How do you manage a large workload?
The interviewer wants assurances you can handle the workload this position requires. They are curious whether you are resourceful when you become overwhelmed and if you take on too many responsibilities when workloads unexpectedly increase, overpromising and under-delivering. They hope you possess the communication skills necessary to delegate successfully. Lastly, how you answer can indicate how you react when workloads and stress levels increase.
"When I have a large workload, I don't see any point in stressing over it. I just act, make a simple plan of which tasks are a high priority and which are a lower priority, and confront the tasks in front of me one by one. Taking a systematic approach reduces stress most of the time anyway and removes any sense of feeling overwhelmed. Most often, I complete the higher priority tasks first and focus."
Here are some suggestions on how to handle a large workload:
- List your tasks and prioritize them
- Think of which tasks add to the company's bottom line, and start there (Closest to the money!)
- Exhale. Relax for a minute and collect yourself
- Organize your tasks by which ones you can complete independently and which ones you need help with
- Take sufficient breaks so you do not exhaust yourself
- Communicate your struggles with your leadership or team
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
First of all I plan, If its a significant workload then divide into small task, I find the person who knows the job and assigns them, take their feedback about the time and probability of finish time, so I have an idea of how long It can take approximately and have an almost clear picture that it can be doable.
Rachelle's Feedback
Dividing large tasks into smaller tasks, while asking for feedback on timeline, are excellent ways to tackle large jobs. Good!
"When I have a large workload, I will divide it into small tasks. I will also find someone who knows how to do the tasks and ask for their feedback on how long the job may take. This way, I have a good idea of my timeframe."
