Page 119 - Boost Your Hiring

The Manager’s Hiring IQ Test 105

INTERVIEWER’S QUESTION
49. Tell me about a time when you worked collaboratively with
a team.
Which response actually answers the question? Which answer
should you be wary of? Are there any red flags?

(A) “I headed up a project on ways to improve customer service.
The first thing I did was to organize a meeting with everyone
involved to get ideas on improving satisfaction. I put all our
ideas on a spreadsheet, and in a follow-up meeting we discussed
which ideas were more important to incorporate short term and
which were longer-term improvements. It was a very collabora-
tive effort with me making sure things went smoothly. When
we put the ideas into action, participants had a sense that they
played a part in achieving the wonderful results. I received
many compliments for pulling the team together.”
(B) “One thing that I learned early in my career was that no one
person makes a project successful. I have been the lead several
times, but it is the individual team members who carry out and
implement the ideas. My strong communication and organiza-
tional skills keep the project on track and moving forward. I
can make the project move forward, but the team helps the
project become successful.”

(C) “Each member of the team plays a part in the success of a proj-
ect. You have to encourage each person to stay focused on the
‘whole project’ whether it’s a customer’s needs or a long-term
goal. And you have to recognize the individual team member’s
contribution. Communication skills are the key to successfully
managing teams. Staying in touch with team members is vital
to the idea of collaboration.”

I think the strongest answer is _____.