Tell me about a time you provided honest feedback to a coworker.

Question

Rachelle Enns · Accepted Answer

"When providing feedback, I like to use the 3x3 method, which I learned from my first management position. With this method, I offer three strengths and three potential areas for development. (Situation & Task) For instance, while working as a Team Leader with Company XYZ, I had a team member who was often late to work or would call in sick. (Action) I let her know that she was well-liked by her coworkers. I told her that our clients complimented her customer service skills and that I appreciated her willingness to help new hires. Then, I proceeded to let her know that her team felt disappointed and hurt and lost trust in her whenever she would call in sick, leave early, or show up late to her shift. Together we worked on a 30-day attendance plan. (Result) As a result, her reliability improved. Although her attendance was not perfect, it significantly improved."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

Giving honest feedback is an art form, and the interviewer would like to know you are capable of doing so. The goal of your response is to show the interviewer that you understand what honest feedback sounds like and how it's best delivered.

Rachelle Enns · Answer

Avoid giving an answer that makes it seem like you are uncomfortable providing feedback to others. Instead, show the interviewer that you understand how to provide appropriate and helpful feedback. Research a variety of feedback frameworks and find a methodology that works for you.

Rachelle Enns · Answer

The interviewer is asking you to be a storyteller. Form a brief story-based answer using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Using this framework will ensure that you provide the interviewer with the right amount of information and detail to form a noteworthy response.

Remember to mention any training you have received on giving appropriate feedback. Perhaps you took a workshop or read a book on the topic. If you use a particular feedback methodology, be sure to share the details of your approach.

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"(Situation) A few years ago, I had a coworker who made me feel uncomfortable by rushing my tasks, looking over my shoulder, and criticizing the speed at which I worked. (Task) I was new to my career and felt hesitant to speak up. However, I knew that I was responsible for my job satisfaction. (Action) I approached them privately and reminded them that this was my first office job out of university and that I was still learning the role. I told them that their behavior made me uncomfortable and only worsened my productivity. (Result) As a result of my honest feedback, they apologized and committed to showing me their methods for time management. Because I was honest and forward, we were able to find a harmonious way to work together."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I sat with a peer after a performance discussion and asked if I could provide him feedback, he welcomed it. I gave him my comments and my reasoning for it. He understood where I was coming from. The next time we were in a discussion for a similar situation, he asked me afterward if he had been better."

Anonymous User · Answer

"While training a new hire, I noticed that she was struggling with a task because she was trying to rush. Before giving her feedback, I made sure that we were in a private setting. Then I explained that though I know she understands the concepts, it might be helpful to slow down and ensure that each step is done methodically with a specific thought process so that she doesn't make mistakes. We talked about prioritizing steps and executing them. The next time she attempted the same task, it was a success, and she received tons of positive feedback from the assigned staff and myself."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I had a co-worker who was learning new software that I was very proficient in. He asked me if I would check over his work before presenting it to management. I would check the completed work with him, highlighting some issues with the job, and teaching him how to improve his workflow and repair small problems. My co-worker appreciated me being honest and helpful in this regard, which improved our working relationship."

Anonymous User · Answer

"A time when I was mentoring and observed a sales call that I assisted my colleague in. I asked if they would be happy to receive open and honest feedback on the call, and he was happy with this. I explained his approach came across as pushy and looked as if it made the customer uncomfortable, he thanked me, and we spoke about how he could resolve this approach and be more self-aware."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I had a colleague who was new to our business and worked with me in providing training to care homes as proposed by the CCG of the area. The new colleague was naive and very territorial, they believed that her customers were theirs and mine were mine. In order to win the business, they weren't playing ball in order to achieve that.

So I arranged a meeting with my colleague and discuss the bigger picture of our work. I said first, it wasn't a professional way of working, we need to work together. I uncovered why they were reluctant to share, and it was down to them believing they wouldn't get a bonus. I made them aware that we are targeted differently and that who we see won't affect that, but more importantly, we need to work together to support this customer in what we can deliver! it's not professional to block your colleague out. As a result, they understood and we were able to deliver a valuable service."

Anonymous User · Answer

"To provide feedback I think it is important to be respectful and objective. Make sure to balance both the positive and the negative, as well as offering suggestions for the negative. When the clinical coordinator took on additional responsibilities b/c someone was let go, I could see that he was under a lot of stress/pressure- was not able to meet deadlines, nor was he available to answer important questions. So I let him know that I really appreciated all his hard work and that I understood how his responsibilities had increased substantially. I offered my help in any way possible so that he could free up time to answer questions that Clinical Specialists had. Because any mistakes we could have made could essentially be a liability to the physicians, the patient, and the company."

Anonymous User · Answer

"Providing honest feedback is always a gift for self-development. One of my production managers was missing on his production schedule commitments 86% Vs 100%. I gave him very candid feedback that he is not meeting the expected Goals and same time tried to help him to deep dive into the capacity analysis, attrition, absenteeism, and identified the gap in key resources. Build additional capacity, agreed on clear hiring and training plan and review every week to track the progress, Finally, he made good progress to catch up with schedule compliance of 95% within 2 months time."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I had a trainer come in and cover my role while I was doing maternity cover as a territory manager. I asked if he would like me to accompany him on his first training sessions once signed off as support. I watched him do the training and afterward asked if he would like to hear my feedback. He welcomed this. The session was good, but took him a long time to complete. Made him aware that the optimal length of the session would be 30mins vs an hour, and to try and be a little more concise, recommended him to come shadow with me more."

Anonymous User · Answer

"A co-worker asked me to proofread a PowerPoint presentation for them and I let them know that some of the slides had too many graphics and they were hard to read and interpret. I asked her if she wanted me to help her and then I helped her separate them into different slides and she thanked me for working with her to get it done."

Anonymous User · Answer

"This can be tough, especially when trying to maintain positive relationships with your peers. A management workshop I took a several years ago said look at it like a bank account and for every withdraw you have to have 13 deposits so I believe it is important to always look for ways to complement your co-workers or people in general so when this day comes, they do not feel criticized or picked on. Recently, I had a trainer who was writing their workouts down on a dry erase board and basically turning their clients loose to follow with little instruction. She was a great trainer and had great workouts but was getting complaints. Luckily I had been complimenting her about being a good trainer, her program design, how awesome she was at social media and a few other less meaningful things so when I went to her she started to get defensive and I said I'm on her team and just want her to look good and be successful so she agreed to be aware and more hands on with her clients. She continued with me another 18 months until she had her first baby."

Anonymous User · Answer

"Positive feedback is important to me and something I give often. If I need to give constructive feedback - I prefer to fit the feedback into the framework of the organization. I recently used department goals to provide insight and facilitate the discussion that the team member was not meeting some of the commitments and timeframes that we had established. This situation was sensitive because the employee is also an acquaintance outside of work. I sat down with the individual, reviewed the high-level objectives for what we were working toward, and then talked through the specific tasks that had been delegated to him. We identified two things that were making it difficult for him to perform his tasks. We reprioritized less critical tasks to enable him to focus on the higher-impact tasks. One piece of feedback I gave was that it would be beneficial for him to be proactively managing his list and communicate resource constraints early on so that we don't get behind."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I was asked to complete a yearly appraisal for a member of staff who had not been performing well. I have attended a management workshop that addressed providing feedback and felt I was well prepared to speak to this staff member.
I remembered to avoid being accusatory and instead discussed the behaviors that were causing an issue and how they impacted the rest of the team. I was very specific about the person's strengths and started quite positively, leading to a discussion on areas of improvement and implementing objectives to ensure the person has a fair chance of improvement. This member of staff was struggling with certain tasks, but I noticed they excelled in animal care and knowledge. I explained to them that there are always aspects of the job you are not going to completely like, but that we can work on a plan for her to progress into an area she does like. By the end of the meeting, she felt motivated, and at the same time understood that parts of her work needed to be improved."

Anonymous User · Answer

"My coworker asked me to read something and interpret how it was perceived. She provided me with her perception; however, I did not see it the same way and gave her my feedback on how I saw it. It was very well received."

Anonymous User · Answer

"While managing a customer service team, I had a team member consistently underperform their duties and tasks leaving extra work in the hands of others. I had a 1 on 1 performance review and mentioned how much our team enjoyed working with him and how customers loved his attitude. However, not performing his task was leaving the team feeling discouraged. We implemented a time management plan to help him get tasks done in a more timely manner and improvements were seen soon after."

Tell me about a time you provided honest feedback to a coworker.

How to Answer: Tell me about a time you provided honest feedback to a coworker.

8. Tell me about a time you provided honest feedback to a coworker.

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