Question: Describe a time when you had to adapt to or cope with a major change that you had no control over?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

How do you adjust to changes you have no control over? (e.g. A person from your team decides to quit.)

Follow-up questions:

How was the stress during this time, and how did you cope with it?
Would you feel too helpless in such a situation?
What happened in the end?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Active Learning,Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Learning Strategies,Complex Problem Solving,Systems – Judgment and Decision Making,Systems Analysis

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility),Cognitive – Deductive Reasoning,Cognitive – Inductive Reasoning

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Openness to Experience (Open Mindedness),Practical Intelligence (Street Smarts)

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Estimating Characteristics of Objects, Events, or Information,Interacting with Others – Change Management,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 – Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work,Mental Processes – Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The adaptability of the interviewee. How the interviewee can analyze a changing situation and adapt to it as needed.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee has little or no adaptability or flexibility.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://resources.workable.com/interview-questions/