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University Administrator Mock Interview

Question 9 of 35 for our University Administrator Mock Interview

University Administrator was updated by on October 22nd, 2023. Learn more here.

Question 9 of 35

Give an example of a time when you have had to implement a new process or procedure to solve a business issue. What was the outcome of this?

"We had an issue with a large amount of students coming into our office during certain times of the day. The busiest times happened first thing in the morning, when classes changed, and during lunch. The result was long lines and impatient students needing service before their next class began. We worked on a first-come, first-served basis and I felt like there was a more effective way to control the traffic, reduce the stress on our department, and help more students get what they needed in a timely manner.

I suggested to the manager of our office that we work with the IT department to establish an online appointment booking system. I felt we could reduce the flow during busy times if we dedicated a few of our office members to handling booked appointments and encouraged students to plan ahead. She agreed and I worked with our IT department to develop the appointment booking forms and scheduling process.

It took time to boost awareness of the new system and work out a few process issues internally, but the system was a huge success overall. We were able to maintain a more steady flow of request processing and everyone in the office was less stressed as a result."

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How to Answer: Give an example of a time when you have had to implement a new process or procedure to solve a business issue. What was the outcome of this?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an University Administrator job interview.

  • 9. Give an example of a time when you have had to implement a new process or procedure to solve a business issue. What was the outcome of this?

      How to Prep

      It is important to prepare for this question before any interview. In fact, it is one of the most popular questions asked in interviews because managers want to hire employees who know how to recognize inefficiency or a related business issue and do the work to improve it. To prepare, think of a few scenarios in which you made a helpful change around the office. Your contribution doesn't have to be huge because even a small shift in efficiency can have a big impact over time. Consider changes you may have made such as:

      - scheduling
      - request processing
      - the order in which something is done
      - meeting times
      - information flow
      - information access
      - communication, reporting, or other updates
      - team interaction issues

      Written by Samantha Brown on October 22nd, 2023

      How to Answer

      Describe the situation that led to you identifying an opportunity for improvement or being tasked with the implementation of a new procedure. Next, briefly discuss the actions you took to plan for the change and implement it. Finally, describe the results of the new procedure as well as anything you learned that you can bring to the hiring university.

      Written by Karrie Day on September 27th, 2023

      Answer Example

      "We had an issue with a large amount of students coming into our office during certain times of the day. The busiest times happened first thing in the morning, when classes changed, and during lunch. The result was long lines and impatient students needing service before their next class began. We worked on a first-come, first-served basis and I felt like there was a more effective way to control the traffic, reduce the stress on our department, and help more students get what they needed in a timely manner.

      I suggested to the manager of our office that we work with the IT department to establish an online appointment booking system. I felt we could reduce the flow during busy times if we dedicated a few of our office members to handling booked appointments and encouraged students to plan ahead. She agreed and I worked with our IT department to develop the appointment booking forms and scheduling process.

      It took time to boost awareness of the new system and work out a few process issues internally, but the system was a huge success overall. We were able to maintain a more steady flow of request processing and everyone in the office was less stressed as a result."

      Written by Karrie Day on September 27th, 2023

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "It was a practice of our office to print documents for students when they came. Unfortunately, the University decided to terminate that service, and there was another procedure that students had to use for printing. When they came as usual, I had to explain that the process and procedure had changed. I gave them the new process to follow. They were not happy, as it inconvenienced them, but they usually understood the reasons."

      Rachelle's Feedback

      This answer is a good start; however, it could use more detail to keep the interviewer engaged. This feedback comes back to using the STAR framework while also including more action-based and measurable statements. For instance, how did you approach expressing the changes? What was the overall impact of your communication strategy?
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