Advice and Examples: When have you had to adapt to change in the workplace?
1. When have you had to adapt to change in the workplace?
How to Answer
The interviewer would like to know about a time you were required to adapt to change in the workplace. Being able to adapt to change in the workplace is an essential skill to possess because change is inevitable. Talk to the interviewer about a time when you have had to adjust to changes on the job. How did you handle the transition? Was it a positive reaction?
Answer Example
"In my current role there is a lot of staff turnover when it comes to our management team. I have had to adapt to 3 new managers in the past four years. It is not the ideal situation, but I can adjust for the good of the team."
Admin
"Last year our company was sold to a competitor, and a lot of our management team changed hands. It was a lot of change to handle in a short time, especially being unsure of who to report to ahead of others. I am resilient, though, and have made the big changes work by keeping my head down and delivering great work, no matter who it goes to in the end."
Manager
"In my current management position, we were pushed to obtain ISO certification by one of our potential customers. The changes in reporting and procedural compliance were numerous, and it took a little while to adjust. The training component of my staff was not easy either. However, in the end, it was worth it to secure such a high profile customer."
Marketing
"Marketing is all about change! Our clients change every day, and the scope of our projects change on a dime. I am resilient to change and look forward to working in an ever-changing marketing environment, with your agency."
Retail
"I used to work for a retail chain that specialized in leather footwear. Corporate started to introduce vegan footwear options which were a tough sell after becoming so well known for their leather. I adapted to the change by learning more about vegan options, and asking further discovery questions to new customers."
Sales
"In my previous role at a high-growth tech startup, the sales organization was restructured, from a new boss to new teams and territories. Some of the accounts I had been nurturing but had not yet converted to a buyer yet were now handed off to another sales rep who received the fruits of my labor. Of course, this fact was very frustrating. However, by sitting down with management to understand the "why" of the change, and how I could best set my new accounts up for success while transitioning my previous ones over to a new rep, I was able to see the bigger objective and ultimately increase my sales performance."
Teacher
"Our school recently underwent a major renovation which resulted in half of our classrooms being unavailable. My classes ended up being in a portable, behind the school. It was a big change for me because I had to be extra prepared with my supplies and needs for the day. Thankfully the renovation lasted only six months."
User-Submitted Answer
"Where I am working, we were covid free for a couple of months and then patients started to be positive when they get tested and we created a new unit for these patients and I was part of the team that works as a floor nurse and it was such a humbling experience."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Cindy Ramsey Reviewed the Above Answer
Good! This is a timely example. I'd recommend being more specific about how you adapted to this change. Did your work routine change? Were there different protocols required?
User-Submitted Answer
"Schedule changes are common at _______. There is so much change at _______ because they're always trying to improve. I roll well with change. I was looking back at my year-end evaluation and everyone states I do very well with change and I do well-helping others adjust to change.
Example: catrina. I didn't see a reason to complain about having to get a certain number of calls. I just did my best to do it. I offered to help others on my team that we're having trouble adjusting by taking tasks off their plate or listening to calls to see where they may be able to shorten them."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
It sounds like you are a flexible and adaptable person who doesn't mind change (and helps colleagues adapt to it too), which is great - not everyone else is like that! This is definitely a strength of yours. Consider talking more about what catrina is/was so the interviewer has a clearer picture. Nice job!
User-Submitted Answer
"1) "¢ S: At sports direct, I worked at the Westfield branch which had 5 different stockrooms on multiple floors. I took some time to get used to it, but management decided to make a drastic change.
"¢ T: I was initially upset because of the time I had invested in learning the system. However, I quickly realized that the faster I learned the new setup, the faster I would get used to this change.
"¢ A: I stayed after work to learn the structure, so I wouldn't have to keep customers waiting.
"¢ R: I accelerated my learning because I owed it to my team to adapt to change and bring the best experience to our customers.
2) "¢ S: In my final year, I Co-led weekly mentoring sessions to fifteen first year economic students were aimed at easing them into the various aspects of university life.
"¢ T: We normally asked students what topics they wanted to discuss in the next week and plan sessions for it. One week they asked in class to go over spring weeks and internships. We hadn't planned the lesson for this.
"¢ A: We gave our team two minutes to chat amongst ourselves whilst me and my partner jotted down all resources that we had found useful. We went through them and gave advice based on our own experiences.
"¢ R: We were able to deliver a smooth session that answered all of their questions. This showed me that not everything good that happens, has always been planned. Knowledge and determination can take you a long way."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Cindy Ramsey Reviewed the Above Answer
These are both good examples, showing dedication and flexibility. The STAR format works well, too!
User-Submitted Answer
"In my career, I learned a critical quote, "Change is always constant." As a Department Coordinator, I have to be dynamic and adaptable. There are many times I come into the office and begin my day, and I need to pivot. I stay professional and focus on the new tasks. One day I came into the office with the hope of processing some payments for our faculty. But a request came from our Dean from the Board of Trustees regarding the number of courses were offering this term. I only had one hour to get the information. So I quickly put my payments to the side and started working on the request. I was able to get the information to the Dean and later started working again on payments."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
It definitely sounds like you're used to lots of variety and a fast-paced job. Consider including a specific example in your response of a time when you successfully adapted to change. Right now your answer is pretty generalized; providing specifics will make it more memorable to the interviewer.
User-Submitted Answer
"Where I am working, we were covid free for a couple of months and then employees started to test positive. Our team went remote. Zoom meetings became the new norm with our team and clients."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
This is definitely a change that a lot of people have encountered, that's for sure! What did you personally do to adjust to this big change? Did you set up a home office to make things easier for yourself? How did you ensure that you were still able to communicate effectively with clients and your team? The more details you can provide, the more meaningful your answer will be. Good job!