Tell me about a time you had a communication breakdown at work.

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
What You Need to Know
Experienced Example

The example you offer should inform your interviewer of your emotional intelligence. Your adeptness in such situations might provide them context to your mediation skills and whether you are part of the solution or part of the problem. Your answer should also provide indications of how well you would get along with their teams.

There is a great deal of advice in Heineken's code of business conduct for effectively communicating with your colleagues. Ultimately, you want to convey that you are a strong collaborator and team player and that you build and maintain strong professional relationships. So read up on their approach, and determine how it aligns with your own. Ultimately, you want to demonstrate, with sincerity, how you are already one of them. For example, Heineken recommends, "If in doubt, have open and honest conversations and discuss your dilemmas with your colleagues. We encourage people to have honest conversations within their team, as issues are often best resolved straight away among colleagues."

"I pride myself on my communication skills, and in my previous role, the health and safety of our employees was reliant on healthy communication. We transported dangerous goods, and we were all required to take specific workshops on communication, both verbally and for written documentation and correspondence. That is always the focus, how everyone can work together as one team, with the welfare of the team as a whole in mind. So anytime things weren't clear, or the message sent wasn't the message received, I would just focus on how to adapt my communication to the other person. Writing it out or using visuals worked better for one person and analogies for another. For example, not long ago, I was working with someone who was dyslexic, and I had to verbally give them directions over the phone for a very urgent delivery to a very important client. Classically they might mix up right and left. So I got onto Google Maps and looked for landmarks. I then described each landmark for each turn, and got them there in record time."

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How to Answer: Tell me about a time you had a communication breakdown at work.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Heineken job interview.

14. Tell me about a time you had a communication breakdown at work.

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

The example you offer should inform your interviewer of your emotional intelligence. Your adeptness in such situations might provide them context to your mediation skills and whether you are part of the solution or part of the problem. Your answer should also provide indications of how well you would get along with their teams.

Written by Kevin Downey on October 28th, 2023

What You Need to Know

There is a great deal of advice in Heineken's code of business conduct for effectively communicating with your colleagues. Ultimately, you want to convey that you are a strong collaborator and team player and that you build and maintain strong professional relationships. So read up on their approach, and determine how it aligns with your own. Ultimately, you want to demonstrate, with sincerity, how you are already one of them. For example, Heineken recommends, "If in doubt, have open and honest conversations and discuss your dilemmas with your colleagues. We encourage people to have honest conversations within their team, as issues are often best resolved straight away among colleagues."

Written by Samantha Brown on November 28th, 2023

Experienced Example

"I pride myself on my communication skills, and in my previous role, the health and safety of our employees was reliant on healthy communication. We transported dangerous goods, and we were all required to take specific workshops on communication, both verbally and for written documentation and correspondence. That is always the focus, how everyone can work together as one team, with the welfare of the team as a whole in mind. So anytime things weren't clear, or the message sent wasn't the message received, I would just focus on how to adapt my communication to the other person. Writing it out or using visuals worked better for one person and analogies for another. For example, not long ago, I was working with someone who was dyslexic, and I had to verbally give them directions over the phone for a very urgent delivery to a very important client. Classically they might mix up right and left. So I got onto Google Maps and looked for landmarks. I then described each landmark for each turn, and got them there in record time."

Written by Samantha Brown on November 28th, 2023

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