Incredibly Common Interview Questions About Time Management and How to Answer Them

What you will find in this blog:

• Tell me about a time where you had multiple deliverables requested at once. How did you ensure everything got done?
• Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a project at work? How did you ultimately reach your goal?
• Tell me about a time when you were interrupted and had to adjust your plan.
• Give me an example of when you had to manage angry customers due to time issues.
• Just in time

If you are preparing for an interview, it is likely you will receive at least one question about your time management skills.

Recruiters and managers obviously want to know about your work history, and how your skills match up with the role, but they will also ask behavioral questions. These questions will help them to understand your mastery of what are called soft skills.

Soft skills include time management, teamwork, adaptability, organization, and the like. Depending on the role, soft skills are just as important as your actual work experience. Behavior questions are more about how you work, instead of what you have accomplished.

One valuable soft skill is time management. Here are some incredibly common interview questions about time management and how to answer them.

Tell me about a time when you had multiple deliverables requested at once. How did you ensure everything got done?

This time management question is all about multitasking. Are you able to find a path through multiple requests and switch gears when needed?

Example answer:
“Working at a marketing agency is a very fast-paced environment. Clients do not know when they send through a request that other clients also have been requesting items.

Something that helps me manage my time is looking at the urgency of the requests. I block my time into urgent items, action items, and timely items.

That means I take care of easy, urgent items right away, then address high-priority action items, and then items that the client wants but are not urgent. This allows me to complete deliverables while also meeting client expectations.”

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a project at work? How did you ultimately reach your goal?

The recruiter or manager wants to know that you can use time management skills to step back from the big picture and develop a plan to accomplish a goal.

Example answer:
“Whenever a project starts to feel overwhelming, I like to break it down into smaller, completable steps that can be checked off a list. How do I arrive at the desired result? What needs to happen first, second, third, and so on.

I find if I can break it down into smaller tasks and create a list, then I can manage my time toward completing the list, and loop people in for approvals or input where appropriate.

If the company uses any teamwork and workflow software, I will load my plan into the company tool so managers and team members can also track progress and complete their tasks when assigned.”

Tell me about a time when you were interrupted and had to adjust your plan.

Are you adaptable? That is the crux of this time management interview question. Will you be able to address urgent matters, or are you locked into your plan for the day or week.

Example answer:
“I was in the middle of a project when an emergency took place with one of our clients. I was able to pause my current work, assess the emergency, and develop a timeline for deliverables to address those concerns.

Once I had taken time to evaluate the situation and come up with an action plan, I sent a quick update to my manager and the team to let them know my priorities had shifted, what my plan was, and that they could expect an adjustment in the timeline for other projects.”

Give me an example of when you had to manage angry customers due to time issues.

Some things are out of your control, and they can cause a ripple effect which can push back a timeline. When a customer is involved, it can be hard to keep them happy. Managers and recruiters want to know how you manage time and include customer service.

Example answer:
“Once when I was a hostess at a restaurant, we had a large party stay much longer than expected. Unfortunately, we had quoted wait times that did not reflect the actual wait and customers were rightly getting frustrated and hungry.
 
I cleared an idea with my manager and then set it in motion. First, we started letting people know an adjusted, longer wait time when they arrived. Then, I went to the kitchen and got rolls to pass out to guests who were already waiting. I also offered kids menus and crayons to guests with children so they had something to do during the wait.

While I could not control the wait itself, I did my best to serve the customer while they waited for a table, and let new guests know an adjusted, longer wait period so we could properly manage expectations.”

Just in time
Soft skills are so important, and time management questions are incredibly common during interviews. When asked about your soft skills, try to select examples which demonstrate your ability to adapt, prioritize tasks, and break down big projects into smaller steps. This will show recruiters and managers that you can take control of your time and problem solve any timeline concerns.

Did you know that I can coach you through common interview questions and help you craft personalized responses based on your work experience? Connect with me to learn more!