Question: Describe a time when you used creativity and innovation to solve a problem.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell us about a time that called for your creative and original input.

Follow-up questions:

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Science and Logic,Systems Evaluation

Abilities:

Cognitive – Flexibility of Closure (Pattern Detection),Cognitive – Fluency of Ideas (Idea Generation Frequency),Cognitive – Originality,Cognitive – Perceptual Speed,Cognitive – Speed of Closure (Thinking Speed),Cognitive – Visualisation

Other Factors:

Candidate Preparedness,Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Practical Intelligence (Street Smarts),Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Interacting with Others – Innovation Management,Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Mental Processes – Processing Information,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity)

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Interacting with Upper Management,Interpersonal Relationships – Relationship With Subordinates,Interpersonal Relationships – Relationship With Supervisor

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Attention to Detail,Innovation,Persistence/Perseverance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

If the candidate shares an anecdote about the creative process that brought about the positive results.
If the candidate used their ability of comparison of that option with the others, this shows that they have thought through the scenarios before jumping into action.
If the candidate’s creative solution led to innovations that had significant impact on a major area of concern for the company.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate directly compares their examples of creativity with those of current or former co-workers
If the candidate shares a creativity example that is out of office.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/most-common-competency-based-interview-questions