DOL Employment Workshop
Question Explanation Example Response
“The work
quality of one
of your staff
has dropped
off
precipitously.
What would
you do to
address the
situation?”
This question is to
help employer
identify your
leadership skills.
You want to share
your leadership
skills on how you
can resolve the
problem and
highlight your
discipline and
problem-solving
ability.
“I gained a lot of experience leading teams
and groups in my past job, and I’ve
encountered this situation a few times. The
key first step to dealing with an
underperforming colleague is honest
communication. In one of my past
experiences, I met with the staff privately,
explained my concerns about the quality of
his work, and asked him to explain the cause
of the problem. My employee said he knew
his work had been subpar lately but was
afraid to address the issue with me. We
made a plan to address his performance and
I provided him with the support he needed.”
“How would
you approach a
task you’ve
never done
before?”
Your employer
wants to assess
whether you have
problem-solving
skills and whether
you can approach
new tasks
intelligently.
“In my previous position as Project Support
Officer, I was often challenged with new
projects requiring me to step outside of my
comfort zone. Because of these
opportunities, I developed a systematic
approach to each new challenge. First I
collect as much information I can about the
tasks to ensure I understand what I need to
do. Then I break the tasks into manageable
steps. I research and consult with colleagues
who had previous experience with the task.
After I complete each piece of work, I would
double-check the tasks with my manager to
ensure I’m on track and to get feedback.”
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