15 Cross Cultural Interview Questions and Answers

When you’re interviewing candidates for a job, it’s important to ask questions that will give you insight into their ability to work effectively with people from other cultures. As the world becomes more connected, it’s increasingly likely that your employees will need to interact with people from different backgrounds.

Asking cross cultural interview questions can help you identify candidates who are comfortable working with people from other cultures and who have the skills necessary to build relationships and communicate effectively. In this guide, we’ll share some of the best cross cultural interview questions to ask candidates.

1. What are some examples of cultural differences you have encountered?

This question can help the interviewer gain insight into your experience with cross cultural interactions. Use examples from your past that highlight your ability to adapt and work effectively in a variety of situations.

Example: “In my last position, I worked with a team member who was born in another country but had been living in the United States for many years. He spoke English fluently, however, he would often use colloquialisms or phrases that were specific to his native language. This sometimes caused confusion among other members of our team because they didn’t understand what he was saying. To resolve this issue, I asked him if there was a way we could communicate without using words so others could understand as well.”

2. How do different cultures deal with time and deadlines?

Time management is a cross cultural skill that employers may want to know you have. They may ask this question to see how well you can adapt to different cultures and their unique ways of dealing with time. In your answer, try to explain the differences in how various cultures deal with deadlines and schedules.

Example: “In my experience, some cultures are more strict about meeting deadlines than others. For example, I worked for an American company where we had very specific deadlines for our work. However, when I moved to Germany, I noticed that people were much less likely to meet deadlines. Instead, they would often wait until the last minute to complete projects. This was especially true if it was something they enjoyed doing or felt passionate about.”

3. How would your approach to a project be impacted if you were working in another country?

This question is a great way to assess your cross cultural skills and how you apply them in the workplace. When answering this question, it can be helpful to describe a specific situation where you had to adapt to working in another country.

Example: “In my last role as an account manager for a marketing company, I was tasked with creating a campaign that would appeal to customers in France. My team and I researched French culture and created a campaign that focused on the idea of romance. We found that our approach worked well, and we were able to increase sales by 20% in France.”

4. What steps can an organization take to improve its cross-cultural communication skills?

This question can help the interviewer determine your knowledge of how to improve cross-cultural communication skills in an organization. Use examples from your experience or refer to a resource that you’ve used in the past.

Example: “I think it’s important for organizations to have a plan in place for improving their cross-cultural communication skills. I worked with a company once where we created a cross-cultural communication training program for all employees. We started by identifying what types of communication styles were present within the organization and then developed strategies for overcoming those barriers. This helped us create more effective teams, which led to better overall performance.”

5. What is the most important thing for a company to consider when dealing with people from other cultures?

This question is a great way for the interviewer to assess your knowledge of cross cultural skills and how they can impact an organization. Use examples from your experience that show you understand what’s important when working with people from other cultures.

Example: “The most important thing for companies to consider when dealing with people from other cultures is their communication style. For example, in my last role as a marketing manager, I worked with a team member who was born in India. She had a very different communication style than the rest of our team, which made it difficult for her to get along with others. We eventually learned that she preferred written communication over verbal communication, so we started sending her emails instead of calling her into meetings.”

6. Can you give me some examples of how culture impacts business etiquette?

Interviewers may ask this question to see how you apply cross cultural skills in your daily work. Use examples from your experience that show how you adapt to different cultures and customs.

Example: “In my last position, I worked with a client who was from a country where it’s common for people to greet each other by kissing on the cheek. At first, I wasn’t sure how to respond when they greeted me this way, but after talking with them about their culture, I learned that it’s important to respect these differences. Now, I always make sure to greet them in a way that makes them feel comfortable.”

7. Are there any countries that you feel especially comfortable doing business with? If yes, why?

This question can help the interviewer understand your comfort level with different cultures and how you might fit into their company. If you have experience working in a specific country, share that information. If not, consider sharing which countries you would be most comfortable doing business with based on your research or personal experiences.

Example: “I feel especially comfortable doing business in Germany because I studied abroad there for a semester in college. I learned so much about the culture and language, and I still remember many of the important phrases. I also feel like I could connect well with German clients and employees because of my previous experience.”

8. What are the benefits of diversity within an organizational culture?

Employers may ask this question to see if you understand the importance of a diverse workplace. They want to know that you value different perspectives and backgrounds, which can help an organization create innovative solutions to problems. In your answer, explain how diversity helps organizations solve challenges more effectively. Share examples from your past experience where working with people who have different backgrounds helped you achieve success.

Example: “Diversity within an organizational culture has many benefits. First, it allows us to better understand our customers by having employees with different backgrounds. For example, in my last role as a customer service representative, I had a coworker who grew up in a rural area. She was able to give me insight into what life is like for some of our customers who live in similar areas. This information helped me provide better support to those customers.”

9. What are the main challenges faced by organizations trying to operate globally?

This question is an opportunity to show your knowledge of the challenges that organizations face when operating in a global environment. You can use examples from your own experience or research to answer this question.

Example: “The main challenge faced by organizations trying to operate globally is cultural differences. For example, I worked for a company that had offices all over the world. The company was based in the United States and wanted to expand into Europe. However, there were many cultural differences between the European countries where they wanted to open new offices. In my role as a cross-cultural consultant, I helped the company understand these differences so they could make their expansion more successful.”

10. How does language affect corporate communications?

Language is a key factor in cross cultural communications. Employers ask this question to make sure you understand the importance of language and how it can affect your work. Use your answer to explain that language affects corporate communications because it’s the primary way people communicate with one another. Explain that when you don’t speak the same language as someone, it makes it difficult to convey information clearly.

Example: “Language is the primary means of communication for most people. When I worked at my previous job, we had employees from all over the world. We used translation software to help us communicate with each other, but there were still times when misunderstandings occurred. For example, once an employee translated ‘I need more time’ into Spanish as ‘I want to quit.’ This caused quite a bit of confusion until they clarified what they meant.”

11. What’s the best way to build trust across cultures?

This question can help the interviewer assess your cross cultural skills and determine whether you have a good understanding of how to build trust with people from different backgrounds. Use examples from past experiences where you’ve built trust with others, especially those who are from different cultures than yours.

Example: “I find that one of the best ways to build trust across cultures is by being empathetic toward others. I once worked with a client whose company was expanding into Asia. The CEO wanted me to train his employees on how to communicate more effectively with Asian clients. I started by asking them questions about their own culture and background so they could better understand my perspective as an Asian American. This helped us establish a mutual respect for each other and allowed us to work together more effectively.”

12. What’s one common misconception about your own culture?

This question can help the interviewer get to know you better and understand your cultural background. It also helps them see how well you can adapt to other cultures, as it shows that you’re willing to learn about different ways of thinking and acting. When answering this question, try to be honest and respectful when discussing any differences you’ve noticed in other cultures.

Example: “One common misconception I’ve seen is that people from my culture are always happy and friendly. While we do enjoy being around others and helping our communities, sometimes we have bad days just like anyone else. We also have disagreements and arguments, but we tend to resolve those issues more quickly than some other cultures.”

13. Name one piece of advice you would like to offer someone new to your culture.

This question is a great way to show your knowledge of the culture you’re applying for and how it differs from others. It also shows that you are willing to help someone who may be struggling with their new surroundings.

Example: “One piece of advice I would give to anyone new to my culture is to take time to learn about the local language. In my last job, I had a coworker who was very eager to get started on his work but didn’t want to spend time learning our native tongue. He ended up having many problems communicating with coworkers and customers because he couldn’t understand what they were saying. If he had taken the time to learn our language, he could have avoided many awkward situations.”

14. Based on your knowledge of foreign languages, what kind of translation services should an organization use?

This question can help an interviewer assess your cross cultural skills and knowledge of foreign languages. Use examples from your experience to explain the benefits of using certain translation services over others.

Example: “In my previous role, I worked with a team that was responsible for translating documents into multiple languages. We used professional translators who were native speakers of each language we needed translations in. This helped us ensure that our translations were accurate and consistent across all languages. It also saved us time because we didn’t have to translate documents twice.”

15. What are some things to keep in mind when negotiating deals across cultures?

This question can help the interviewer assess your cross cultural negotiation skills. Use examples from past experiences to highlight how you’ve used effective communication and problem-solving skills to negotiate deals across cultures.

Example: “I find it helpful to understand what motivates my counterparts in other countries. For example, I once worked with a client who was based in China. During our first meeting, they told me that their company valued loyalty above all else. This information helped me tailor my pitch so that I could emphasize the long-term benefits of working with us. It also helped me better understand why they were hesitant about some of our initial proposals.”