How to Answer: How do you determine priorities when you have multiple projects due?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Davita job interview.
34. How do you determine priorities when you have multiple projects due?
How to Answer
Talk about how you decide which task needs your attention most when you feel torn between multiple projects. Assure the interviewer that you can be diligent when assessing your priorities.
Written by Rachelle Enns
1st Answer Example
"I determine which project requires my attention by the number of hours we are behind and the project size. I am comfortable delegating tasks when needed, but I am also aware that this will require an additional commitment of hours from me. Never have I underdelivered on a deadline."
Written by Rachelle Enns
2nd Answer Example
"Assuming that the projects have different stakeholders, I interview each to determine the value of increased productivity, morale or revenue, decreased costs, and the overall impact."
Written by Rachelle Enns
Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback
Anonymous Answer
"I will determine which project requires my attention by the number of hours and the project size. I am also comfortable delegating tasks when needed."
Alexandra's Feedback
This answer could use a little more specificity. It's great that you point out certain qualities of each project (length and size of project), but I think it would be beneficial to bring up importance as well. I really like your comment about delegating tasks!
"When I have multiple projects due, I first consider the number of hours and size of each project. I also think about the importance of each project. Another aspect to consider is if any of the projects may cause me to become a bottleneck for coworkers trying to do their duties, in which case I would prioritize that project so as not to hold others up. These are all important aspects I keep in mind as I plan how to tackle multiple projects. I also am comfortable delegating tasks when needed."
Show More Answers
Anonymous Answer
"I will make a list and determine what priorities are deemed more important "” also, delegate projects to other people. I will always make sure I follow up with the people or persons that I have delegated tasks to because I am the one that will have to answer for something that wasn't done or done correctly."
Lauren's Feedback
Great! You are providing the interviewer a lot of context. You answered this question on a global level; this will certainly help you stand out as a candidate.
"I have a very analytical approach to my work. I am a huge proponent for list-making and calendaring. Lists and calendaring allow me to prioritize tasks and projects based on the deadline. Delegating can also be a great way to manage multiple projects. I am attentive in following-up with team members who are assisting with projects to ensure efficiency and time management."
Anonymous Answer
"I will determine which project will consume the majority of my time, the most important, and when the deadline is. I will then delegate to others if I am unable to complete the tasks on time myself. I will of course follow up to make sure the projects are being completed as they are my responsibility."
Stephanie's Feedback
Nice! It sounds like you've had quite a bit of experience with prioritization and managing competing deadlines. Do you have any personal organizational systems that you use to stay organized? (example: Asana, Trello, Google calendar, color coding, etc?) If so, I suggest naming these systems to help your interviewers learn more about your organizational style.
Anonymous Answer
"I determine which project requires my attention by the number of hours we are behind and the project size. I am comfortable delegating tasks when needed, but I am also aware that this will require an additional commitment of hours from me. Never have I underdelivered on a deadline."
Marcie's Feedback
Nice! You might mention the keywords urgency and importance of the projects when you talk about prioritizing them. Consider including an example of a time when you had to juggle multiple priorities. Discuss how you successfully navigated this. Beyond delegating tasks, what else did you do? Are there any tools or programs that you use to help you in this area? Great job!
Anonymous Answer
"I assess the project size, complexity, and operational impact."
Jaymie's Feedback
You're off to a good start! Consider discussing other aspects like creating lists, ranking tasks and priorities, allocating time for tasks and milestones, communicating with leaders and team members, etc. More detail will highlight your experience and skills in this area.