Question: Describe a time when you have to rely only on verbal information from someone else to complete a task.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Follow-up questions:

What approach did you use and what was the outcome?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Active Listening,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 – Oral Comprehension

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Mental Processes – Analyzing Data or Information,Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Work Output – Process Management

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The candidate’s oral comprehension skills.
The candidate’s analytical thinking skills.

Red Flags to Watch For:

The candidate’s poor oral comprehension skills.
The candidate’s poor analytical thinking skills.

Sample Answer:

There was an instance when I had to resolve an issue by listening to my boss’ instructions over the phone. I just took notes and asked clarificatory questions to make sure that I didn’t miss anything. I was able to resolve the issue successfully.

Question Source: Unknown