Question: What is your approach to dealing with work tasks that are falling behind schedule?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

What steps do you personally take when work tasks are falling behind schedule.

Follow-up questions:

N/A

Question Details:

Question Type:

Knowledge/Skill Based,Traditional

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Management of Time

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility),Cognitive – Deductive Reasoning,Cognitive – Information Ordering,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition),Cognitive – Speed of Closure (Thinking Speed)

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Conscientiousness (Work Ethic),Motivation/Ambition/Aspiration,Personality-Job Fit,Practical Intelligence (Street Smarts)

Work Activity (Task):

Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work,Mental Processes – Scheduling Work and Activities (Rostering),Work Output – Process Management

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

Job Structure – Consequence of Error,Job Structure – Duration of Typical Work Week,Job Structure – Handling Time Pressure,Job Structure – Structured versus Unstructured Work,Job Structure – Work Schedule Regularity,Job Structure – Work/Life Balance

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Persistence/Perseverance,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

Respondent must be proactive in identifying the reasons behind the existence of work tasks that are behind schedule. Also, respondent must be able to enumerate options on how to rearrange the tasks schedule without jeopardizing the target outcome (e.g. do overtime, set realistic deadline, reassess scope, redelegation of tasks)

Red Flags to Watch For:

While overtime is a possible option, respondent must be able to provide other options as it will reflect strategic thinking in solving workplace challenges.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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