Question: Describe a time when you found a more efficient method of doing a task at work.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Can you tell me about a time when you discovered a more efficient way to do a work task?

Follow-up questions:

How do you discover it?
What did you do to achieve the increased efficiency?
What was the result since you discovered this more efficient way?
How did you implement your discovery?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment),Basic – Science and Logic,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Systems – Judgment and Decision Making

Abilities:

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

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Openness to Experience (Open Mindedness)

Work Activity (Task):

Mental Processes – Evaluating Compliance with Standards,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity),Work Output – Quality Improvement

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

Job Structure – Frequency of Decision Making

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Attention to Detail,Innovation

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking to understand the interviewee’s way of thinking about existing processes and if they are willing to do what it takes to make them work more efficiently.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee has not improved any processes, that is a red flag. At the other extreme end, if the interviewee constantly and frequently improves processes so much so that their actions are disruptive, this is also a red flag.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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