Question: Describe a time when you solved a problem by consulting multiple people. What happened and how did you collectively find the solution?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell us about a time where you needed to consult several different groups to come up with an answer to an issue. What was the outcome?

Follow-up questions:

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Science and Logic,Complex Problem Solving,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility)

Other Factors:

Candidate Preparedness,Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Personality-Team Fit

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Relationship With Subordinates,Interpersonal Relationships – Relationship With Supervisor,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)

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Attention to Detail,Initiative

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

If the candidate is proactive, solution oriented, logical problem solver.
You are looking for the candidate’s strong interpersonal skills.
You are basically looking for the approach the candidate talks about rather than the solution.
If the candidate evaluates the effectiveness of their intervention.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate’s tone sounds authoritative when they mention about the groups.
If the candidate seems to be too much dependent on the groups rather than believing their own contribution.
If the candidate hasn’t mentioned a clear step by step approach to solving the problem.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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