Question: Describe a time when you were looking through an assignment and found an error that was overlooked by others.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Have you ever discovered a mistake that was overlooked by everyone else? How did you find this? What was the result?

Follow-up questions:

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment)

Abilities:

Cognitive – Deductive Reasoning,Cognitive – Inductive Reasoning,Cognitive – Originality,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition)

Other Factors:

Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Information Input – Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (for Problem Identification),Information Input – Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings,Mental Processes – Analyzing Data or Information,Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity),Work Output – Quality Improvement

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

Job Structure – Consequence of Error,Job Structure – Work Accuracy (Importance of Being Exact or Accurate)

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Analytical Thinking,Attention to Detail,Handling Ambiguity

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for the candidate’s detail for eye and how keen is their observation.
If the candidate’s example portrays their ability not only correct the mistake but to outline measures to avoid such mistakes in the future.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate is over confident that they are the only team member who do this.
If the candidate has stories only about spotting mistakes but nothing about how a solution was discovered.
If the candidate sounds nervous and is in hurry to move on to the next question.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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