How to Answer: Tell me about your greatest work-related accomplishment.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an ADP job interview.
5. Tell me about your greatest work-related accomplishment.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Asking about your most significant accomplishment allows the interviewer to dive more deeply into your professional background. It also gives the interviewer the opportunity to learn more about your personality, how you like to be motivated, and what you value personally and professionally.
Written by Elisabeth Walter
How to Answer
It is okay to brag a little bit when answering this question. Demonstrate that you are proud of yourself and your career accomplishments and that you would take this same sense of pride in your work to a new role with ADP. Point to a specific, relevant example that highlights the impact you made on a project.
Written by Rachel Hills on November 13th, 2022
1st Entry Level Example
"The greatest accomplishment in my career was graduating college as an honor student while still working full time in a related field. I graduated at the top of my class while receiving high-performance reviews at my job. This accomplishment showed me that I could dedicate myself to my career and education while reaching the goals that I set for myself. It felt great to accomplish so much and be recognized for my dedication."
Written by Elisabeth Walter
1st Answer Example
"My greatest work-related accomplishment was the management promotion I received at Gusto after just one year. I worked very hard for that promotion and was so happy when my work and dedication were rewarded. It kick-started my career."
Written by Jaymie Payne on November 13th, 2022
2nd Answer Example
"I previously worked for an RPO and was very client-facing. I was a contract HR generalist, handling payroll, timekeeping, recruitment management ATS and benefits administration. Each quarter, my manager would work with my client to gather feedback on my performance, and I always received a superior rating on customer service, communication skills, responsiveness, and accuracy of my work."
Written by Jaymie Payne on November 13th, 2022
About the Author
When I started my career in business management, branding, and marketing, I mistakenly assumed hard work and integrity alone would get me noticed. Back then, I assumed the harder I worked, the faster I’d rise through the ranks. Yet, even in a meritocracy, this is rarely the case.
The goals of my peers competed with mine, and too often, they were better at getting noticed for their accomplishments. And, some of them were all too happy to watch me working harder, as they worked smarter, rising through the ranks faster than me. At one point, a boss of mine labeled me a stealth worker. They said they had no idea I was the one performing all that great work. If only I’d drawn more attention to what I was doing, maybe I would have gotten rewarded for it. So I learned most of my leadership skills the hard way, and the journey was long.
As a leader, my favorite part of the job came to be coaching others. I took pride in sharing the secrets to my eventual success, and offering my outside-of-the-box view of the role. Where other leaders were only in it for themselves, I was genuinely in it for the company and the team. So I taught those I mentored not only what they needed to do, and how to do the job right, but why each step was important. I spelled out how everything fit into the big picture and shared every trick of the trade that no one shared with me. Every single individual I mentored advanced far ahead of their peers, surpassing those who were only in it for themselves.
Another favorite part of the job was recruiting and building the perfect teams. For me, conducting an interview was an art form. I later volunteered my services at career fairs and trade schools, offering advice, from crafting the perfect CV and resume, to delivering a perfect interview, to negotiating a decent raise. Now I am a full-time writer, and left my management career behind me. Yet, I still love coaching others to succeed, and I love writing for mockquestions.com for this very reason.
Here’s what I said to a friend of mine whom I mentored a long time ago: “Every single thing you do, at every stage, can alter the perception others have of your professional worth. My goal is to make you look like an asset worth fighting for.”
Learn more about Kevin Downey