Describe a change you recently made that improved the performance of your work.
"I took a few hours last week to reorganize the file room. Things were pretty messy in there, and I was finding myself losing time throughout the week just searching for things. This week, I have noticed a major improvement in my time spent."
"I recently created a more thorough training manual for the new employees that we onboard. The information this new manual contains is detailed, and I find that I am answering fewer questions with new hires. The average learning curve has also improved. This change has allowed me to spend my time on other important matters."
"Not too long ago I decided it was about time for me to organize my digital files! I kept a lot of unnecessary things on my desktop. Now that it's been cleared out, I am working faster, and my computer seems to be as well."
"I recently changed the order of things behind the counter, where I am a customer service representative. Manuals that I refer to often, I moved from the back room to the top shelf of my counter, for instance. Everything that I use on a daily basis is within arms' reach. It's a small but useful change."
"Recently I decided to move my call list and other important information to Google docs so that I can access it from my tablet when I am on the road. This accessibility allows me to make cold calls even when I am away from the office. There are other documents that I plan to add as well to improve my time and efficiency further."
"I moved my classroom around not too long ago and organized it all. I had a lot of unnecessary materials and clutter in the classroom. The class now has an airier, more minimalistic feel which I appreciate and I think the kids do too."
Making a change to improve your performance shows the interviewer that you are self-driven, a go-getter, and able to correct yourself when needed. Give an example of a time when you made a choice, unprompted, to change a habit or process to improve your performance. This change could be something small like cutting out one scheduled coffee break, packing your lunch, organizing your desk, setting a boundary with a chatty colleague, or cleaning up your computer's desktop.
"I recently asked for a transfer to a quieter part of the office because I was finding that being to close to the kitchen was distracting to me. I am not easily distracted; however, there was always a group of colleagues gathering, and it's human nature to want to participate!"
