Credibility is the cornerstone of professional effectiveness. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, credibility can be defined as "the quality of being trusted and believed in due to demonstrated expertise, honesty, and reliability." In a workplace context, it's the combination of competence, character, and consistency that earns someone the trust of colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.

When interviewing candidates, assessing credibility is crucial because it predicts how effectively they'll represent your company's values and build lasting relationships. Credible employees inspire confidence, reduce workplace friction, and enhance team cohesion. This competency manifests through honest communication, delivering on promises, maintaining confidentiality, owning mistakes, and demonstrating consistent alignment between words and actions. For roles involving client relationships, technical expertise, or leadership responsibilities, credibility becomes even more essential as its absence can damage reputation and relationships.

The most effective way to evaluate credibility is through behavioral interview questions that probe past experiences. Focus on listening for specific examples that demonstrate integrity, accountability, and follow-through. Pay attention to how candidates handled situations where their credibility was tested or when they needed to rebuild trust. Look for a pattern of consistency across different scenarios and relationships, as this indicates a fundamental commitment to credible behavior rather than situational ethics. With the right interview approach, you can effectively identify candidates who will maintain and enhance your organization's credibility.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to deliver difficult or unpopular information to a team or stakeholder. How did you approach it?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and why the information was difficult to deliver
• How they prepared for the conversation
• Their communication approach and transparency level
• How they maintained credibility while delivering challenging news
• The response they received from others
• The ultimate outcome of the situation
• What they learned about maintaining credibility in difficult situations

Follow-Up Questions:

• What considerations went into how you framed the message?
• How did you balance transparency with sensitivity in that situation?
• What feedback did you receive about how you handled that communication?
• How did this experience influence how you communicate difficult information now?

Describe a situation where you made a commitment to a colleague, client, or manager that became difficult to fulfill. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the commitment made
• What obstacles or challenges emerged
• How they communicated about the challenge
• Steps taken to try to honor the commitment
• How they maintained credibility throughout the process
• Resolution of the situation
• Lessons learned about making and keeping commitments

Follow-Up Questions:

• At what point did you realize you might not be able to fulfill the commitment as originally promised?
• How quickly did you communicate the potential issue to the relevant parties?
• What alternatives or solutions did you propose?
• How did this experience change your approach to making commitments?

Tell me about a time when you discovered an error in your work that others might not have noticed. What did you do?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and nature of the error
• The potential impact if the error had gone unaddressed
• Their decision-making process about how to handle it
• The actions they took to address the situation
• How they communicated about the error
• The outcome of the situation
• How this reflects their commitment to accuracy and honesty

Follow-Up Questions:

• What would have been the easiest thing to do in that situation?
• What factors influenced your decision to disclose the error?
• How did others respond to your approach?
• What systems or practices did you implement to prevent similar errors in the future?

Share an experience where your ethical standards were tested in a professional setting. How did you respond?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific ethical challenge they faced
• The stakeholders involved and competing pressures
• Their decision-making process
• Actions taken to uphold ethical standards
• How they communicated their position
• The outcome and consequences of their actions
• How this experience reinforced or shaped their professional ethics

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific values or principles guided your decision in that situation?
• Were there any personal or professional risks involved in the stance you took?
• How did you explain your position to others who might have disagreed?
• Looking back, would you handle the situation any differently now?

Describe a situation where you had to rebuild trust with a colleague, client, or team member. What happened and what steps did you take?

Areas to Cover:

• The circumstances that led to the breach of trust
• Their recognition and ownership of the situation
• Specific actions taken to rebuild credibility
• Their communication approach
• Challenges faced during the process
• The outcome of their efforts
• Lessons learned about maintaining and repairing trust

Follow-Up Questions:

• What was the most challenging aspect of rebuilding that relationship?
• How did you know when trust had been restored?
• What did you learn about yourself through this process?
• How has this experience influenced how you maintain trust in your relationships now?

Tell me about a time when you had to represent information or data that you weren't completely confident about. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The context of the situation
• What caused their uncertainty about the information
• How they evaluated the reliability of the information
• Their approach to presenting the information
• How they conveyed appropriate levels of confidence or doubt
• The outcome of the situation
• How this reflects their commitment to accuracy and transparency

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific language or qualifiers did you use to accurately represent your confidence level?
• What steps did you take to verify the information before presenting it?
• How did others respond to your approach?
• How do you balance the need to project confidence with the importance of accuracy?

Share an example of when you had access to confidential information. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the confidential information
• Their understanding of their responsibilities regarding the information
• Specific actions taken to protect confidentiality
• Any challenges or pressures they faced to disclose information
• How they navigated conversations around the protected information
• The outcome of the situation
• What this demonstrates about their discretion and trustworthiness

Follow-Up Questions:

• Were there any moments when you were unsure about what you could or couldn't share?
• How did you handle questions from others about information you couldn't disclose?
• What systems or practices did you use to ensure confidentiality was maintained?
• How do you balance transparency with the need for confidentiality?

Describe a situation where you observed someone else acting in a way that could damage the team's or organization's credibility. What did you do?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific behavior they observed
• Their assessment of the potential impact
• How they decided whether and how to intervene
• Actions they took to address the situation
• How they communicated with the person involved
• The outcome of their intervention
• What this reveals about their commitment to organizational credibility

Follow-Up Questions:

• What risks did you consider before deciding to take action?
• How did you approach the conversation with the person involved?
• What response did you receive from the individual and others?
• How would you handle a similar situation in the future?

Tell me about a time when you had to admit you didn't have the answer or didn't know how to solve a problem. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and context
• Their decision process about acknowledging their knowledge gap
• How they communicated about not having the answer
• Steps they took to find the information or solution
• How they followed up after acquiring the information
• The impact on their relationships with others involved
• What this demonstrates about their authenticity and humility

Follow-Up Questions:

• What concerns did you have about admitting you didn't know?
• How did others respond to your approach?
• What resources or methods did you use to find the answer?
• How has this experience influenced how you handle similar situations now?

Share an example of a time when you had to correct information you had previously provided. How did you approach this?

Areas to Cover:

• The original information provided and the context
• How they discovered the information was incorrect
• Their decision-making process about correcting it
• How they communicated the correction
• The impact on those who received the incorrect information
• The outcome of the situation
• What this demonstrates about their commitment to accuracy and honesty

Follow-Up Questions:

• How quickly did you act once you realized the information was incorrect?
• What was the reaction from those who received the correction?
• How did you ensure the correct information was properly understood?
• What steps did you implement to prevent similar situations in the future?

Describe a situation where you had to deliver on a commitment despite unexpected obstacles. What did you do to ensure you followed through?

Areas to Cover:

• The commitment made and to whom
• The unexpected challenges that emerged
• Their problem-solving approach
• Communication with stakeholders about the obstacles
• Specific actions taken to overcome the challenges
• The outcome of their efforts
• What this reveals about their persistence and reliability

Follow-Up Questions:

• At what point did you realize meeting the commitment would be challenging?
• How did you prioritize this commitment against other responsibilities?
• What creative solutions did you consider or implement?
• How did this experience influence how you approach commitments now?

Tell me about a time when standing by your professional principles or ethics caused difficulty for you. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific principles at stake in the situation
• The pressures or incentives to compromise those principles
• Their decision-making process
• Actions taken to uphold their standards
• How they communicated their position
• The short and long-term consequences of their stance
• What this demonstrates about their integrity and moral courage

Follow-Up Questions:

• What potential consequences did you consider before taking your stance?
• How did you explain your position to others who disagreed?
• What support, if any, did you seek during this challenging situation?
• Looking back, how do you feel about the decision you made?

Share an example of when you realized you had made a significant mistake that affected others. What did you do?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the mistake and its impact
• How they discovered or realized the error
• Their immediate reaction and thought process
• Actions taken to address the mistake
• How they communicated about the error to those affected
• Steps taken to prevent similar mistakes
• What this reveals about their accountability and integrity

Follow-Up Questions:

• How quickly did you acknowledge the mistake?
• What was most difficult about taking responsibility in this situation?
• How did others respond to your approach?
• What specific changes did you implement as a result of this experience?

Describe a situation where you had to maintain confidentiality even when pressured to share information. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and nature of the confidential information
• The source and nature of the pressure to disclose
• Their decision-making process
• How they responded to the pressure
• Strategies used to maintain confidentiality while managing relationships
• The outcome of the situation
• What this demonstrates about their discretion and integrity

Follow-Up Questions:

• What made this situation particularly challenging?
• How did you respond to direct questions without compromising confidentiality?
• How did you manage the relationship with those seeking the information?
• What principles guided your approach to this situation?

Tell me about a time when your actions were being closely scrutinized. How did you ensure you maintained credibility?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and reason for the scrutiny
• Their awareness of being under observation
• Specific strategies used to demonstrate credibility
• Their communication approach during this period
• How they handled mistakes or challenges during the scrutiny
• The outcome of the situation
• What this reveals about their approach to building and maintaining trust

Follow-Up Questions:

• What aspects of your performance or behavior did you pay special attention to?
• How did you balance authenticity with the awareness of being observed?
• Were there any moments when maintaining credibility was particularly challenging?
• What feedback did you receive about how you handled this period?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are behavioral questions better than hypothetical ones for assessing credibility?

Behavioral questions reveal how candidates have actually demonstrated credibility in real situations rather than how they think they would act. Past behavior is the strongest predictor of future performance, especially for character-based competencies like credibility. Hypothetical questions often elicit idealized answers that reflect what candidates think you want to hear rather than how they genuinely operate.

How many credibility-focused questions should I include in an interview?

Rather than asking all 15 questions, select 3-4 that are most relevant to your role and organization. This allows you to thoroughly explore each scenario with follow-up questions. Remember that quality surpasses quantity in behavioral interviewing - deeper exploration of fewer examples yields better insights than surface-level coverage of many situations.

What if a candidate struggles to provide specific examples for credibility questions?

If a candidate consistently provides vague or hypothetical answers, it may indicate limited experience with situations that tested their credibility or difficulty recognizing these moments. Try broadening the scope (e.g., "This could be from academic, volunteer, or personal contexts") or asking about a related competency. Persistent inability to provide concrete examples may be a red flag worth exploring in reference checks.

How can I tell if a candidate is being truthful in their examples?

Look for detailed, nuanced stories with specific challenges, actions, and results. Authentic examples typically include both successes and struggles, demonstrate self-awareness, and maintain consistency when probed with follow-up questions. Compare answers across multiple credibility questions to identify patterns, and validate key examples through reference checks.

Can credibility be developed, or is it an innate trait?

While some aspects of credibility (like honesty) are deeply rooted in character, credibility as a whole can absolutely be developed. Many people learn about maintaining credibility through experience and mentorship. When evaluating candidates, look both for their current credibility behaviors and their growth trajectory - how they've learned from challenges to their credibility and implemented changes to strengthen this competency over time.

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