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62 Boost Your Hiring IQ

ANSWERS
The Strongest Answer
(C) This is the strongest answer because it answers the question
with a specific example of adapting to a situation. As the inter-
viewer you can hear how flexible this candidate is when she de-
scribes canceling plans and getting to the scene within an hour.
This answer also shows how well this person works with oth-
ers.This person’s willingness to stay until 2:00 a.m. should con-
vince you that this person is dedicated to getting the job done.

The Mediocre Answer
(B) While this is a good answer, it is mediocre because it does not
give an example of a specific situation. You get a sense of the
adaptability of this person and he has experience responding to
new and unexpected situations, but you will need to hear a
specific example to ensure that this is not just talk with no ac-
tion. In other words, is this a tale instead of an example?

The Weakest Answer
(A) This answer doesn’t show how this person adapted to some-
thing that was within her control.It is not a bad answer because
there was adapting to a new job when she was laid off, but she
did not adapt to a situation where her actions would have made
a difference.
This answer is more about accepting and moving on than it is
about adapting.Anyone can get laid off and adapt to not getting a
paycheck, but what he or she did to take control of a situation is
moreimportant.Youwillneedtoprobeformoreinformationabout
howthispersonadaptedtothenewsituation.Aredflagtowatchfor
isnotsomuchthatthispersonwaslaidoff,butthedecisionsshehas
been making about the companies she chooses to work for.Did she
do research before she accepted the job? Would she have accepted
the job if she had known the facts she needed to know about the
company?Youwillwanttofindoutifthispersonthrivesonchange
or if she has just had a run of bad luck.In other words,how long is
she going to stick around?

RATE YOURSELF
If you chose answer (C), give yourself 5 points,
If you chose answer (B), give yourself 3 points,
If you chose answer (A), give yourself 0 points, _____