Question: Describe a time when you, as a member of a team, were critical in the completion of a team project.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Describe a situation where you played an important role in a project as a member of the team (not as a leader).

Follow-up questions:

Did you have to develop a different mind set while working on this project?
How different was it to be a critical member vs other members?
What skills within you did you utilize the most while working on this project?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment),Basic – Science and Logic,Complex Problem Solving,Systems – Judgment and Decision Making,Systems Analysis,Systems Evaluation

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility),Cognitive – Flexibility of Closure (Pattern Detection),Cognitive – Originality,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition),Cognitive – Speed of Closure (Thinking Speed),Cognitive – Visualisation

Other Factors:

Candidate Preparedness,Personal Improvement (Growth),Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Personality-Team Fit,Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings,Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity),Mental Processes – Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Interpersonal Relationships – Responsibility for Outcomes and Results of Others,Interpersonal Relationships – Work With Work Group or Team (As a member, not a leader),Job Structure – Level of Responsibility (Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Organization Results),Job Structure – Structured versus Unstructured Work

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Analytical Thinking,Attention to Detail,Cooperation,Dependability,Humility,Initiative,Persistence/Perseverance,Social Orientation (Work Alone vs Group Work)

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for the candidate’s preparedness to take up more responsibilities.
If the candidate points on critical skills required for this project.
If the candidate highlights interpersonal skills to bring the team together.
If the candidate relates the project’s similarity with the job they have applied.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate handled this project like any other project with no specific skills utilized.
If the candidate sounded over confident about their skills and that it was very easy for them to handle this project.
The example is way different from the job responsibilities they have applied for.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/most-common-competency-based-interview-questions