You observe that a colleague always arrives late to a weekly meeting. What would you do?

Question Analysis

This behavioral question is designed to assess your ability to handle workplace challenges and demonstrate skills such as communication, problem-solving, and professionalism. The interviewer is interested in how you approach issues involving colleagues, particularly in a situation where their behavior might impact team dynamics or productivity. They want to see if you can address the situation constructively and maintain a good working relationship.

Answer

To effectively answer this question, you can use the STAR method:

Situation:
In my previous role, I noticed that a colleague frequently arrived late to our weekly project update meetings. This was beginning to affect the team's ability to start and end meetings on time.

Task:
I felt it was important to address this issue to maintain team efficiency and ensure everyone's time was respected. I aimed to understand any underlying reasons for the tardiness and find a way to support my colleague while keeping the meetings on schedule.

Action:
I decided to have a private conversation with my colleague. I approached them in a friendly and non-confrontational manner, expressing that I had noticed their late arrivals and was concerned about any potential challenges they might be facing. I asked if there was anything I could do to help or if there were specific constraints that made it difficult to arrive on time. Additionally, I suggested a few strategies that could help, such as setting reminders or adjusting the meeting time if others were also facing similar issues.

Result:
My colleague appreciated the approach and mentioned a recurring commitment that was causing the delay. We discussed it with the team and agreed to move the meeting to a slightly later time. This adjustment allowed my colleague to arrive on time, and our meetings became more productive and punctual as a result. The situation also reinforced a supportive team environment where we felt comfortable addressing issues collaboratively.