How to Answer: Talk about a time you had to partner with an external partner or team to work as a cohesive unit. What steps did you take to ensure that you were as effective as could be in the partnership?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a LifeLabs job interview.
27. Talk about a time you had to partner with an external partner or team to work as a cohesive unit. What steps did you take to ensure that you were as effective as could be in the partnership?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear about your ability to work cohesively with others outside their organization. LifeLabs is an external laboratory service that provides lab testing to healthcare providers, corporate customers, and provincial healthcare organizations throughout Canada. Because of this, many positions within the organization must partner with people from outside the organization to ensure a great working relationship. If you have any experience doing this, discuss the situation and what you did to make it a success. Suppose you don't have any experience in this realm; there is no need to fret. Just talk about your ability to work as part of a team and expand that to working with others outside the organization.
Written by Krista Wenz on August 14th, 2022
Focus Your Answer On
Now is a great time to talk about your ability to collaborate with others and be a team player. The interviewer wants to hear that you have the interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills to work with others effectively.
Written by Krista Wenz on August 14th, 2022
1st Answer Example
"During my career as a Materials Manager in several industries, I've had to partner with many customers to help develop excellent relationships to help my organizations find great solutions and pricing on goods. Five years ago, I entered the healthcare world of Materials Management, and right away, I began evaluating suppliers of some products that hadn't been evaluated in years. Based on research and input from department leaders, I began working on researching new suppliers for cleaning supplies around our facilities. My research showed that we were paying too high prices for our supplies. In contacting several competitors, I worked with sales staff from three suppliers in the end. On my end, talking about our needs and budgets to help negotiate was critical in helping my organization find the best products at the right price. My ability to be knowledgeable and to work with an internal team helped my ability to work with external clients through the decision process."
Written by Krista Wenz on August 14th, 2022
2nd Answer Example
"Having only worked as an MLT in a large healthcare organization, I haven't had to work with external providers through this point in my career. But, I think my experience in a large organization would translate well to LifeLabs. My current lab setting is centrally located at our largest hospital, and I work on samples from many remotely located labs and hospitals. Conversations with providers often happen over the phone or through instant messaging versus in-person meetings. With these providers, I use effective and timely communication skills to build trust with them, and I think this ability would work well with the providers I would potentially work with at LifeLabs. What can you explain about the MLTs working with external providers here?"
Written by Krista Wenz on August 14th, 2022