Knowledge sharing is the deliberate exchange of information, insights, expertise, and ideas among individuals or groups to enhance collective knowledge and organizational effectiveness. In the workplace, it refers to a person's ability and willingness to communicate valuable information, document processes, provide guidance, and facilitate learning across teams and departments. This competency is evaluated in interviews by assessing how candidates proactively disseminate knowledge, create documentation, mentor others, and contribute to a learning culture.

Knowledge sharing stands as a cornerstone of organizational success in today's complex business landscape. When employees effectively exchange information and expertise, companies experience improved innovation, reduced knowledge silos, enhanced problem-solving capabilities, and greater operational efficiency. This competency manifests in various forms—from formal documentation and training to informal mentoring and collaborative problem-solving sessions.

The dimensions of knowledge sharing encompass several key aspects: documentation skills (creating clear, accessible resources), teaching ability (explaining complex concepts in understandable terms), collaborative mindset (willingness to share rather than hoard information), communication adaptability (tailoring information to different audiences), and systems thinking (understanding how knowledge flows through an organization). When evaluating candidates, interviewers should look for evidence of these different facets rather than a one-dimensional view of information transfer.

To effectively assess knowledge sharing capabilities, interviewers should listen for specific examples that demonstrate a candidate's past behaviors rather than hypothetical responses. Focus on how the candidate identified knowledge gaps, what specific actions they took to share information, and the measurable impact of their knowledge sharing efforts. Using behavioral interview questions coupled with thoughtful follow-up questions will reveal patterns that indicate whether knowledge sharing is a natural strength for the candidate or merely an occasional practice.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you identified a knowledge gap in your team or organization and took initiative to address it.

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate identified the knowledge gap
• The specific actions taken to share knowledge
• The approach used to make the information accessible and useful
• Any resistance encountered and how it was overcome
• The impact of the knowledge sharing initiative
• How success was measured or evaluated
• Whether the solution was sustainable

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific tools or methods did you use to share this knowledge?
• How did you ensure the information was understood and retained by others?
• How did you determine what information was most important to share?
• What would you do differently if you were to approach this situation again?

Describe a situation where you created documentation or a knowledge base that improved your team's efficiency or effectiveness.

Areas to Cover:

• The motivation for creating the documentation
• How the candidate determined what information to include
• The process of organizing and structuring the information
• Efforts to make the documentation user-friendly and accessible
• Methods used to keep the documentation updated
• Specific improvements or outcomes resulting from the documentation
• Feedback received from users of the documentation

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you ensure the documentation remained relevant and up-to-date?
• What considerations did you make regarding the format and accessibility of the information?
• How did you encourage others to contribute to or utilize the documentation?
• What challenges did you face in creating effective documentation, and how did you overcome them?

Give me an example of when you helped a colleague or team member learn a new skill or understand a complex concept.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific skill or concept being taught
• How the candidate assessed the learner's current knowledge level
• The teaching approach or methods used
• How the candidate adapted their communication style
• Challenges encountered during the teaching process
• Evidence that the knowledge transfer was successful
• What the candidate learned from the teaching experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine the most effective way to explain the concept to this person?
• What signals or feedback told you whether your explanation was being understood?
• How did you adjust your approach if your initial explanation wasn't working?
• What did you learn about effective knowledge sharing from this experience?

Tell me about a time when you had to share technical or specialized knowledge with non-experts.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the specialized knowledge
• The audience and their level of technical understanding
• How the candidate translated complex information
• Techniques used to make the information accessible
• Visual aids or analogies employed
• How the candidate confirmed understanding
• The outcome of the knowledge sharing effort

Follow-Up Questions:

• What techniques did you use to make complex information more accessible?
• How did you gauge whether your audience was understanding the information?
• What challenges did you face in translating technical concepts, and how did you overcome them?
• How has this experience influenced how you share specialized knowledge now?

Describe a situation where you had to learn something quickly and then immediately share that knowledge with others.

Areas to Cover:

• The context that required rapid learning and sharing
• Methods used to learn the new information
• How the candidate organized and prioritized the information
• The approach to sharing the newly acquired knowledge
• Challenges in learning or sharing under time pressure
• Effectiveness of the knowledge transfer
• Lessons learned about efficient knowledge acquisition and dissemination

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you ensure the accuracy of the information you were sharing?
• What strategies did you use to organize the information in a logical way?
• How did you prioritize what to learn and what to share when time was limited?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?

Tell me about a cross-functional project where your knowledge sharing was crucial to the project's success.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the cross-functional project
• The different teams or departments involved
• What specific knowledge needed to be shared
• Methods used to bridge knowledge gaps between teams
• Challenges in communicating across functional boundaries
• How knowledge sharing improved collaboration
• The overall impact on project outcomes

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you adapt your communication style for different functional teams?
• What tools or platforms did you use to facilitate knowledge sharing across teams?
• What challenges did you face in sharing knowledge across functional boundaries?
• How did you ensure that knowledge continued to flow throughout the project lifecycle?

Describe a time when you encountered resistance when trying to share important information or knowledge.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and the importance of the information
• The nature of the resistance encountered
• The candidate's understanding of why resistance occurred
• Strategies used to overcome the resistance
• How the candidate adapted their approach
• The eventual outcome of the knowledge sharing effort
• Lessons learned about managing resistance to knowledge sharing

Follow-Up Questions:

• Why do you think there was resistance to your knowledge sharing efforts?
• How did you modify your approach once you encountered resistance?
• What specific techniques were most effective in overcoming the resistance?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to knowledge sharing in potentially resistant environments?

Give me an example of how you've encouraged or facilitated knowledge sharing within a team or organization.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific knowledge sharing initiative or culture change
• The candidate's role in promoting knowledge sharing
• Methods or systems implemented to facilitate sharing
• How participation was encouraged and incentivized
• Barriers encountered and how they were addressed
• The impact on team collaboration and performance
• Long-term sustainability of the knowledge sharing practices

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific structures or processes did you put in place to facilitate knowledge sharing?
• How did you motivate others to participate in knowledge sharing activities?
• What metrics or indicators did you use to track the effectiveness of knowledge sharing?
• What insights did you gain about creating a knowledge sharing culture?

Tell me about a time when you had to onboard or train a new team member and ensure they had all the knowledge they needed to succeed.

Areas to Cover:

• The approach to structuring the onboarding/training
• How knowledge transfer priorities were determined
• Methods used to convey different types of information
• How progress and understanding were assessed
• Adjustments made based on the new member's learning style
• The effectiveness of the onboarding process
• Feedback received from the new team member

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine what information was most critical for the new team member?
• What techniques did you use to ensure the information was retained, not just heard?
• How did you balance providing comprehensive information with not overwhelming the new team member?
• What would you change about your approach to make the knowledge transfer more effective?

Describe a situation where you recognized that organizational knowledge was being lost or at risk, and you took steps to preserve it.

Areas to Cover:

• How the knowledge risk was identified
• The importance of the at-risk knowledge
• Methods used to capture and preserve the knowledge
• Stakeholders involved in the preservation effort
• Challenges in extracting and documenting the knowledge
• Systems or processes implemented for knowledge retention
• Long-term impact of the knowledge preservation initiative

Follow-Up Questions:

• What signals indicated to you that valuable knowledge was at risk?
• What techniques did you use to extract knowledge that might have been tacit or undocumented?
• How did you ensure the preserved knowledge would remain accessible and useful?
• What systems or processes did you put in place to prevent similar knowledge loss in the future?

Tell me about a time when you used knowledge sharing to help solve a complex problem or overcome a significant challenge.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the problem or challenge
• The knowledge gaps that were impeding progress
• How relevant knowledge was identified and gathered
• The process of synthesizing and applying the knowledge
• How collaboration and knowledge exchange contributed to the solution
• The outcome and impact of the solution
• Lessons learned about knowledge sharing in problem-solving contexts

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify what knowledge was needed to address the problem?
• What methods did you use to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information?
• How did you synthesize different perspectives or pieces of information?
• What role did knowledge sharing play in the eventual solution?

Give me an example of how you've used technology or digital tools to improve knowledge sharing.

Areas to Cover:

• The knowledge sharing challenge or opportunity addressed
• The specific tools or technologies implemented
• Why those particular tools were selected
• How the candidate ensured adoption and proper use
• Challenges encountered during implementation
• The impact on knowledge accessibility and use
• Lessons learned about technology-enabled knowledge sharing

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you select the most appropriate tools for your knowledge sharing needs?
• What steps did you take to ensure people would actually use the tools?
• What challenges did you encounter when implementing these tools, and how did you address them?
• How did you measure the effectiveness of the technology in improving knowledge sharing?

Describe a time when you had to share lessons learned from a failure or mistake to help others avoid similar issues.

Areas to Cover:

• The context of the failure or mistake
• The candidate's approach to analyzing what went wrong
• How they prepared to share potentially sensitive information
• The method chosen to communicate the lessons learned
• How they created a constructive rather than blame-focused message
• The reception of the shared lessons
• Evidence that the knowledge sharing prevented similar issues

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you create an environment where it felt safe to discuss failures?
• What was most challenging about sharing this particular experience?
• How did you frame the lessons learned to be constructive rather than critical?
• What evidence do you have that your knowledge sharing prevented similar issues?

Tell me about a time when you had to adapt your knowledge sharing approach for someone with a different learning style or communication preference.

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate identified the different learning style or preference
• Specific adaptations made to their communication approach
• Methods used to present information differently
• Challenges encountered and how they were overcome
• The effectiveness of the adapted approach
• What the candidate learned about flexible knowledge sharing
• How this experience influenced their future knowledge sharing efforts

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you recognize that your initial approach wasn't effective?
• What specific adjustments did you make to accommodate their learning style?
• How did you confirm that your adapted approach was more effective?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to knowledge sharing with diverse audiences?

Give me an example of how you've ensured that critical knowledge wasn't siloed within your team or department but was shared across the organization.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the critical knowledge
• Why cross-organizational sharing was important
• Methods used to break down knowledge silos
• Stakeholders engaged in the knowledge sharing effort
• Challenges in cross-organizational communication
• Systems or processes implemented to facilitate sharing
• The impact of the broader knowledge distribution
• Sustainability of the cross-organizational knowledge flow

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify which knowledge needed to be shared more broadly?
• What resistance did you encounter when trying to share knowledge across organizational boundaries?
• What formats or channels proved most effective for cross-organizational knowledge sharing?
• How did you ensure the shared knowledge was actually used by other teams or departments?

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between knowledge sharing and simply communicating information?

Knowledge sharing goes beyond basic information transfer—it involves making expertise accessible and usable by others. While communication focuses on the transmission of messages, knowledge sharing emphasizes ensuring understanding, providing context, enabling application, and transferring both explicit and tacit knowledge. Effective knowledge sharers don't just relay facts; they create learning opportunities, develop systems for knowledge preservation, and actively work to enhance organizational intelligence.

How can I tell if a candidate truly values knowledge sharing versus just claiming they do?

Look for concrete examples of proactive knowledge sharing initiatives they've led or participated in. Strong candidates will describe specific documentation they've created, mentoring relationships they've developed, or systems they've implemented—complete with measurable outcomes. Their examples should demonstrate consistency over time rather than isolated incidents. Also, listen for how they talk about others' contributions to their knowledge; candidates who readily acknowledge learning from colleagues typically value knowledge exchange.

How many knowledge sharing questions should I include in an interview?

Ideally, include 2-3 knowledge sharing questions in a structured interview, focusing on different dimensions of the competency (like documentation, teaching, cross-functional communication). This provides enough data points for assessment without overemphasizing one competency. For roles where knowledge sharing is critical—like technical leads, trainers, or documentation specialists—you might dedicate up to 25% of your interview questions to this area.

Can knowledge sharing skills be developed, or are they innate?

Knowledge sharing skills can definitely be developed with practice and feedback. While some people may naturally enjoy teaching or documenting, the specific techniques for effective knowledge transfer can be learned. Look for candidates who demonstrate a growth mindset about their communication abilities and can articulate how they've improved their knowledge sharing approaches over time. Even candidates without formal knowledge sharing experience can develop these skills when provided with tools, mentorship, and a supportive environment.

How should I evaluate knowledge sharing for candidates from different cultural backgrounds?

Be mindful that knowledge sharing practices and communication styles vary across cultures. Some cultures emphasize explicit documentation, while others rely more on relationship-based knowledge transfer. When interviewing candidates from diverse backgrounds, focus on the effectiveness of their knowledge sharing within their context rather than expecting a specific approach. Ask questions about how they've adapted their knowledge sharing for different audiences, which can reveal cultural intelligence and flexibility.

Interested in a full interview guide with Knowledge Sharing as a key trait? Sign up for Yardstick and build it for free.