THE VALUES ROUND
Practise the culture and values interview
without sounding coached.
Thirty minutes with an AI interviewer from another team who asks for real moments that show the company's values, a time you were wrong, and why this company. Then a report per value and the note the interviewer would write.
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CULTURE AND VALUES INTERVIEW
Listening
30 minutes · two or three of the company's values, a time you were wrong, and why this company
THE ROUND, MINUTE BY MINUTE
What happens in the 30 minutes
- 0 to 2 min
Hello and the plan
The interviewer says they work on another team, and that the round is about how you work, not what you know.
- 2 to 9 min
The first value
A real moment that shows one of the values. They come from the company's researched values, the ones you paste, or six common ones.
- 9 to 15 min
The second value
Another moment, then follow-ups: who was there, what was said, what it cost you.
- 15 to 20 min
A time you were wrong
Something significant you got wrong, how you found out, and what you do differently now.
- 20 to 23 min
Why this company
One specific thing about the company, why it matters to you, and any honest reservation.
- 23 to 27 min
Your questions
Two or three on the culture, the team or how decisions get made.
- 27 to 30 min
Anything else, and next steps
A chance to add a story you did not get to tell. The interviewer never gives the result in the room.
WHAT YOU WILL BE ASKED
The questions you will hear
Values interviewers ask some version of these. Yours asks five or six of them, with a follow-up for the moment, the people and what it cost.
- Tell me about a time you helped someone when there was nothing in it for you.
- Tell me about a risk you took that could have failed publicly.
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a decision. What did you do?
- Tell me about a time you were wrong about something significant.
- Tell me about a decision you made without enough data.
- Tell me about a time you made a teammate's work better.
- Which of our values do you find hardest, and why?
- Tell me about a time you gave someone hard feedback.
- Tell me about a time you changed your mind after listening to someone.
- Tell me about a time you put the customer first at a cost to you.
- Why us?
- What gives you pause about joining us?
AFTER THE ROUND
What your report covers
Each value, one by one
For each value you were asked about, the behaviour the interviewer saw, whether it showed the value, and whether you leaned on the value's name.
Authenticity and texture
A specific moment, a person who was there, what was said, and what it cost you.
Self-awareness and humility
You owned a real mistake without blame and named one thing you now do differently.
What you would add
A perspective, habit or experience the team may lack, and how it helped a team before.
Why this company
One company detail, a link to your own experience, and an honest question or reservation.
AN EXAMPLE
What the values interviewer would write down · an example
Ownership: took over a failing vendor migration no one owned. 'I put my name on the tracker so there was one person to call.'
Candor: told her director the launch date was not real, with the numbers. 'I said it in the meeting, not after it.'
Authenticity: every story had a person, a date and a cost. Never named the value. Self-awareness: wrong about a pricing change, owns it, now tests with five customers first.
Culture add: brings a support background; set up a weekly hour where engineers read tickets.
Motivation: named our support handbook and asked how teams disagree in public. One honest worry about reorganisations.
Readiness for the values round: Ready, because each story showed the value through what she did and she owned her mistake.
Questions before you start
Which values does it use?
The company's own values when we have researched the company. Otherwise the ones you paste, or six common ones: collaboration, ownership, curiosity and learning, candor, customer focus and inclusion. The interviewer picks two or three for the round.
Should I name the values?
No. Show them through what you did. Naming the value sounds coached, and the interviewer is listening for behaviour, not vocabulary. Your report marks a story that leans on the name. Read how to show a value without naming it.
Is this culture fit?
No. It is culture add: what you would bring that the team may not have yet. Your report scores it from what your stories show you would bring.
How is this different from the behavioral interview?
The behavioral interview tests skills like leading, delivering and handling conflict. The values round tests how you work with others, measured against the company's values, with an interviewer from another team. It also asks for a time you were wrong and why this company.
What if I have a real concern about the company?
Say it. An honest reservation or a real question about the culture is welcome, and the interviewer treats it as a sign you thought about the job. You can add one when you set up the round.
Does it tell me if I passed?
No, just like a real values round. Your report has the note the interviewer would write down, value by value, and how ready you are for the round.
Checking your plan…
BETTER TOGETHER
Prepare for what comes next.
Use the same company context and experience across your application and interview preparation.
TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP
Tell your stories before the round that tests them.
Say each story out loud once, with the moment, the person and the cost. Then read what a values interviewer would write down.