Making the employees feel good about coming to work should be among any company’s major objectives. A positive work environment will motivate workers to look forward to showing up every day. If you have a good work environment, waking up early in the morning for work will be much more satisfying.

As an applicant, your interviewer would, of course, be interested in knowing about your ideal work environment. He or she wants to know what type of work setting you feel most comfortable and productive with. So, what is the interviewer’s intention behind this question?

• Ideal yet realistic. The interviewer wants to see if your type of work environment is closely related the reality of their organization. He or she also wants to know if your ideal setting is realistic and possible.
• Compatibility and suitability. The interviewer wants to assess if you’re well-matched with their company. You’re competing with many other good applicants, and they will take into consideration the preferences and suitability of each and every one.

How do you answer this question? How do you explain to the interviewer what your ideal work environment is?

1. Do your research.

Prepare your answer by researching the company and the kind of environment they have. You can try asking people who work in the same field, or search the Internet. It’s highly advantageous if you were referred by someone inside the company; you can ask that person about their work situation.

2. Describe what you found out.

When the interviewer asks you about your ideal work environment, you can now describe their workplace. Just be careful not to let him or her notice that you’re describing it. Keep in mind that your description should sound like it’s your idea and not based on research.

Don’t forget to keep your answers real. Giving your interviewer an idea of your ideal work environment will enable him or her to gauge how well you would fit with the company. This will benefit both of you in the end.