Success is something that comes after days and nights of struggle and staying up working. It is the result of dedication that you give to your work and company. It is the result of something you started small, but it became gigantic over time. It could even be a task at hand which you were expected to be working on, and that task became successful because of you.
However, to become successful, a lot of improvisation needs to be done time and again. And this keeps happening even if you shift companies. As technology and competition are progressing, the scope for improvement keeps rising. You make these improvements by your presence of mind, dedication and, of course, intelligence. So now, when you appear for an interview and you are asked about the time when you improved a process of work that brought outstanding achievements, you might have to sit and think about a convincing answer for the interviewer.
In a situation like this, the interviewer is always testing how you react to the question. Your response reflects your attitude towards success and achievements. The interviewer sees whether you are bragging or boasting yourself or are you just calmly explaining what you did in the previous company that improved the process of working. If you are going for an interview and looking for the perfect answer to such a question, this article is for you as I will tell you why interviewers ask such questions and how to answer these questions wisely.
Why Do Interviewers Ask This Question?
This is the kind of question where the interviewer wants to know more about your experience in the field you have applied for a job. The area demands expertise and dedication to make changes, to see whether you have been contributing enough or just started working for the sake of money. Every job and its targets is a skill, a talent which people start with as a practice and then eventually grow up to be best at it, that talent is everything for an interviewer.
Every company needs an employee who can use their potential to grow its name in whichever department they are employed. This question is a test to see whether your previous activity of success or achievement has raised you above the ground, and you still have the same ambition when it comes to targets related to this company. The interviewer might also want to know if you have made plans according to your previous experience to perform as per the company’s necessities. The former is here to impress; the latter is here to deliver.
The interviewer wants to learn your confidence in working for the company, your motivation behind joining, your reason behind choosing the particular field and many such questions. Wanting to know about the time you improved the work process at your previous company is something more valuable for the interviewer as they will know what this process or method of working is being brought to the company by the interviewee.
How To Respond To This Question?
Usually, when you are asked about your working process, it is just to know how timely or strategically you deliver your work. The other reason behind this is to see whether you brag about what you have done previously or humbly state the facts. Promoting yourself is not the sole reason behind answering this question. This question is clearly about determining your value to the company; in this case, nothing but the truth can be the right answer to give them.
Having a short story behind such a question helps in keeping their attention on you. Talking about your success story should be about work and other successful instances, which allows them to determine your capabilities outside of professional space. Generally, using the STAR method makes your response quite effective. The STAR method is:
- ST – Situation of Task that you were assigned.
- A – Action you took to deal with it.
- R – Result that came after going with your decision.
Before appearing for an interview, you should always remember that questions might get complicated, and your immediate reaction to the question is being observed. This is in a way a behavioural question, and to answer that, your confidence can only be displayed when you know what to speak about. Show enthusiasm for your story but also keep your focus on the facts.
Answers to Avoid for “Tell Me About a Time You Improved a Process”
While you are focused on answering with facts and making sure you have a story convincing enough, there are some things that you need to keep in mind not to let the interviewer doubt your answer.
- Judging your composure and how you narrate your story represents your confidence and ideals of working in the particular firm. When you show less enthusiasm behind the success, you achieved previously, the same view of you will be set in front of the interviewer.
- Keeping up with enthusiasm but telling that it wasn’t you who made the suggestion beforehand or expected to be heard represents your lack of interest in the company’s progress. When you have an idea or something that can elevate the work process, then your thoughts will be heard.
- Speaking of your generous contributions and how they were encouraged by your teammates and your bosses will assure the interviewer that you can be consulted or be involved while significant work is going on in the office.
Why Are Employers Interested In Your Improvements & Contributions?
Well, this is less of rocket science and more of a common understanding. Every employer will test your behavior according to your working experience. Every candidate looks for ambition and skill to solve problems without letting that become their purpose of impressing or taking credit. When you are asked whether “You have suggested something that helped complete a task or improved the process of work?” Your answer that speaks naturally of your experience with confidence can get you hired immediately.
Answering this question should be well thought out. If you go prepared with a background detail about how you had once tackled your previous company’s problem, it will undoubtedly benefit you in narrating the story with intrigue. When that is done, your answer shouldn’t sound boastful of your talent if you get asked why you did the same. It should be more about how your mind reacted to the problem around you and your involvement helped solve it.
Examples of Process Improvements in Various Roles
To be prepared fully is a great idea, and it always works in favour of the candidate. If you want to get a better idea of how this question was answered by the candidates, here are some sample answers:
Parting Thoughts on Answering on Process Improvements
No matter where you go for an interview, every interviewer wants to be completely aware of who they are hiring. Knowing you is not just about your background and education, but your experience and understanding of the work. If you are into accounting or finance or even a cook, how well can you manage a situation when the company is in trouble proves your dedication towards work.
When an interviewer hires you, they need to know that they can depend on you in a difficult situation. Making them believe this is entirely your responsibility, and if you manage to do that, you are employed. Last but never least, when asked such questions, it is imperative always to remain humble, and never boast, and just state the facts.
All the best ! 🙂
