Have you ever helped to implement a significant company change in one of your past roles?

Question

Rachelle Enns · Accepted Answer

"(Situation) Last month our company introduced a new software program called XYZ. (Task) I was already familiar with the program because I had used it in a previous role. (Action) I offered to do employee training on the program, and my boss agreed to it. I took a lunch hour to give my presentation and then offered myself as the subject matter expert, moving forward. (Result) The implementation went very well, and my boss was thankful for my expertise and assistance."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

The interviewer would like to know that you have the type of personality where you can take the initiative without it being a formal requirement of your position. When you respond, it will be essential to show that you are happy being an engaged part of your company and team.

Behavioral-based interview questions that begin with 'Have you ever...' 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.

Perhaps a new company policy was coming into place, and you helped to execute some changes. Maybe a new employee benefits program was introduced, or your company implemented a new software program. In your story example, be specific about what you did, and the impact your actions had - whether short or long term.

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"(Situation) At my current company, I noticed our coffee expenses rising each month. (Task) As the Administrator who handles vendor invoices, I knew that a change could greatly benefit my employer financially. (Action) I suggested that we install a higher quality coffee machine in our office rather than continue to purchase the disposable coffee pods. We calculated that the savings would be about $12,000 per year. (Result) My company agreed, and so far, we have seen significant savings, in addition to the positive environmental impact."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"(Situation) At Company ABC, I led the initiative to implement Lean Six Sigma into our quality processes. (Task) I had been formally trained in Lean Six Sigma and knew it could be a useful tool for our team. (Action) To lead the initiative, I had a sign-up sheet where my coworkers could come to me for 1:1 training if needed. I also provided a list of helpful online resources on which my team could rely. (Result) With these added efforts, I was able to cushion the impact of the change. Overall, my team adjusted very quickly to the shift."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"(Situation) In my previous role at Company ABC, I coordinated the migration of our website and e-commerce platform. The project required significant departmental cross-collaboration, working with an outside agency, editing, and testing the entire site. (Task) As the Marketing Manager, I knew that it was up to me to keep the project on track. (Action) I had daily meetings allowed to the project and was diligent in ensuring the project timeline was on track. (Result) It was a several-months-long project, but ultimately completed successfully and led to a 67% increase in e-commerce sales."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"(Situation) In retail fashion, each new season requires a change in the look of the store. (Task) As the team leader for my current employer, I ensure that our sales reps are motivated to make the changes quickly and efficiently. (Action) For our last seasonal change, I created a list of tasks and ensured that everyone on the team had a copy of the planogram as provided by our corporate head office. (Result) By keeping tasks organized and delegating to the right people, I ensured that our store turnover from Spring/Summer to Fall was as smooth as possible. My boss complimented me on my efforts, which felt great!"

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"(Situation) Last year, I identified some significant opportunities for improvements in our sales process. (Task) As the Sales Manager, I took it upon myself to improve an important part of the sales process. (Action) The process went from a daily free-for-all where buyers were assigned randomly to a systematic and streamlined process. By coupling sales executives with a team of buyers, not only did we create a collaborative team mentality, but the buyers became experts on their accounts. (Result) The revised process was much more effective and positively impacted the company's bottom line."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"(Situation) Our school went under major renovations last year. (Task) The teachers had the opportunity to meet with the contracting company to discuss areas where we would like to see change. (Action) I gave a few recommendations that included a focus on student safety. (Result) It was wonderful to see my recommendations come to fruition in the end."

Anonymous User · Answer

"In a previous position, I created store events and helped increase company revenue by 20%."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I have helped my current company in many ways. Those ways range from changing the new POS company-wide to teaching all the managers how to write and implement a budget for their restaurant."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The implementation of the SQCDP (Safety Quality Cost Delivery and People) method at my last company was a significant change. It meant daily monitoring of the critical areas of concern and replaced a system where there was little or no monitoring. It took four months to implement under my leadership."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I had made a logistic change at our technical department, and therefore we were able to do 60-70 appointments per day more and because of this we also improved our NPS by 10 points higher in the first quarter."

Anonymous User · Answer

"Yes, I helped to implement significant change by streamlining the prostate biopsy appointment process, which reduced the amount of time patients had to wait for procedures. The changes I recommended drastically changed how biopsy patients were scheduled."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I was part of a change process for our SND Accounts Payable. When we had an upgrade to our system for processing payments it was necessary to change the way the division was processing the invoices. I was part of the project team and my role was to gather information from each department on their processes and put together a presentation for one process for the division. This process created more time for the invoice entry processors to work on other things for the department while creating quality improvement."

Anonymous User · Answer

"Yes, getting chat-functionality on our REpDesk."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I helped to implement PLC protocols and structures for all grade levels at our school. I helped to make teachers' meetings more beneficial by providing them with clear guidelines and implementing different instructional protocols during the meetings."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The Best Practice Committee was established at my previous job institution to find solutions to problems that were affecting patient care within the institution. As a member of that committee, I was able to identify the problem of catheter-associated infection in my unit. I initiated a plan by way of Action Mapping, where I had a goal for the unit. I identified what team members needed to know in order to meet this goal, I came up with activities that team members could practice, and the information they needed for those activities, to avoid catheter-associated infection. This practice brought great change to my unit, and it was adopted by the Best Practice Committee, and accepted by the institution. and it was used throughout the healthcare system."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I was a fan of switching to using the pixus medication dispensing system. Several coworkers brought up their reluctance to make the switch. I listen to their complaints and felt I did a good job of helping them see the positive aspect of making the switch by pointing out that we will be pulling meds while nurses are taking reports. This gives us an incentive to getting started earlier."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I do remember this about having a Business Continuity Plan in place. The original department did not have anything as such. So we are prone to disaster attacks and that leads to financial, reputation, and system risks. I came up with a plan by deciding where should we place the offsite - onshore vs offshore, the number of capacities required in each team, what communication tool we need, and what area/scope of testing is deemed viable and crucial. And when we switch to BCP mode, what type of minimal services we will offer to the market. And most importantly, how far we can run under this BCP mode.
The process was well thought through and I walked through each step with the department representatives to ensure each individual carries out their roles accordingly. I find when we are assigned to such a role, we need to communicate and discuss how likely we can take this off and who we need to speak to before the planning starts. Of course, the last bit is to ensure we communicated to all affected areas and each area is looked upon carefully."

Have you ever helped to implement a significant company change in one of your past roles?

How to Answer: Have you ever helped to implement a significant company change in one of your past roles?

18. Have you ever helped to implement a significant company change in one of your past roles?

How to Answer

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