Every single leader should have a process. You don’t want to just hand every subordinate a piece of paper and say “have a go at this.” You want to have a strategy, something that you use that sets you apart from a less effective leader, and you should be able to share that process if asked this type of interview question about delegating tasks by an interviewer.
Behavioral Interview Question: What steps or process do you follow when delegating tasks to team members?
Most interview questions about delegating tasks have a wide variety of acceptable answers. This type of question though does have a bit more of a specific answer that employers are looking for. They’re hoping to see that you show:
- Evaluation – That you pay careful attention to what the tasks are.
- Organization – That you are able to sort them into relevant groups.
- Management – That you provide some type of delegation, conversation, or follow up.
It’s not necessarily a difficult question to answer as long as you remember there is a “right” answer. If you can bring in a personal experience, you make that answer much better.
Sample Answer:
“My first step is always to create a list of every single possible task, whatever they may be. Even small tasks that should be common sense are added to the list. I then place them all in a Microsoft Excel sheet, color code them, and create end dates for every person I plan to delegate to, paying attention to their specific strengths and development needs. I also create lists for each staff member so they’re not intimidated by the task.
Then I set a meeting where I give each person their tasks, and make sure that they know each task, its due date, and how I’ll be following up with them – which is usually with a weekly meeting, depending on the due date of the project.”
This type of answer covers all of your bases. If possible though, insert specific details about your past project into the answer to bring the answer to life.
See Also Related Posts:
How to Show you Can Delegate Tasks and Responsibilities
Using the STAR technique to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions