How to Answer: Most people feel that they sometimes disagree with a policy or rule. Tell me about a time where you felt it was OK to go against a work policy or rule. What was it about this rule that you did not agree with? What did you do? What happened?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Boilermaker job interview.
26. Most people feel that they sometimes disagree with a policy or rule. Tell me about a time where you felt it was OK to go against a work policy or rule. What was it about this rule that you did not agree with? What did you do? What happened?
How to Answer
Be thoughtful and specific with your answer to this question. Going against a policy or procedure is almost never a good idea, but there are situations in which it is necessary. Think of an example where the policy or procedure was outdated, not written down as formal policy, or wasn't feasible given the circumstances. Be careful if you give an example that goes against policy, but was given as a directive by your supervisor. This could prompt questions as to whether or not you blindly follow your supervisor even when you know it goes against policy.
Written by Elizabeth Engler on May 27th, 2021
Answer Example
"There was an emergency situation at work, and a small fire broke out right in front of me where another contractor was working. The procedure in this situation is to immediately notify my supervisor, but he wasn't answering his radio. There was a fire extinguisher nearby, so I used it to put out the fire before it got any bigger. Technically, I went against policy because I wasn't able to reach my supervisor, but I found him right after and explained the situation, and he was very happy that I didn't wait for him to respond before putting out the fire."
Written by Elizabeth Engler on May 27th, 2021