What would you do if a coworker constantly arrived late to a weekly meeting?

Question Analysis

This question is designed to evaluate your interpersonal and problem-solving skills in a professional setting. The interviewer wants to see how you handle recurring issues with a coworker, which can affect team dynamics and productivity. They are assessing your ability to address problems constructively while maintaining a positive work environment. The STAR method is a useful framework for structuring your response:

• Situation: Describe the context within which you faced the problem.
• Task: Explain your role and responsibilities in the situation.
• Action: Detail the specific steps you took to address the issue.
• Result: Share the outcome of your actions.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role, we had a weekly team meeting every Monday morning. One of my coworkers consistently arrived late, which disrupted the flow of the meeting and often required us to backtrack to update them on what was discussed.

Task: As a team player committed to maintaining a productive and inclusive meeting environment, I felt it was important to address this issue in a respectful and effective manner.

Action: I decided to have a private, one-on-one conversation with the coworker. I expressed understanding, acknowledging that everyone has busy schedules. I then shared my observations regarding the impact of their tardiness on our meetings and asked if there was anything specific causing the delay that we might be able to help with. I also suggested that if the meeting time was inconvenient, we could discuss adjusting it to better suit the team.

Result: The coworker appreciated the open communication and admitted that their prior meeting often ran over time. As a result, we collectively decided to shift our meeting by 15 minutes. This adjustment improved punctuality, and the meetings became more productive and efficient with everyone present from the start.