At Adyen, we seek to hire leaders. Tell me about a time when you took the initiative to improve work-related procedures.
Adyen makes a habit of promoting their best performers. So, even if you are not interviewing for a management role, you may end up in one down the road! As an employee, there are several initiatives you can take to improve work-related procedures. First, you can thoroughly analyze the existing procedures and identify areas that need improvement. Second, you can collaborate with your colleagues and supervisors to develop practical solutions to address these issues. Third, you can take the initiative to learn new skills and technologies that can enhance the efficiency of the work procedures. By implementing these initiatives, you can contribute to the organization's overall success and create a more streamlined work environment. Talk to the hiring manager about a time when you took the initiative in the workplace and displayed your leadership capabilities, ending with the results of your efforts.
"I was able to present and implement one specific change in the office this past year. It was a recycling program that I felt was very important, even for our smaller office. After implementing this initiative, we had significantly less waste, and I enjoyed seeing others take pride in helping our environment."
"I recently made suggestions to my manager about the team messaging application we were using. My manager mentioned how much money the company was spending on the app, which I found quite high. I researched and found a team-based app that offered a lower monthly cost and added features. He took the suggestion, and it has worked well for our team! The company was happy with the cost savings as well."
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Anonymous Answer
I worked for a year for a non-profit organization. They were mostly middle-aged women who did it as a hobby. I was hired as a social media manager but when I started, I noticed that a lot of improvements could be made. I organized a training of Google Drive, so that documents didn't get lost in email and created templates for the website that could be used by any person who took over my work.
Rachelle's Feedback
This reply is a fantastic start! When approaching 'Tell me about a time' questions, I recommend sticking closely to the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Here is a guide if you'd like to learn more: https://www.mockquestions.com/articles/Master Behavioral-Based Interviews Using The Star Method/
A second note - I recommend refraining from discussing age or gender as much as possible (your second sentence could be awkward if your interviewer is a middle-aged woman!) :) I have offered a slight tweak below.
SITUATION: In... (if you don't mention the organizations' name, then give a year for quick context) worked for a non-profit organization. The organization was run primarily by individuals who were not immersed in social media trends or digital tools, so many improvements needed to be made.
TASK: Since I was hired as a social media manager, I intended to optimize the organizations' approach to social media and other digital efforts.
ACTION: I organized a training program and also trained the organizations' leaders in the use of Google Drive so that documents would no longer get lost in email. I created templates for the website and many other tools that could be easily used after I was gone.
RESULT: The result was...(include a measurable/tangible result related to your efforts).
Anonymous Answer
During my time in Telecoms, I supported Revenue Assurance (RA) in fraud prevention.
One investigation required analysis of raw logs from cell towers.
There were numerous files because the system would create multiple files a day.
This was virgin territory for both their team and my team.
I researched tools for the job, learned how to analyze the data, introduced the tools to RA, taught them how to use the tools, and taught them how to analyze the data.
My work led to fraud being uncovered and steps taken to prevent it in the future.
I had improved RA's fraud investigation procedures.
Rachelle's Feedback
You must be pleased with the results of your hard work! It's terrific that you could make a significant difference to the company's fraud investigation procedures. At the end of your answer, try qualifying yourself with a sentence or two regarding how you will show initiative and leadership capabilities when Adyen hires you.
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