How to Answer: What do you think innovation is? Tell us of a time when you innovated.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Verizon Communications job interview.
4. What do you think innovation is? Tell us of a time when you innovated.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
They want to know how resourceful you are and whether you exhibit outside-of-the-box thinking. They're likewise seeking to measure your preferred working style and whether it meets their required criteria.
Written by Kevin Downey on June 10th, 2022
How to Answer
Detail the situation, what inspired you to take the approach you took, and how you achieved a positive outcome. You want your answer to exhibit determination. Frame yourself as resourceful, with a propensity to think fast on your feet. Demonstrate that you aren't easily discouraged. Where there is a will, there is a way, which is the attitude you want to convey. Meeting deadlines, overperforming, learning, and innovating is the aim of the messaging in your example.
Written by Kevin Downey on June 10th, 2022
Answer Example
"I'd describe innovation as a kaizen improvement over the way something was previously done. Whether it is innovating systems or processes to improve workflow, systems, organization, or introducing new products or services that are improvements over what came before. Basically, the successful results of outside-of-the-box-thinking, is how I look at it. At my summer job in college, we were having difficulty keeping everyone on the same page. Communication was inconsistent and often passed on verbally. So I started a weekly bulletin, which we kept in a binder in the break room. We had a page at the end of every bulletin with a list of all our staff with a checkbox next to their name. They'd check the box next to their name when they read it. This improved our workplace's communication as well as improved accountability."
Written by Kevin Downey on June 10th, 2022