Question: Describe a time when you took on work or a project that was a challenge for you.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell me about a specific task you undertook, which was a challenge for you?

Follow-up questions:

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

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

Abilities:

Cognitive – Originality

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Openness to Experience (Open Mindedness),Candidate Preparedness,Personal Improvement (Growth),Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Practical Intelligence (Street Smarts),Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Mental Processes – Analyzing Data or Information,Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity)

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Coordinate or Lead Others,Job Structure – Freedom to Make Decisions,Job Structure – Frequency of Decision Making,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,Dependability,Handling Ambiguity,Initiative,Innovation

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for the candidate’s proactiveness and readiness to face challenges at work.
If the candidate talks about a specific task which needed them to take the complete responsibility.
You are looking for the candidate’s approach to challenges and how much they learn from that.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate is reluctant to take up challenges and responsibilities.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.jobbankusa.com/interview_questions_answers/