Tell me about a time you wish you had handled a workplace situation, differently.
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Most people cannot handle every difficult situation with the utmost grace at all times. No matter who you are, there is undoubtedly a work-related situation that makes you cringe a bit when you look back.
Behavioral-based interview questions that begin with 'Tell me about a time...' are best answered using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Organizing your response using this framework will ensure that you provide the interviewer with the right amount of information and detail to form a compelling answer.
The example that you should use here should not be a weighty one but have enough of an impact to show the interviewer that you can bounce back from a misstep in the workplace. Avoid examples that include a display of immaturity or make it look like you have a temper.
Behavioral-based interview questions that begin with 'Tell me about a time...' are best answered using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Organizing your response using this framework will ensure that you provide the interviewer with the right amount of information and detail to form a compelling answer.
The example that you should use here should not be a weighty one but have enough of an impact to show the interviewer that you can bounce back from a misstep in the workplace. Avoid examples that include a display of immaturity or make it look like you have a temper.
Example #1
"(Situation) I recently had a client come into the office and yell at one of my staff members, embarrassing her. (Task) As the Manager, it was up to me to react professionally. (Action) I focused my time on calming the client down when I believe that I should have stuck up for my employee first and foremost. Verbally abusive behavior is intolerable, and I wish I would have reacted differently, perhaps asking the client to apologize for their behavior and leave. (Result) A valuable staff member is worth much more than a bad client. I later apologized to my staff member for not reacting on her behalf quickly enough."
Example #2
"(Situation) My team recently hired a new junior administrator. (Task) As the more senior administrator on the team, I was tasked with training this new employee. (Action) Throughout the training, I did what I could to overlook the persons' bad attitude, assuming that they had been well-vetted through the interview process. Shortly after his onboarding, he ended up quitting. (Result) I wish that I would have listened to my gut and told my boss about the concerns that I had. It would have saved the company a lot of time and money. What I learned from the situation, however, is that I will respectfully speak up from now on."
Example #3
"(Situation) A few months ago, we were very short-staffed. (Task) I hired someone because one of my top performers recommended her for the job. (Action) Despite my better judgment, I did not follow my usual interview process. I skipped a few important steps, believing that this particular hire would be a great one. (Result) This new hire was not a strong performer, and I ended up terminating her employment shortly after I hired and trained her. I now know to never stray from my hiring process, no matter the referral source."
Example #4
"(Situation) Last year, one of my larger clients changed the scope of their project multiple times. It was a highly frustrating process for everyone. (Task) As the Marketing Manager, it was up to me to reign in the client and the project. (Action) I spent additional time with this client until we finally agreed on a specific campaign. (Result) In the end, the project took twice as long as it should have. Immediately after, I implemented a stronger discovery process so that we could better outline our clients' needs and assess their commitment to the process before getting started."
Example #5
"(Situation) Recently, there was a shopper in my store who was acting suspiciously. (Task) As an associate on the floor, I take my job very seriously and always keep an eye out for suspicious activity. (Action) I told security about my concern but, because there is so much store to be covered, they were not able to be as attentive to the situation as I would have liked. (Result) This person ended up stealing a few items of merchandise. If I could revisit that situation, I would have personally approached the person and ask to help them find what they needed - letting them know I was paying attention. I should have been more visible in that situation."
Example #6
"(Situation) A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling overwhelmed with a new product that our company rolled out. (Task) I spent so much time learning the features and benefits that I allowed my cold calling to slide. (Action) Rather than cold call the typical 100 companies that week, I called about 25. The impact on my weekly numbers was apparent. The next week, I tripled up on my cold calling. (Result) What I realized from the situation was that I need to keep the call volume going, despite added responsibilities."
Example #7
"(Situation) I noticed a star student behaving out of character a few months back. (Task) As his primary teacher, I should have had a conversation with him right away. (Action) However, I felt rushed with marking papers and preparing for finals and did not give this student the attention that I should have. (Result) I found out shortly after that this person was going through a very tough time at home. If I could have done anything differently, I would have approached him and asked him if he needed to talk, and perhaps directed him to the guidance counselor at the school. I have recently vowed to be much more attentive, even during my peak stress times."
Example #8
"During a previous role I was responsible for the administration of development reviews for students. I had a difficult situation when I noticed that a supervisor was writing offensive and demotivating notes on the staff reviews. This was concerning to me and I was worried about mentioning it as this person was a senior member of staff. I let my manager know and the issue was highlighted and resolved without my involvement but I believe it was an important issue to have raised"
Example #9
"Due to the struggling economy, I was recently asked to recommend layoffs within our organization. Being a leader, it was incredibly difficult for me to choose who would lose their job. I decided to remove all emotions and make my choice based on performance analytics alone. That made the decisions much simpler, but still not easy."
Example #10
"There was a time that I had to refuse a customer's unreasonable request due to company policy. In order to appease the customer, I empathized with their situation and communicated a willingness to help them find an alternative."
Anonymous Answer
"We had a customer that had an issue with their alarm system. I had to get help from another co-worker, and I asked him directly instead of going through his manager. He got in trouble for helping me when I was trying to help the customer. If I had to do it over again, I would have gone through his manager first to get his manager's approval before asking him to help me figure out a solution."
Kristine's Reply
Great response! Your example shows personal growth, which your interviewer will recognize and appreciate.
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Anonymous Answer
"There was a time when I was younger that I had spoken out of turn, not knowing the situation and wished I had listened and considered the entire issue before reacting. I, of course, apologized for not listening and speaking out of turn."
Rachelle's Reply
It's great that you show your willingness to be humble, learn, apologize, and move on. Your answer shows that you are self-aware. Good!
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Anonymous Answer
"We hired for a financial controller some years back. the first 2 interviews were with our external auditors and the incumbent FC. I was called into a 3rd interview. I felt the guy was intimidating and overbearing but I didn't say anything. All the other interviewers liked him and were willing to hire him so I didn't think my feelings were important. He turned out to be a big mistake. I wish I'd have spoken up."
Rachelle's Reply
This is a perfect example and it's great that you took a lesson from the situation as well. Good answer!
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Anonymous Answer
"During my Ph.D., I noticed one of the master's students was behaving out of character. I was in a hurry grading papers and did not give this student the attention that I should have. I found out shortly after that this person was going through a very tough time with his scholarship grant and he hadn't finished his minor in another department.
If I could have done anything differently, I would have approached him and asked him if he needed to talk, and perhaps directed him to the guidance counselor at the university. Since then, I've been much more attentive, even during my work peak times."
Rachelle's Reply
Your response is so well crafted. You take accountability and show a willingness to grow. This is exactly what the interviewer would like to hear.
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Anonymous Answer
"In graduate school, an assignment to write a paper was assigned to the class. I did not have the experience that the other students had. I handed in my paper, and when the papers were handed back to the class, everyone got an A while I got a D. I asked the professor about the grade to learn that I had not used footnotes in my paper. The professor allowed me to re-write the paper using footnotes, and my grade was changed to an A. Subsequently, the class had to write another paper for the final examination grade. At the time, I did not know that my first paper was regraded to be an A and I left the final paper without knowing my course grade. After the second paper, when grades were posted, I got an A in the class. I never made that mistake again in any class."
Kristine's Reply
Good start. Using the STAR response method, you should describe an example where you made a small mistake at work. Then explain what you learned from the experience and what you would do differently in the future.
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Anonymous Answer
"I had a patient come into the pharmacy and shout at one of my colleagues. I focused my time calming the patient down when I believe that I should have stuck up for my employee first and foremost. Verbally abusive behavior is intolerable, and I wish I would have reacted differently, perhaps asking the customer to leave. A valuable staff member is worth much more than an abusive patient/customer. I later apologized to my colleague for not reacting on her behalf and being supportive."
Rachelle's Reply
This is a great way to utilize the Mock Questions example answer, making it work for you and your situation.
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Anonymous Answer
"A few months ago I nudged a co-worker who was falling asleep in a meeting. He ended up being dismissed a month later, but perhaps I shouldn't have intervened because by helping him, I was just delaying what was inevitable."
Rachelle's Reply
This question is all about accountability. It's never a bad thing to hand out an olive branch to a struggling coworker. Try an example that refers to your own work behavior vs that of someone else (and possible improvements) and what you learned from the situation.
Rachelle's Reply
"I was feeling overwhelmed with a new product launch and did not learn the specs as quickly as I should have. When it came time to sell, my performance was the third lowest in my team. The effect was apparent on my numbers that week. I spent the weekend memorizing the features of each product, catching up on sales numbers the following week."
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Anonymous Answer
"I remembered a student earlier in my career who had taken the Board exam many times without success. I later came to know that the student had some learning difficulties. I regret that I did not give this student extra attention and do something differently, at the time, that I should have. If I could have done anything differently, I would have approached him or directed him to the student support center. With years of experience, I now have become more attentive to my students and their needs."
Rachelle's Reply
This is a fantastic answer, and it's great how you tied in what you have learned over the years. Excellent!
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Anonymous Answer
"After joining, we decided to undertake a legal audit to asses compliance levels and potential risks. This had never been done in the company. After completion, the report was presented to the EXCO team. The chairman who is also a director - shareholder got to know about the exercise and was upset why I didn't include him. I learned that when joining an organization, its good to understand the dynamics and politics not to be blinded by structures and how things should be done."
Rachelle's Reply
This sounds like a very good, and important lesson to learn. Excellent example!
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Anonymous Answer
"I had a co-worker who was attending a different nursing program than me but was having difficulty. She exclaimed to me many times that she was having a hard time. She ended up being kicked out for not being able to pass her skill test. She was beyond devastated. I wish that I had offered to help her and given her problems extra attention. I will take any nursing student I know under my wing and teach them all that I can."
Rachelle's Reply
It's good that you recognize you could have done more, but be sure to avoid internalizing too much as well. We are all responsible for our actions and the work that we put in.
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