“Provide an example of a time when you have used communication effectively”

Told someone to "fk off". And they did.

easy this - just change the setting of "Don't Look Up" to something you can BS about and then you're mostly the way there..  though i do like daveyboys one, it's succinct, to the point without any flowering..

Well without knowing the job it’s going to be difficult to answer.  If you answer phones for the ambulance service communication is a key skill; if you work for the Tory party HQ communication is a key skill but rather different!  So id be trying to work out the sort of communication they want to see, then find my best example of it.

i don’t do these things often but read the rest of the questions - you don’t want to use the same scenarios on each.  Eg communication/leadership/teamwork.

for communication I would expect you to be saying something more than shit went wrong and I had to make some phone calls.  Perhaps it was about thinking through or designing messaging to remove ambiguity?  Perhaps it was about distilling a really long complex idea to something brief and simple?  Perhaps it was about intervening to say hold on is everyone hearing the same thing…

" Communication..., don't talk to me about communication"

When something went sideways and you had a discussion with folk, preferably senior in role or even better with working knowledge of the thing (two way communication) then had to communicate the way out of the shit, clearly to the team. Preferably with a successful outcome.

"I'll let you kow on my first day...."

Or alternatively tell them about a time when you tried to post on the STW forum and the formatting got randomly ****ed up, or you got a bad gateway error or it timed out or decided not to post because you had more than 5 photos but it didn't actually tell you you can't post more than 5 photos etc

Have you got an example of a multi-discipline team (ideally where people use different terminology/approaches), where you ensured everyone achieved the desired outcome?

The last time I told an interviewer to stick their stupid interview question

Last Saturday morning. I was driving along and had to come to a complete stop, head-on, to a white van that was wandering across the road at me because the driver was on his phone. As he had to reverse away from me to get back on his side of the road, I was able to wind my window down. His was already down. One word very effectively communicated 100% of what I needed to say. Sometimes only one word is enough. Sometimes only 'that' word will do.

This kind of question is ideal for the STAR approach. Though my SO rolls their eyes whenever I come up with this kind of thing.

situation

task

action

result

one sentence for each step. When you think about it you will have many [edit] examples. Write them down. Sort them in order of level of skill/achievement. Use the one you think appropriate for the job you are targeting. Remember them for whenever this comes up.

indeed and other recruiters have some examples.

edit. What @poly said

Stupid question, but I would use examples of when I have had to tailor messages to different audiences, people, and how I achieved this.

The STAR method can help frame these examples.

Good luck with the job 🙂

Situation. Everyone was predicting an autumn general election for a flailing government

task. I wanted to get out a bit sooner

action. I made a surprise announcement of a July election in the pouring rain while someone played ‘things can only get better’ by D’ream in the background.

result. Too early to tell, but the responses have certainly been going my way: I’ll be in California before the summer is out.

YMMV

I’ve had this a couple times in interviews and applications and I always struggle with it.

Maybe you are not very good at communicating effectively.

Half-past two

I'd be thinking of situations where I've communicated and caused a change in behaviour, action and something has happened which wouldn't have happened without my communication.  Have you negotiated something at some point and achieved an outcome which seemed unrealistic / unexpected/ beyond expectations.

OP

You need to use a 'real life' story 😉🙃

Just last week I was flying my hot air balloon and got a bit lost .

I reduced height and saw a bikepacker down below. I lowered the balloon further and shouted to get some directions.

Me : "Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?"

The bikepacker replied "Yes,you're in a hot air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field."

"You must work in Information Technology," says I.

"I do" replies the bikepacker. "How did you know?"

Me: "Well,everything you have told me is technically correct, but It's of no use to anyone."

The bikepacker replied, "You must work in management."

Me: "I do,but how'd you know?"*

"Well", said the bikepacker, "you don’t know where you are or where you’re going, but you expect me to be able to help. You’re in the same position you were before we met, but now it’s my fault."

Me: " I hope you get covered in slurry"

😊

I'd see it as a soft skills thing.

As someone suggested, describe a situation where things were going tits up because of a questionable decision - but you had a quiet word and helped common sense to prevail.

So for me I would choose something like:

managing upwards (telling a senior member of staff that what they said was innapropriate/unprofessional/wrong)

dealing with staff (communicating corporate redundancies to a group, dealing with poor performance, sacking someone)

explaining a cock up on our part to a customer

giving a presentation with little/no notice, or when the time was cut in half

You could also use written communication as well - an example that covers both would be good

...and I would use hte STAR method as above for these.

good luck

does anyone have any tips on answering this kind of question beyond “something at work went wrong, and I had to make a few phone calls to sort it out”?

the important thing I consider when recruiting and interviewing is how specific the example is.  What you describe is a general event. What went wrong? What exactly did you do? Who did you call? What did you ask of them? What happened at the end?

Then, possibly, what did you learn? How have you applied it since?

one reason this kind of experience-based approach is used is because it can provide some insight into what you have done and how you have done it. And different companies expect different approaches. Are there particular skills, like influencing through rational persuasion for example, that you can squeeze into your concise answer?

You can add a letter to the end of star to make the results bit a bit more measurable or reflective. I forget which.

Do you have to deliver at pace too?

https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_huffington_post_584/ba59b20788facd59906e0723b9f25eda

"Right now, when I tell you this is a bullshit question."

I swear, the people who dream up this crap have nothing better to do than find reasons to spin out ten minute interviews to half an hour because the alternative is doing some actual work.

S - This morning I needed to attend this waste of time interview

T - So I caught the bus

A- I had to communicate with the driver to exchange my money for his services

R - I saved a fortune compared to having to drive here, yet still feel like I'm loosing out.

I raised my arm to indicate I wished to cross the road. The driver stopped. As I crossed I nodded to the driver as a thank you and he smiled.

You do get bullshit questions at interviews but IMO this is not one.  Its a effective tool and a standard question

I was drinking in a tough flat roofed pub. An intoxicated gentleman started an argument with me, he offered to step outside to the car park. I suggested we just get it on in the pub instead… result was a full on brawl. I feel I had an overall net positive outcome on the situation and changed his way of thinking.

Do you have to deliver at pace too?

Oh yes, and do it in an agile way which leverages stakeholder channels.

Ideally I'd be looking for where you needed to deliver the same information to different groups, recognised that they have different requirements and used different approaches to most effectively deliver your message to achieve your desired outcome.

It's really not a daft question.

If my local Tory candidate pops around for a chat, that will give me a perfect example to use.

Its a effective tool and a standard question

I'd disagree.  Any "standard question" isn't an effective tool beyond demonstrating a candidate's nous to google "common interview questions" and then prepare stock answers.  It's an exercise in box-ticking.

Unusual questions on the other hand...  I reckon I'd get more mileage from asking "what's your favourite goat?" or "what does blue smell like?" and seeing what they did with it.  Thinking on the fly when wrong-footed is a real skill (as is calling out bollocks questions😁).

A Glaswegian kiss is pretty effective communication, perhaps ask them if they'd like to participate in a demonstration.

Any “standard question” isn’t an effective tool beyond demonstrating a candidate’s nous to google “common interview questions” and then prepare stock answers.

Surely this is why it's "an example of a time when you have used" rather than just "make up an example of..."?

In answer to Cougar's questions

Mountain goats because of their agility on terrain most humans flounder on

Blue evokes smelly cheese or blue bell woods

Pygmy, cos they're cute and fun, not evil bastards like the big nannies.

Blue smells cold like fresh air with a hint of sea, without the salt or seaweed, if that makes any sense.

i’ve had this a couple times in interviews and applications and I always struggle with it.

“Provide an example of a time when you have used communication effectively”

"Well an example right now is I can tell you how bored I am and that is  that I'm very, very bored. And to save us all time, if the next question is 'sum yourself up in three words' I've just answered that too."

On the railways, just completed my COSS refresher and it was stressed that we should stick to agreed communication methods,

up on the wick line I had to call the signaller in Inverness

Me: this is JamieMcF of STW,  can I confirm I'm speaking to the signaller.

Signaller: I'd bloody hope so, you called the signal box

That was my effective communication and his effective put down

You do get bullshit questions at interviews but IMO this is not one. Its a effective tool and a standard question

I disagree, it's like IQ tests, it's a test of how good you are at behavioural interviews, not how good you are at actually doing a job. If you've not come across them before, you're pretty much guaranteed to fail, as interviewers can't parse answers that aren't phrased in a standard format.

On communication,

this is JamieMcF

That's the first time I've read your username as Jamie Mc F rather than Jamie M C F.

My favourite goats? Tennessee fainting goats, as it just won't ever be not funny 😁

Honestly, not one of my comments I thought people would run with.

I should know better by now, really.

thegeneralist
Free Member
” Communication…, don’t talk to me about communication”

^^ What we have here is a failure to communicate.

“Right now, when I tell you this is a bullshit question.”

I swear, the people who dream up this crap have nothing better to do than find reasons to spin out ten minute interviews to half an hour because the alternative is doing some actual work.

they can be quite an effective way of eliminating two types of candidates:

1. argumentative types who want to tell you the question is wrong and won’t be a good company fit!

2. People who have poor self awareness and are unable to define THEIR contribution/skill.

whether eliminating those people is a good thing or not will depend on the role.  Assuming it’s not an entry level role these sort of questions are probably not going to surprise suitable candidates, regurgitating stock answers to stock questions is surprisingly hard to pull off.   So much so, that some companies are now publishing the questions in advance - in many roles making up bullshit on the spur of the moment is not the skill they seek.

This sort of bullshit is exactly why I can’t be bothered looking for a new job. What do these questions achieve? **** all, that’s what.

As for those spouting acronyms and claiming this is a useful tool. You’re part of the reason **** all gets done in most jobs nowadays.

Assuming it’s not an entry level role these sort of questions are probably not going to surprise suitable candidates

They would surprise nobody. Predictable inane interview question. I’d have to give an utterly ridiculous answer to a very stupid question. Everybody communicates effectively every day. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be a functioning member of society and highly unlikely to be having an interview with anyone other than the police.

they can be quite an effective way of eliminating two types of candidates

Three types. The third is the kind of candidates who find such questions tedious and formulaic and will guess (probably correctly) that your organisation is not for them. It’s important when interviewing to remember that an interview cuts both ways. I believe the OP might be in category 3.

Some days I'm glad I'm a builder

So much so, that some companies are now publishing the questions in advance – in many roles making up bullshit on the spur of the moment is not the skill they seek.

We do this now. For senior roles in particular. We want a properly considered answer.

1. argumentative types who want to tell you the question is wrong and won’t be a good company fit!

...

whether eliminating those people is a good thing or not will depend on the role.

I have to admit, I do twitch a little about candidates needing to be "a good company fit."  Sometimes perhaps an ingrained corporate culture needs a kick up its arse.  Hiring a chap of Bangladeshi descent would be a poor fit on a shop floor full of Daily Express gammonistas, do we reject him on the grounds that he wouldn't be a good company fit?

It is of course not (ahem) black and white, but sometimes when someone's face doesn't fit it's not the the face which is the issue.

- What do you consider your biggest weakness?

- Honesty.

- That doesn’t sound like a weakness to me. 

- I don’t actually GAF what you think though.

I rang him up and said "...I have a very particular set of skills." I did have to reinforce this message with practical examples, but I know he understood in the end.

The single biggest crap interview question is "Do you prefer working on your own, or as part of a team?" To which every single interviewee since the beginning of time has answered "I'm happy to work on my own, but I'm also able to work as part of a team."

If it’s online questions then use AI!

Some days I’m glad I’m a builder

If you decide to change trade here are some examples you could consider using in an interview.

1. I was stuck in traffic so I rang the client to apologise and gave them an eta.

2. I wasnt interested in taking on a job I had previously quoted for.  I had plenty of work, and trying to squeeze it in would only frustrate the client.  I rang them as soon as possible and explained this, so they were able to quickly make alternative arrangements.

3. On my way to finish an urgent roof repair, I decided I just couldn't be arsed to turn up. I rang the client with a half-arsed excuse which was barely credible. However, at least they didn't spend the whole day waiting for me, while I ignored their increasingly desperate phone calls.

I swear, the people who dream up this crap have nothing better to do than find reasons to spin out ten minute interviews to half an hour because the alternative is doing some actual work.

Nice, sussinct somethingion there.

Whenever I read articles on this subject, I feel I’ve been blessed in that I’ve never had an interview where this sort of bullshit has been used. Mainly, I guess, because most have been with companies where I’ve known people who I’ve worked with previously, so they had some awareness of my skills and the fact that I just get on with people and the job I’m required to do. In one instance, I’d made it clear that I wanted to leave the company I was with, the place I wanted to go to was made up mostly of people from the place I wanted to leave, and the only requirement was that I help out doing darkroom work, which I already knew how to do.

One particular job interview just involved answering a set of questions over the phone, whereupon I was told my team leader would pick me up the following morning at 4.30!
The next job was at a company where I’d been dropping off cars, I knew the person I phoned about a job, she knew my skills, it was pretty much a formality going through the interview before I was offered the job. 🤷🏼

Whenever I read articles on this subject, I feel I’ve been blessed in that I’ve never had an interview where this sort of bullshit has been used

ever worked in an organisation where people seemed to be lacking what you might consider the core competences for the job?  Eg the ability to communicate effectively at different levels (whether that be simplifying a message to the public/workforce, or translating a concern back to senior management in a way that would grasp)?   I’m not saying these type of questions are the solution to that, those listening to the answers need to know what they are hearing too but whilst I both hate asking the contrived question and being asked them, I’m not convinced that any other application / interview approach is necessarily better.

 the ability to communicate effectively at different levels (whether that be simplifying a message to the public/workforce, or translating a concern back to senior management in a way that would grasp)?

Turn it round and ask what real communication issues their company has to solve so you can give them better tailored examples.

Its a effective tool and a standard question

I interviewed a seriously autistic 21 year old for a graduate post recently. She couldn't answer a single one of these 'standard' questions which were handed down to us from HR and we were instructed not to go off piste. We didn't hire her, and she never stood a chance with this bullshit interview process. Had I been allowed to just have a chat with her about her interests etc I'd have had a much better idea of whether she could do the job, but alas HR know better. 🙄

I used to struggle with communication, but then i learnt to talk and it became easier.

The answer doesn't really matter, best to talk about some workplace crisis you had to tackle though, it's the keywords/phrases you sprinkle in that matter:

"Leading the response"

"Triaged the issue"

"working the problem"

"identified key stakeholders" 

"Clearly set actions"

"Identified key responsibilities" 

"set out achievable timescales"

"listened to concerns"

"Formalised our position" .

And many more besides, basically use fancy words to say that you're not shy, you can lead a meeting, and you get things written down.

Some days I’m glad I’m a builder

If you decide to change trade here are some examples you could consider using in an interview.

1. I was stuck in traffic so I rang the client to apologise and gave them an eta.

2. I wasnt interested in taking on a job I had previously quoted for. I had plenty of work, and trying to squeeze it in would only frustrate the client. I rang them as soon as possible and explained this, so they were able to quickly make alternative arrangements.

3. On my way to finish an urgent roof repair, I decided I just couldn’t be arsed to turn up. I rang the client with a half-arsed excuse which was barely credible. However, at least they didn’t spend the whole day waiting for me, while I ignored their increasingly desperate phone calls.

I would shorten that down to the golden rule of communicating with the customer -

'Bad news is better than no news'

As people have said, but I would some examples of how you have used a variety of communication methods, as there are a lot of them out there now. This will be part of the Communication and Influencing competency. You could probably bang in a bit of conflict management / resolution too.

- Provide an example of a time when you have used communication effectively.
- When I took a **** in the Prime Minister’s duck pond.

– When I took a **** in the Prime Minister’s duck pond.

After a particularly poor pub lunch years ago, one of my colleagues wrote "SHIT" across the table using chips.  My contribution was an exclamation mark in ketchup.

I think some on here could use a bit of effective communication by having a word with themselves and their egos.

It isn't a bullshit question if the role requires someone who communicates effectively. All of my working life was interacting with people; face to face, over the phone, in written form, meetings and public speaking.  The difference between the folk who could  and could not communicate effectively was enormous, and made a massive difference to team and personal morale, the ability to manage people up and down the hierarchical chain, to our customer and client satisfaction, organisational reputation and effectiveness.

If a candidate showed the sort of contempt for the process as all you right-on, edgy experts have done on here, then why the hell were they applying for a job where effective communication is required? It isn't about jumping through hoops, it's about being able to be a bit self-analytical in your working practices and showing through experience that you are q good fit for the role.

Also, as an interviewer and many-times interviewee, I can guarantee that made-up or contrived responses are immediately obvious.

HAHA. Oh wow...I thought I had typed up this question during a frustrated break from my application and then decided against posting. Must have clicked the wrong button. Better not tell the job I'm looking for that; not very good communication is it?

Now that I have started it I had better put a further opinion in now that I am becalmed and the application is sent.

It's not the type of question - I understand that situation-based questions are important. For example, this particular application also had "Describe a time where you have provided great service" which I had a very good example for in the STAR format that they like. That, alongside a few similar questions about overcoming an issue, teamwork, organisational skills etc.

The problem is specifically with the "Communication" question. It just feels so nebulous, and I could have chosen literally any one of my other answers to put in there, because they all involved a great deal of communication to sort or fix. It starts to feel like a very redundant question to ask during a written application, and makes me question what actually IS a good example of communication.

I wish I could just put a few impressive bullet points in about what I am doing currently, and why I would be good at doing what they want me to do. Because I really would be good at it...but I am sure that because I wrote their application not in the way their externally hired HR consultant likes (I know they do it like this) they will just chuck it in the deleted pile.

It isn’t a bullshit question if the role requires someone who communicates effectively.

Of course it is.

If you're conducting a face-to-face interview and you can't ascertain whether the candidate can communicate effectively by dint of them actually doing so or not during the interview, the party which is struggling with effective communication here is the interviewer.

Also, as an interviewer and many-times interviewee, I can guarantee that made-up or contrived responses are immediately obvious.

As an interviewer and many-times interviewee, I can guarantee that made-up or contrived questions are immediately obvious.  GIGO.

For example, this particular application also had “Describe a time where you have provided great service” which I had a very good example for in the STAR format that they like.

🤮

I think some on here could use a bit of effective communication by having a word with themselves and their egos.

Ego has nothing to do with it. Quite the opposite in fact. Everyone who has posted in defence of these questions comes across like the exact sort of person I’m really glad I don’t work for.

"I communicated to my manager that he was being an idiot"

"He was, and as far as i know, still is."

Provide a time when you didn’t ask a lazy generic bullshit job application question that makes you feel important, but achieves nothing.
In your own words.

The single biggest crap interview question is “Do you prefer working on your own, or as part of a team?”

Is working alone an option then?

My problem with this particular question is that effective communication is a basic everyday need; a fundamental requirement for working effectively in any collaborative environment or even functioning in society with any real quality of life. What is the interviewer hoping to ascertain from the answer they’re going to get? What are they really hoping to hear? I suspect that unless they’re a clueless buffoon this question is interrogating my willingness to operate in a bull**** organisation with a straight face, and while I might give a measured answer in an interview scenario I would not be taking that job because I know it would be a destructive experience in either case. I would never ask this on an interview panel, and would be mortified to participate in an interview where it was asked. Just because an interview is by its nature quite contrived does not make it acceptable to ask unserious questions.

‘Well as a baby I used to shit my pants all the time’.

I get what a lot of you are saying about bullshine questions but this one I feel ( or a variant on it) can be useful  It gives a scenario to discuss furtyher and also gives decent indications about how the person works with others

how does it give any indication of how somebody works with others?  A lot of people are highly adept at talking utter bobbins and then being really shit when it actually comes to doing a job!

sure its not 100% but it gives a clue about stuff like communication styles, conflict resolution etc

Its much better than describe yourself in one word ( I have had that) or if you were a colour what colour would you be.

how does it give any indication of how somebody works with others? A lot of people are highly adept at talking utter bobbins and then being really shit when it actually comes to doing a job!

This. What I see far too regularly and have to deal with in terms of impact on teams is the inability of people to do this.

They've all blagged their way through an interview because it's easier to talk the talk, the do seems to be very elusive.

Also, as an interviewer and many-times interviewee, I can guarantee that made-up or contrived responses are immediately obvious.

All that really says is that you can only spot them if they're immediately obvious.

What question would people suggest then to find out how strong a communicator a candidate is?

Don't say an interview as most people aren't going to get that far

“Provide an example of a time when you have used communication effectively”

“I once banged the cats’ bowls together and they actually came in immediately for their food.  This has become into a transferable skill that enables me to get developers to actually read requirements and build what the client is asking for rather than what they want to.  Both are examples of herding cats.  In the case of developers you use pizza, Redbull, or Haribo.”

What question would people suggest then to find out how strong a communicator a candidate is?

I base it on how they communicate with me in the interview. Part of our interviews is a case study for which candidates must produce and present an architecture for. How they present this, and field questions gives me a pretty good idea how they’re going to do the same in front of a client.