5. Kasus Behavioral Flashcards
Describe a time when miscommunication created a problem at work?
⭕️ I recall one instance where I emailed my supervisor to order a filter paper that we need to perform the test. A few days after, the product came, and it was the wrong size. I checked the product code number, and I saw that I did make a mistake and immediately told my supervisor. I said to my supervisor that I am sorry and that next time, I will double-check the product code number to make sure it is right.
⭕️ While I was working in retail, a customer wanted to have a refund for an item without a receipt.
“I absolutely believe that great service has to be consistent for every customer, even if they’re upset, frustrated, or arguing about a policy. I’m a very patient person, so usually I just let the customer get out their frustrations and try to really listen to what they need. I think it’s important to keep the customer happy but also stick to store policy, so if they were really upset, I would talk to my manager and see if we could offer them a special case ‘peace offering,’ like a small coupon or merchandise card, so that they feel like they left the store cared for and understood.
⭕️ I recall one instance when there was a disagreement I had with a coworker which originated from a miscommunication. To keep our work environment professional and positive, we had to discuss it and make amends. I sat down with them one day during lunch, paid for their meal, and took initiative by apologizing for my part in the whole mess. After then, we worked together well and were often praised for our good teamwork.
Describe a time to work together with coworker you don’t like.
⭕️ Situation: I had a co-worker who can be difficult to get along with- she feels that her way of doing things is the only way. Action: On days we are scheduled to work at the same time, I adapt to her personality by adjusting my communication, asking her questions and adjusting my methods, always within compliance. Result: We have a productive working relationship despite her being viewed as a more difficult team member.
⭕️ I have had a co-worker that was always negative and always viewed things in the worst way possible. I always tried to keep things light when I talked to him to help cheer him up and keep him in a more positive mood. It helped balance him out so he could focus on the job in a more positive light.
⭕️ I had a co-worker at my old job who always saw the negative side of everything. I started sending her positive quotes every morning and articles on the benefits of positive thinking and having a positive attitude. Gradually I noticed her becoming less negative. Well, around me anyway!
How do you supervise employees under you who don’t get along?
X
Tell me about the last time you found a creative solution to a problem.
🤷🏻♀️I recently saw a client who spoke no English. I was not able to communicate with her, so I thought about how I can solve this problem and decided to use Google Translate. I translated my question into Portuguese and then asked the client to read it. This is how we communicated with each other throughout the appointment.
Tell me about a time you had to juggle priorities to meet a deadline.
Similar interview questions:
What typically happens when you cannot complete all of your work in the assigned time?
Give me an example of how you prioritize your projects.
What is the most difficult for you in prioritizing your time?
Do you have difficulty with prioritization? Can you give me an example?
🤷🏻♀️Need revised answer
An example of how to best answer this question for experienced candidates:
⭕️ My job has multiple conflicting priorities where it can be difficult to know what is most important and urgent. My boss and I worked out an important/urgent scale for rating tasks so that it is clear what takes the highest priority. If something is both important and urgent, it gets highest priority. Important but not urgent is next and urgent but not important is next, then not important and not urgent is last. My boss knows the rating system and even codes request as IU, INU, UNI and NINU when sending them to me. As a result, my overall productivity in the past year has gone up considerably as benchmarked against prior to using our prioritization rating system…
An example of how to best answer this question for entry level candidates:
⭕️ During my summer internship, I was assigned both a primary project as well as maintenance of an existing project. However, the existing project was getting so many support requests that it made it difficult for me to schedule time for my primary project. So two weeks into my internship, I met with my boss to discuss the prioritization conflict and we were able to work out a schedule that allowed me to respond to both the most urgent and important support tasks as well as completing my primary project. The end result is that I received two awards that summer, both for my primary project as well as my quick response to several important issues with my support project…
⭕️ In one instance, a coworker had fallen ill and had to take FMLA while she healed. Our boss asked me to take on a few of her projects until she was well enough to return. To be sure I could handle the extra work, I came in an hour early and stayed an hour late every day. That way my existing clients were not affected. I also took a few minutes every day to prioritize my tasks and determine what was left to be done. Each project had its own deadlines, so I kept track of the hard due dates along with the soft goals I made for each project to ensure that I was staying on pace and would be able to meet the deadlines. These efforts paid off, and I not only met my deadlines, but the clients were also so pleased they signed a long-term contract with the company.
Describe a time when you had to persuade someone to accept your point of view.
🤷🏻♀️Need revised answers
⭕️ In my last job in sales I tried to acquire a big customer. They didn’t respond positively to my emails or calls. But I continued to send them more offers, relevant for their business. I even sent the manager a greeting card when they had birthday, together with a small present. I was persistent in my efforts, trying to build a relationship with them. When they finally needed a big upgrade to their ERP system, guess who they contacted first–they contacted me, and we eventually closed the deal.
⭕️ While working on my recent internship, I needed access to data from a different department to complete one segment of my project. The head of that department initially refused my request for access to the data on the basis of my being an intern. I went to my manager requesting assistance and she said it was a learning opportunity for me to work it out on my own. So I asked the department manager to meet in person. At that meeting, I walked him through the scope of my project, how the data would be used and how it would be kept secure. Once he understood the actual use of the data and its security, he authorized my access later that day…
⭕️ I have been persuading since my childhood. Persuasion has always been my biggest challenge and I have been persuading myself to believe in my abilities and strengths. I was very shy and introverted but loved the sales profile which is quite opposite. Hence, in order to achieve my dream, I used to positive self-talk and feed in me that I am a very brave person, who loves to communicate and express myself. This way I successfully persuaded myself into a better person.
⭕️ Selling books in messe
⭕️ At my current job, I collaborate frequently with both my team members and staff from other departments. Once, we had to develop an entirely new marketing strategy for a client after our previous strategy hadn’t worked. Our web development team ended up in a dispute with our content marketing team about the best new marketing strategy to try for this client. Both strategies had their merits, but neither side seemed willing to concede to the other.
I first helped defuse the tension by suggesting that we focus our attention on different clients for a few days. After both sides calmed down, I gathered us for a catered lunch meeting to discuss the new marketing strategy in a more casual environment. I had both sides explain their viewpoints while I wrote down each strategy’s components and benefits. I then suggested we combine aspects of both strategies and drew a new project map. Both sides agreed to the compromise, which helped my coworkers resolve their differences, and the new marketing strategy also helped boost the client’s business.”
Describe a time when you had to take initiative.
⭕️ I took the initiative often when I felt that something should be discussed with the managers. Other colleagues were a bit afraid to express their opinion, but I personally believe that feedback should flow freely in all directions in any successful organization. And so I often stood out and talked to the managers, for example when I thought the work could be done more efficiently, or when I felt that we needed more people in the team to handle the workload.
⭕️ This is my first job application, so I do not have experience with showing initiative at work. But I can refer to a good example from the college if you want. I always tried to participate in the life of the campus, and do something for the community of students. I applied for a job of a resident assistant, and helped with solving issues at the dormitory. I also volunteered in the library and whenever I had a chance I tried to participate in an event or activity someone else from the school organized for students. Just to support them, because I know the feeling when you organize something and nobody comes to an event. It’s important to support good initiatives.
⭕️ Last year- when I was working in the development department- I found myself in a situation in which action needed to be taken- and I was the only person available to do it. While I am very skilled at following directions and don’t find myself in the position of the primary initiator very often- I got into a scenario that involved me alone witnessing the dishonesty and theft of another employee. It’s not like me to get involved in the dramas of my co-workers or take things to our human resources department- but in this situation- what was happening was very clear- and there was nobody else who was going to take the initiative. I ended up beginning a case with human resources- exposing the theft situation which had been going on for some time and solving the mystery of the disappearing products. Looking back on it- going to human resources was one of the hardest decisions I have made in my professional life because I don’t generally like to get involved with other people’s business- but it was the right thing to do.
Describe a time you went above and beyond at work.
⭕️ I was working as a customer service supervisor and helping a customer return an item. However, from behind the customer service desk, I saw someone drop a glass jar of sauce, which shattered on the floor. I was the closest employee, so I knew I had to act quickly to make sure no shoppers hurt themselves on the glass or slick floor. I asked the customer who I had been previously helping if they could please wait for one minute, and then immediately went to the area of the accident and positioned myself to make sure that no customers would unknowingly walk through it. Once I was spotted by a second team member, I asked them to call maintenance to clean up the glass and bring a yellow “hazard” sign. I then remained at the site until that maintenance team member arrived. Once the appropriate team member had arrived, I returned to the customer who I had previously been helping, politely apologized for the delay, and completed their item return. By acting quickly and going outside of my normal job duties, I was able to stop a potentially dangerous situation, while ensuring that my customer understood the cause for the delay so that they wouldn’t be confused or frustrated as I left temporarily.
⭕️ When I worked at a retail store, a customer approached me and told me she felt very sick. I took her to our break room while I called 911 or 112 in Germany. I got her to sit down and brought her a glass of water. I stayed with her until the paramedics arrived. They examined her and said her blood pressure was too high, so they took her to the hospital. A few days later, she came to the store and thanked me for taking care of her. She became a regular customer after that.
Tell me about the last mistake you made.
⭕️ Back when I started my first internship, my greatest weakness was insecurity. I wanted to show that I could do and handle everything myself. When my supervisor told me to prepare a report, even though I had no idea how to do it, I didn’t ask anyone. I thought that asking would be a sign of weakness. When I delivered the report, she said it was a mess. I felt foolish and incompetent. That’s when I learned a valuable lesson: to acknowledge my limitations and ask for extra help. Key Takeaways: The candidate speaks honestly and shows growth as a person and a professional.
⭕️ When I was assigned as a team leader for the first time, my team wasn’t reaching its sales goals. I decided to do all of the work myself and quickly became overloaded. I complained about it in a team meeting, and one of my team members said I should delegate more. She was right.
It wasn’t easy, but I started appointing more tasks to my team and we finally reached our sales goals. That experience taught me to be humbler and focus on my role as a leader, delegating and supporting my team, instead of doing everything myself.
Key Takeaways: The candidate was confident enough to share about their weakness and showed how it helped them learn and become a better leader.
Describe a time you got angry at work.
⭕️ don’t think anger is an appropriate workplace emotion. I have dealt with situations that I found frustrating; for example, I had a coworker who was very confrontational in her written and oral communication. I felt like I was constantly being criticized for things beyond my control. I sat down with her and talked about ways that we could improve our communication. After having that calm, productive conversation, our relationship as co-workers improved greatly.
⭕️ I try to look at every situation from an analytical perspective, and not let my emotions dictate my actions. I have had employees in the past whose professionalism has been questionable, and who have not met the requirements of the job. In those situations, I have found that the best policy is to be honest about the issues and offer clear strategies for improvement.
Describe a time when you had to give a person difficult feedback.
For manager 🤦🏻♀️ One of employees started frequently coming in late to work. I explained to her why I was concerned about this behavior — it violated our policies and negatively affected her co-workers. She acknowledged the problem, and I asked if there was a reason for the change from her usual punctuality. After she explained that a family caregiving situation was the issue, we agreed that she would give early notice on days with potential scheduling issues, and we would work on adjusting her scheduling a few days each week.
Describe a time when you disagreed with your boss or coworker
⭕️ If you work with other human beings’ disagreement is inevitable. And how you handle conflict is always an opportunity to come up with a better solution.
First it depends on the importance of the issue. Are we talking about something where the consequences affect other people, will be costly and time consuming, and may lead to more issues in the future.
If it’s a truly important issue,
- my first response is to understand the other person’s position.
Quite often the other person has some valid reasons and ideas that at least help me understand why they stand where they do. - I also want to be clear about what do we agree on? For example, we may agree that a solution is needed. Finding common ground is a good start. Whenever possible, I seek a better option. Maybe there’s a better solution or position where everyone wins.
And I’m fine with agreeing to disagree with mutual respect for one another. What I avoid at all costs is making a disagreement personal and about the other person’s character. No one wins in this situation. It’s ultimately unconstructive and demoralizing to the larger organization.
Tell me about how you dealt with a difficult challenge in the workplace. (similar to=
How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?
Need revisi: Back when I was the customer support team leader at ABCD Corporation, we had a new client who was often very rude to my team. I decided to meet with him in person to understand him better and hopefully create a more positive dynamic. My department only communicated with customers by phone and email, but I thought more was needed in this case. During our meeting, I politely framed the issue in a way that communicated that we wanted to understand how to serve him better. I did not focus on his behavior, but rather on what we could do to exceed his expectations. He ended up apologizing and explaining that he was extremely stressed because of personal issues. After that, he was considerably easier to service.
Describe a time you went out of your way to help somebody.
⭕️ Most recently, we had a new hire (Prakash) that was really struggling with getting to work on time, and I knew the boss (Dan) was getting irritated. Over lunch one day I explained to Prakash how important it was to our boss for everyone to be there at least 10 minutes early. It was personal with the Harry, but you could really get on his bad side when you were frequently late. The new employee was grateful for the advice. At his previous employment, the boss was only concerned about the work getting done on time; he/she did not “watch the clock”.
⭕️ I had a coworker with a customer who tried on nearly everything in the store! She didn’t end up buying a thing but left the change room a complete disaster. I helped my colleague fold and put everything away. If she were on her own, it would have taken her off the floor for so long that she would have lost out on a ton of potential commission.
Describe a time when your work was criticized?
⭕️ Like everyone, I have received input from my managers that helped me to see how my work could be improved. Once I was asked to revise a project that I had spent a lot of time on, but after listening carefully to the critique, I saw how I could make changes that would strengthen the finished product. I’m always eager to learn from people with different views and experiences, especially when the commentary can help me grow in my career and strengthen my skillset.
⭕️ Being human, I can definitely admit to receiving criticism of my work in the past. Honestly, the only thing you can do at that point is to thank the person for pointing out the flaw. It’s like when you have to tell a friend they have food on their face. Some people don’t like that, but I see it as a way to protect them from greater embarrassment with someone else. Last year, I received criticism from a coworker on my report writing. She did not like how I sent each report in a separate email. Instead, she requested that all emails be sent in one email. I had no idea this was what she preferred. As soon as she told me this, I was easily able to make the change by compiling all documents into one email. Ever since then, everything has been fantastic between the two of us.
