Question: Describe a time when you had to do new task that you had not done before. What happened and what did you do?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Describe a time when you were assigned a new task. How did you handle it?
Describe a time you were assigned new tasks (e.g. due to job enrichment or promotion.) How did you adapt?

Follow-up questions:

What are some of your general coping strategies?
What are some of your general learning strategies?
Would you shy away from new tasks?
Do you like or dislike having to learn new tasks?
Do you like new responsibilities?
How did you make sure that you were doing the new task correctly?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Active Learning,Basic – Learning Strategies,Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment),Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others)

Abilities:

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

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Conscientiousness (Work Ethic),Big 5 – Openness to Experience (Open Mindedness),Personal Improvement (Growth)

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Gathering Information,Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Information Input – Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (for Problem Identification),Mental Processes – Analyzing Data or Information,Mental Processes – Evaluating Compliance with Standards,Mental Processes – Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work,Mental Processes – Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

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

Job Structure – Structured versus Unstructured Work,Job Structure – Work Schedule Regularity

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Handling Ambiguity,Initiative

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for the interviewee’s willingness to learn new things and also their learning strategies.

Red Flags to Watch For:

Red flags could be if the interviewee shys away from learning new tasks or is unwilling to accept new tasks.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: Unknown