How to Answer: Describe a time when you had to sacrifice quality to complete a job.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Retail job interview.
26. Describe a time when you had to sacrifice quality to complete a job.
How to Answer
This query is a bit of a trick question because your answer should be that you would never sacrifice your work's quality! To answer this question, discuss when you were under a tight deadline and at risk of not completing a job on time. Talk about how you contributed to get the job done, without quality suffering. Perhaps you put in overtime hours, worked off the clock, or enlisted a co-worker to help you out.
Written by Rachelle Enns on February 16th, 2021
Entry Level
"I do not think that quality needs to be sacrificed to complete a job. Likely, if this situation were to occur, it would mean that I did not apply my time well enough. I am firm in my time management skills. All of my school assignments have been on time, if not early, and I plan my days very well."
Written by Rachelle Enns on February 16th, 2021
Answer Example
"I would never sacrifice quality to get a job done on time. Last week, our store was at risk of not completing the inventory counts on time for head office. To get this task done, I chose to stay late and off the clock for a couple of hours. My boss was very appreciative of the sacrifice that I made to hit our inventory deadline. He even let me leave early that Friday to enjoy a half-day off."
Written by Rachelle Enns on February 16th, 2021
Experienced
"I have been asked to perform quick turnarounds when it comes to the store's merchandise, for instance, or on days when I need to receive new stock. In these situations, I will work very fast but will enlist someone to help me to ensure the work is still solid. I would never put out a product that I wasn't proud to represent."
Written by Rachelle Enns on February 16th, 2021