When facing a difficult situation, how do you react? Describe your approach and the course of action you would take.
Throughout your HireVue interview, consider how each question is framed and the response it is engineered to elicit. For example, it is common for a person's mind to jump to whatever difficult situation they've most recently dealt with or which their mind has predominantly been dwelling on. This is the mind's way of trying to resolve, or fix, what they had trouble overcoming when they faced it. Although this is natural, you'll want to avoid such tendencies and find a more suitable answer to the position and the company. A difficult situation can be interpreted in a variety of ways but has the connotation of being unpleasant, stressful, overwhelming, and intimidating to navigate, with little guarantee of success. But remember, this question is more about what you would define as a difficult situation than how you would deal with it.
The hiring company wants to know if your reactions to problems reflect emotional maturity and professionalism as opposed to externalizing stress and negatively impacting the productivity of your teams. To frame yourself as an expert in HireVue's proficiency rating system, you'll want to suggest you view these situations as challenges. Challenges can be overcome. An expert encourages a sense of urgency with a positive can-do attitude; they lead by example and are a stabilizing force for their teams, guiding them, through experience, to a desirable outcome with self-assured confidence.
"(Situation) I understand that encountering difficult situations in the workplace is common, especially in an industry where regulation and compliance are so strict and constantly evolving. (Solution) When a difficult situation arises, my first instinct is to take a step back and absorb what just happened. I then go into 'brainstorm' mode, jotting down potential ways to resolve the situation. I might use a pros and cons list to determine the best course of action for a fast and amicable resolution. (Benefit) I then form a huddle with the rest of our teams, assure them of our plan of action, deliver self-assured confidence, and improve their mood. I read that one of Company ABC's core values is taking pride in the quality of the company's work. Rest assured, should Company ABC hire me, I will take pride in every aspect of my work. Even in difficult situations, I will maintain an uncompromising determination to achieve excellence in every task I take on."
To ensure that the algorithm classifies you in a higher proficiency rating, reflect on your work history and take notes on how you approached such challenges in the past, both mentally and procedurally. Outline how you channel your focus, process your feelings, ensuring your stress doesn't dictate your conduct. You want to convey how you objectify most situations and react decisively. Detail how you objectify the task at hand and situationally address any challenges you face. Showcase how you systematically approach such challenges, and focus on promoting the morale of your teams and encouraging a can-do attitude. Be prepared to verbalize, with confidence, how you've responded to such challenging situations in the past and your confidence in your abilities to do so in the future.
