We expect our team members to effectively communicate with colleagues and clients. What would you do if there was a breakdown in communication on your team?

How to Answer
1st Answer Example
2nd Answer Example

A central part of Plaid's company culture is the sense of community among team members that it fosters. Thoughtful and effective communication is a critical component of maintaining this positive work environment.

If you can think of an example off the top of your head, point to a time where you observed a breakdown of communication in the workplace, highlighting the steps that you took to mitigate the problems that arose from the breakdown. If you can't think of a specific example, it's sufficient to outline the steps you would take if this hypothesis were to come true. Focus your response on the concrete actions you would take to address the breakdown in communication and ensure that it doesn't happen again.

"A few months ago, I had an experience where a team member and I were not on the same page about a project. We had completely different visions for how the work should play out, and given our busy schedules, we had not devoted sufficient time to draw up a concrete plan to approach and ultimately execute the project. The result of our failure to communicate well resulted in a disjointed project that did not address what it needed to. I immediately set up a meeting with the coworker, and we spoke openly about the causes of our lapse in communication and the steps we would take in the next few days to fix the problem. Then, we made sure to have regular check-ins to ensure we collaborated effectively to improve the project. From this experience, I've learned the importance of addressing breakdowns in communication right when they happen and to schedule regular check-ins to avoid miscommunications from happening in the first place."

"I think that effective communication is the key to success when working with team members from different backgrounds and ways of approaching work solutions. I pride myself in my ability to truly listen to others' ideas and ask important follow-up questions that get to the crux of their ideas. In his way, I believe my active listening approach allows me to prevent most breakdowns in communication from happening in the first place. However, if a hiccup in communication does occur, I would immediately address it with a coworker through an assertive, solutions-oriented approach."

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How to Answer: We expect our team members to effectively communicate with colleagues and clients. What would you do if there was a breakdown in communication on your team?

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

8. We expect our team members to effectively communicate with colleagues and clients. What would you do if there was a breakdown in communication on your team?

How to Answer

A central part of Plaid's company culture is the sense of community among team members that it fosters. Thoughtful and effective communication is a critical component of maintaining this positive work environment.

If you can think of an example off the top of your head, point to a time where you observed a breakdown of communication in the workplace, highlighting the steps that you took to mitigate the problems that arose from the breakdown. If you can't think of a specific example, it's sufficient to outline the steps you would take if this hypothesis were to come true. Focus your response on the concrete actions you would take to address the breakdown in communication and ensure that it doesn't happen again.

1st Answer Example

"A few months ago, I had an experience where a team member and I were not on the same page about a project. We had completely different visions for how the work should play out, and given our busy schedules, we had not devoted sufficient time to draw up a concrete plan to approach and ultimately execute the project. The result of our failure to communicate well resulted in a disjointed project that did not address what it needed to. I immediately set up a meeting with the coworker, and we spoke openly about the causes of our lapse in communication and the steps we would take in the next few days to fix the problem. Then, we made sure to have regular check-ins to ensure we collaborated effectively to improve the project. From this experience, I've learned the importance of addressing breakdowns in communication right when they happen and to schedule regular check-ins to avoid miscommunications from happening in the first place."

2nd Answer Example

"I think that effective communication is the key to success when working with team members from different backgrounds and ways of approaching work solutions. I pride myself in my ability to truly listen to others' ideas and ask important follow-up questions that get to the crux of their ideas. In his way, I believe my active listening approach allows me to prevent most breakdowns in communication from happening in the first place. However, if a hiccup in communication does occur, I would immediately address it with a coworker through an assertive, solutions-oriented approach."

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