How to Answer: Tell me about the last time you took ownership of something at work.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Wayfair job interview.
24. Tell me about the last time you took ownership of something at work.
What You Need to Know
Taking ownership is a large part of Wayfair's workplace culture. Their ideal candidates will be aligned with this, readily taking ownership of their development, commitments, responsibilities, and role on the team. "We believe in giving our employees unscripted career paths with opportunities for ownership and autonomy throughout. No matter where you start, creativity and humility will help propel your career to places beyond what you thought was previously possible." Share how you stay true to your word, conduct yourself with integrity, and focus on growing and advancing both your team and your career.
Written by Kevin Downey on June 18th, 2023
Answer Example
"I was anxious to cross another milestone off my list of career goals and threw my name in the hat to lead a project, which would have been a learning opportunity for me. I did so, not thinking my name would come up so soon, as I was already working on another project inside my comfort zone. I explained to my manager that I wanted to learn and work on this new project and was wondering if someone could take the other project off my hands. My manager explained she couldn't afford to spare another supervisor to train someone else on the project I was already working on. I then realized she was right. So I offered to advance another of my career goals by effectively delegating and training another team member on the former project while I took on the new one. She agreed and gave me some pointers on delegating, which I took to heart. So I selected someone and kept myself open for questions while performing regular check-ins and delivered on the new project within my deadline."
Written by Kevin Downey on June 18th, 2023
Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback
Anonymous Answer
So, we selected one of my suppliers that had the LEGO license to produce this order and I've been put in charge of the project. It's been a lot of work, this project came on top of my regular workload, so I had to put a few extra hours into it, but it's been a great experience and a great feeling to be trusted with something like this. The department manager reached out to me to see my ideas, as well as the furniture private label department that was interested in a few prints I created, we prepared a marketing plan, and a photo shoot with models for the launch of the campaign, so it was a lot of fun, I'm very happy about it."
Jaymie's Feedback
About the Author
Interviewing and hiring someone is a huge responsibility. You not only need to find someone with the right skills and qualifications but someone who will get along with everyone else on the team and will be able to represent the company and its core values. That hire needs to be diligent and trustworthy while following the standards and processes everyone else adheres to. They need to perform with consistency, be emotionally intelligent, and be respectful of the needs and concerns of the others on the team. They need to seek out proactively a deeper understanding of the nature of the company and their teammates. That’s a tall order to determine when interviewing anyone. But it’s all part of the recruiter’s job.
If the team doesn’t get along with that hire, or that hire introduces an unwelcome attitude to the workplace. One person’s consistent attendance issues can impact the job satisfaction of everyone else on the team, lower productivity, and negatively impact the performance of the company as a whole on either a micro or macro scale. So when an interviewer decides to hire any person, they are putting their reputation on the line.
Looking for the perfect hire requires strong attention to detail. So there were a variety of things I would look for. I’d examine their cover letter, resume, or application for inconsistencies, from formatting to punctuation. I would scrutinize the consistency of their answers from one question to the next. But, I would first and foremost evaluate why they wanted to work for us. If they were playing the numbers game trying to find a job anywhere, it was pretty evident.
But, it was those applicants who seemed to have an inside view, or inherent understanding, of the real qualifications of the job that I’d put at the top of the pile. They understood the job expectations and the culture and already seemed like they were one of the team. So much of this comes through in one simple thing: their enthusiasm. They had an energy that fit right in. This is something that can rarely be faked.
If you invest the time to gain a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what life is like working somewhere, and when the more you learn, the more you get emotionally invested in that opportunity, the better your chances will be for winning that job. For the interviewer, when it comes to identifying how consistent a candidate’s work performance would be, the truest test is determining how well they understand the job and how enthusiastic they are to work there, even after everything they learned. That alone suggests they’ll consistently do whatever it takes to win the job and, once hired, go the extra mile for the team.
Learn more about Kevin Downey