Work volumes can become very high at our company. How do you handle a larger than average workload?

"When I have a large workload on my plate, I do not stress over the tasks that are in front of me. Rather, I make a simple plan of which tasks are a high priority and which tasks are a lower priority. The higher priority tasks, I complete first. Through this system, I can focus on my tasks individually, rather than stressing out about the multitude of tasks ahead of me. With P&G's focus on interdependency, I also believe that I could reach out to team members and/or colleagues in order to effectively divide and conquer particular challenges that lead to a heavy workload."

"Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I try to take a few deep breaths, review my list of tasks and concentrate first on those that are of highest strategic priority to the organization - in other words, the tasks most likely to positively affect the company's bottom line. If I can put my highest expenditure of resources there, I'm more likely to make a positive impact on the organization overall. In my current role, we've faced a pretty major staffing shortage for over a year now. Our teamwork and communication are vital to ensure our success and the happiness of our customers."

When workloads increase, stress levels do too and your interviewer is fully aware of this. In looking to hear that you can handle a large workload in a healthy and productive manner, try to give an example of a time where you had to do just that. As you answer, some things to highlight are your ability to prioritize tasks and use the resources at hand to help you. Make sure you talk about your ability to stay as stress-free as possible in these times and your ability to ask for help when needed.

"I love to be busy and thrive in a fast-paced environment. In my first job, which was fast food, we were often short-staffed, so during an eight-hour shift, I might be responsible for running the register, doing dishes, preparing food, or cleaning the dining area. I found it much easier to get the work done when we worked together as a team and when we communicated effectively. Knowing our supervisor's priorities for us, then working together to share who was doing what, asking for help when needed, and jumping in and helping when someone else was behind or struggling was the key to success. I'm not easily stressed or overwhelmed, and when you try to maintain a positive and upbeat attitude, you'll find that it's contagious, and other employees are more likely to stay motivated as well to help get the job done together."

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.

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