Tell me about a time when you gained trust.

In this question, the interviewer wants to know about a situation where you were able to build trustworthiness in a professional setting. Trust is a key aspect of professional relationships that can influence collaboration and productivity. They may be looking for insights into your reliability, sincerity, competence, and ability to communicate. When answering this question, consider following these tips:

1. Describe a situation where you had to gain someone's trust.
2. Discuss how you accomplished this and the methods or strategies you employed.
3. Highlight the outcome, focusing on how your actions benefitted both you and the other party involved.

In my previous role as a project manager, I was assigned to a team that had recently experienced a significant failure in project execution. The team was distrustful and demotivated as they had lost faith in the abilities of their leaders.

I began by acknowledging the previous failure and communicating my plan to avoid such mishaps in future projects. I realized transparency and consistent communication were key to regain their trust. I provided regular updates, encouraged open and honest feedback, and was always available to address questions or concerns. If I didn't know the answer to a question, I'd admit it, but assure them I'd find out. This honesty helped foster a sense of trust in my leadership.

Over time, the team regained their trust in leadership. Our open communication led to improvements in morale and work quality, and by the end of the year, we had successfully completed all our projects, with the last one ahead of schedule.

When I was working as a financial advisor, I had a client who had lost a significant amount of money due to bad investments. He was understandably nervous and skeptical about any investment suggestions.

I gained his trust by being transparent about the possible risks and rewards related to different investments. I also stepped up my communications, providing him with regular updates and always being available for phone calls or meetings to discuss his investment portfolio. This consistent, open communication established trust over time.

Further, I made a point of educating him about different investment avenues, taking the time to explain in layman's terms the technical aspects of investing. This empowered him to make more informed decisions and helped him feel more comfortable.

Within six months, he gained confidence in my recommendations. His investments started generating positive returns and he was comfortable taking bolder decisions with his portfolio based on our shared understanding.