic and are willing to put in extra effort when needed. When answering this question, it can be helpful to discuss a time where you had to work hard to achieve a goal or overcome a challenge.

Example: “I am someone who always strives to do my best at work. I believe that if you give your all to something, you will get the most out of it. In my last position, I was tasked with creating a new database for our company’s client list. This task required me to learn how to use a new software program, but I took on the challenge and learned how to use the software within two weeks.”

20. What are you looking for in a career?

This question is a great way to learn more about the applicant’s career goals and motivations. It can also help you determine if they are a good fit for your company culture. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention what you enjoy most about working in technology.

Example: “I am looking for a career that allows me to use my problem-solving skills while helping others. I love being able to work with people from all over the world and build relationships with them through technology. I feel like Ancestry provides an excellent opportunity to do so.”