How do you handle a situation where your supervisor does not properly communicate information to you?
REI is looking for employees who can take initiative 'to set effective work goals and keep their managers informed of their progress and goals.' Strong communication skills are key to accomplishing that task, but miscommunication still happens from time to time. Talk to the interviewer about how you approach a situation where miscommunication has happened between you and a manager or supervisor. What did you learn from that situation?
"Last year, I was working one retail job and then applied for and got a position at another retailer as well. When I showed up for orientation for my new job, there had been miscommunication about how many hours the orientation would be -- I quickly realized I would be late to my other job if I didn't speak up. I respectfully addressed the situation with the manager, apologized if I had had anything to do with the misunderstanding, and told her I was going to need to leave. She was really nice about it, and the next time I came in for a shift at that job, she told me she had reviewed our email exchange and realized she had made the scheduling mistake. After that, we had a great relationship with excellent communication."
