Question: Describe a time when you succeeded in your work or project despite overwhelming odds.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell us about a project where you achieved success despite the odds being stacked against you.

Follow-up questions:

What were those unfavorable roadblocks and how did you overcome them?
Do you think you would handle them in a more better way now compared to then?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Science and Logic,Complex Problem Solving,Systems – Judgment and Decision Making

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility),Cognitive – Originality,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition),Cognitive – Visualisation

Other Factors:

Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity),Mental Processes – Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

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

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):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Analytical Thinking,Attention to Detail,Handling Ambiguity,Persistence/Perseverance,Self Control,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

If the candidate made use of their knowledge and intelligence to solving each problem rather than getting into a panic mode.
If the candidate was prepared for some or all of the problems and that they had plans for solutions in advance.
You are also looking for the candidate’s stress tolerance level and how quickly they can focus back on to their work.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate is overzealous about their competencies and achievements.
There is no mention of skills which they used to overcome the odds.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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