Adaptability - Human Resources | Human Resources

Adaptability

Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.

Key Actions

? Tries to understand changes--Tries to understand changes in work tasks, situations, and environment as well as the logic or basis for change; actively seeks information about new work situations.

? Approaches change or newness positively--Treats change and new situations as opportunities for learning or growth; focuses on the beneficial aspects of change; speaks positively about the change to others.

? Adjusts behavior--Quickly modifies behavior to deal effectively with changes in the work environment; readily tries new approaches appropriate for new or changed situations; does not persist with ineffective behaviors.

Questions

1. Tell me about a situation in which you had to adjust quickly to a significant change in organization, department, or team priorities. How did the change affect you? What did you do?

2. Working with people from diverse backgrounds can be challenging. Tell me about a time when you faced a significant challenge working with people from different organizations. What did you do? What was the result?

3. New processes and procedures can be disruptive. What actions have you taken when you've been asked to significantly change a work process or procedure? What were the results?

4. Going from __________ department to ___________ department must have been difficult. Describe the adjustments you made during the transition.

5. Your assignment as ______________ is certainly very different from what you were doing before. Can you compare and contrast the assignments. How long did it take you to feel comfortable doing the new work?

6. Tell me about a time when you were faced with an unexpected policy change. How did it affect you? What did you do?

7. Tell me about the most challenging change you've faced at work. What did you do? What were the results?

8. Sometimes we have to work under new policies or procedures we don't agree with. Tell me about the last time you disagreed with a new policy or procedure instituted by senior management. How did you respond?

9. Tell me about a time when you had to change your work schedule to help a peer. How did this affect you? What happened?

10. Tell me about the most diverse group/team that you've been a part of. What problems did you encounter? What did you do? What happened?

11. Not all organizational changes are clearly explained and/or communicated. What have you done when you found out about an unexpected change or were confused by a change?

12. Tell me about a situation in your job at ___________ when you had to abruptly change what you were doing. What did you do? How did the change affect you?

13. Can you give me an example of a time when you recently made an effective adjustment to a changing policy or procedure? What did you do? Why was it effective?

14. Unexpected absences can disrupt progress of a work task/assignment/project. Tell me about a time when this happened to you and explain what you did.

Questions for people who are applying for sales positions

1. Tell me about one of your accounts in which the key contact changed. (How long did it take you to establish an effective relationship with your new customer? What actions did you take?)

2. We often have to make changes when the way we've been doing things is no longer effective. Tell me about a time when you had to change your approach or method of work. What did you do? What were the results?

Questions for people with little work experience

1. Going from high school (college) (a small school) to college (graduate school) (a big school) can be a dramatic change. Tell me about a particular challenge you faced when you made this transition. What did you do?

2. We often have to make changes when the way we've been doing things is no longer effective. Tell me about a time when you had to try a new approach on a task/project/assignment. What did you do? What were the results?

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