Question: Describe a time when your work or projects was delayed due to unexpected circumstances. How did you handle it ?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell us how one of your projects suffered a setback due to an unexpected change in circumstances.

Follow-up questions:

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Complex Problem Solving,Management of Time,Systems – Judgment and Decision Making,Systems Analysis,Systems Evaluation

Abilities:

Cognitive – Originality,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition),Cognitive – Speed of Closure (Thinking Speed),Cognitive – Visualisation

Other Factors:

Candidate Preparedness,Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (for Problem Identification),Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity)

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

Job Structure – Handling Time Pressure,Job Structure – Level of Responsibility (Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Organization Results),Job Structure – Structured versus Unstructured Work

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Handling Ambiguity,Initiative,Self Control,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for the candidate’s approach to handling setbacks and disappointment of setbacks.
If the candidate focusses on the positive aspects of change.
You are looking for the candidate’s adaptability skills and what measures they take to quickly overcome the stress and focus on the work with delaying anymore.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate response clearly focuses on the problems they had faced due to the setbacks and not what actions they have taken to deal with it.
If the candidate blames on the circumstances and sounds negative about changes.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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