Behavioural Flashcards
Can you describe a time when you took action at work that had a positive impact on your team or the wider community?
Kespresso took the initiative to schedule a meeting with everyone about an API design as we were all pretty new to web development
How have you promoted diversity and inclusion in your previous roles?
S: Publicity Director at CISSA - increasing diversity was one of the priority, gender ratio was about 1:3 (women and non-binary + other undisclosed)
T: Recruitment for publicity team looked for experience and first years - very balance and among 7 students in a tech club other than cs majors we had people from commerce, design, maths and ranging 1st year to masters.
A: Club wide we still had an issue - although the committee headcount gender ratio was 50-50. our subcommittee was very male dominant, I think the figure was around 1:3 as well. So throughout the year we collaborated with many women in tech student societies promoting and making the entry to join more friendly and approachable.
R: Next recruiting process, it improved significantly to around 60-40, one team that was all male because only males applied when to 1:1 male-female ratio.
Can you tell me about a time when you had to deliver difficult feedback? How did you ensure it was constructive?
S: Mid-point of summer internship, manager checked in with the interns about our progress and feedback to work
T: As an intern, manager asked for constructive feedback (I’m non-confrontational so it was difficult for me to address it face-2-face) but to address my issues, and bring points of improvements I had to be open and honest
A: In order to make it constructive, I ensured to maintain a positive tone and began by acknowledging the good parts and what’s working for me + what I’m enjoy and acknowledging all the strengths of my manager and I believe is reflecting his influence to us interns.
Then I specifically talk about things that weren’t working for me, or needed improvements which doesn’t match my work style but acknowledging both spectrum. Lastly, I asked for his persepctive and any challenges that there exists that impacts on my work as intern and the manager-intern operations.
R: It was eye opening, I got to learn more about his day-to-day work and his intentions for us interns from day 1 that he never really disclosed. I got to learn more about company processes that hinders some aspects of my work which I did not know of, and he took my suggestions and feedback and showed me that difficult conversations when handled well can lead to positive outcomes.
Can you share an example of how you’ve empowered a team member to achieve their goals?
S: As the Publicity Director at my university’s tech club, I was in charge of managing and coordinating design tasks for our events. We had a series of urgent upcoming events, and promotional material needed to be created and published as soon as possible.
T: One of my main designers, who was a key player in creating these materials, was swamped with academic work. This was a critical situation because his contributions were essential to the task, but it was also important to respect his time and academic responsibilities.
A: After recognizing his stress and understanding the time consuming nature of the task. I decided to step in and take over the most demanding part of the job - designing the main graphic. I did while ensuring he still had a role to play in the task. After completing the main design, I delegated the remainder of the work, which involved formatting and rearranging the design for different dimensions, back to him. This approach allowed him to remain involved without feeling overwhelmed, thereby managing his workload effectively.
R: This decision not only helped us meet our deadlines for the events but also empowered the designer to manage his tasks more efficiently. He was able to balance his club responsibilities with his academic work, and he appreciated the support. As a result, he was able to continue contributing to the club without compromising his studies, and we successfully promoted our events.
How have you contributed to the professional growth and development of your peers?
Situation: As the Publicity Director at the university’s tech club (CISSA), I was working closely with a team of student volunteers. We were all balancing our academic responsibilities with our roles in the club.
Task: My task was not only to manage the team and make sure our tasks were completed efficiently, but also to help my team members develop their skills and prepare for future leadership roles. I aimed to create an environment that was both professional and comfortable, where we could learn from each other and grow together. (Context: we had 2 first years, 1 master, 1 final year 2 of them had previous leadership experiences) ideal learning environment.
Action: I managed the team transparently, ensuring that everyone was aware of the team’s activities and the reasoning behind my decisions. When delegating tasks, I considered each person’s strengths and interests to ensure that they would be both challenged and engaged. I also fostered a sense of autonomy within the team, empowering each member to take ownership of their tasks and encouraging them to make decisions.
Result: The team thrived in this environment. Not only did we successfully achieve our club’s goals, but three of my team members went on to become presidents of other clubs the following year, two of whom were in their first year of university. This progression was a testament to the skills they developed while working in our team and their newfound confidence to take on leadership roles. Especially with the help of me showing the management and design side of things on onboarding and throughout the year.
Can you provide an example of a complex problem you solved with a simple solution?
How do you ensure that user needs remain central in your approach to problem-solving?
Put myself in the shoe of the user
Can you share a situation where you’ve raised the bar for quality in your team or project?
CISSA Publicity
Tell me about a time when you took the initiative to learn something new in order to improve your skills or performance at work.
Suncorp fullstack work part time
Can you share a goal you’ve set for yourself or your team that seemed ambitious at the time, but that you were able to achieve?
Break new records for CISSA 2021-2022
Describe a project or initiative where you had to prioritize tasks in order to meet an ambitious goal. How did you celebrate when you achieved it?
CISSA codebrew mayhem
Can you share an example where you’ve gone above and beyond to support a colleague or team in a difficult situation? How did it contribute to the overall good of the team or company?
Helping Ed Gu?
Can you describe a time when you were working with a team on a highly ambitious project? How did you ensure everyone stayed motivated and empowered to contribute their best work, and how did it lead to personal and team growth?
Kespresso
Can you give an example of a complex project or task that you simplified to make it more understandable for others? How did you communicate this to your team or stakeholders, and how did it contribute to a better outcome?
Kespresso KTable Lookup Service API simplified and visual diagram
Can you recall a time when you had to manage a team towards a high-reaching goal? How did you maintain open and honest communication, and how did you ensure you were empowering your team along the way?
CISSA Publicity
How have you used your skills and expertise to create positive change in your role, your team, or your community? Can you give an example of a time when you simplified a complex process or problem in the pursuit of this change?
CISSA Publicity
Please tell me a time when you disagreed with a team member’s strategy.
Lake Incident
I want you to tell me about a time you showed initiative.
CISSA projects