How do you stay organized?
Bank of New Zealand values accountability, so this question is designed to understand your ability to organize, prioritize and time manage your responsibilities. Your answer provides insight into your decision-making skills and ability to manage your workload. Use this opportunity to highlight your ability to use systems or strategies to organize, prioritize, multi-task, delegate, etc. You can also use this opportunity to showcase your communication skills!
"My job is fast-paced, and it's not uncommon to have multiple projects with conflicting priority levels. Because of this environment, I have to stay organized and focused in order to succeed each day. Typically, I plan my week out and create time blocks to ensure I have time to do certain tasks without interruption. I keep my work area neat and tidy so that I can easily find documents and forms. As soon as I feel overwhelmed or fall behind, I meet with my manager to communicate my concerns. We discuss the current projects, and I get their feedback on priority and see if other team members can support some of the work."
"At the end of each workday, I clean up my desk, arrange my files neatly, and ensure everything is in order for the next day. I also make lists of things that need to be done the following day and the rest of the week and I make note of what order of priority they are. I have a color-coding system in Excel and in my email calendar that I utilize when making my lists. I have weekly touchpoints with my manager for accountability and recalibration of the current priorities. I also collaborate with peers to share best practices and ensure we're all being as effective as we can be with templates and documents, etc."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I work closely with my peers to share responsibilities and ensure key tasks are delegated out, should there be an important deadline to consider.
Rachelle's Feedback
Good communication with your co-workers is a very effective way to stay organized. Try also discussing any tech that you may lean on to help you stay on task during the day.
