Question: Imagine this scenario: You have been given a set of instructions for a job. However, you are unable to understand the instructions and your immediate manager is away for the day. What do you do?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell me about a situation when you were given job instructions and you were unable to comprehend the instructions. How did you go about completing the task?

Follow-up questions:

Question Details:

Question Type:

Situational

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Systems – Judgment and Decision Making

Abilities:

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

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Openness to Experience (Open Mindedness),Candidate Preparedness,Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Practical Intelligence (Street Smarts),Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity),Mental Processes – Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Relationship With Supervisor,Interpersonal Relationships – Work With Work Group or Team (As a member, not a leader),Job Structure – Structured versus Unstructured Work

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Attention to Detail,Handling Ambiguity,Independence,Initiative,Patience,Self Control,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for the candidate’s ability to handle conflicting situations with a calm mindset.
If the candidate admits that there could be such situations at work and seeking help is not a bad thing.
You are looking for the candidate’s positive approach to conflict.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate finds conflict as stressful and feels seeking help might highlight them in bad light.
If the candidate finds themselves as a super intellectual and denies to be in this situation at all.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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