Tell me about a time when you had to handle a facility-related crisis
Theme: Crisis Management Role: Facilities Manager Function: Operations
Interview Question for Facilities Manager: See sample answers, motivations & red flags for this common interview question. About Facilities Manager: Manages facilities and ensures a safe and productive work environment. This role falls within the Operations function of a firm. See other interview questions & further information for this role here
Sample Answer
Example response for question delving into Crisis Management with the key points that need to be covered in an effective response. Customize this to your own experience with concrete examples and evidence
- Description of the crisis: Provide a brief overview of the facility-related crisis you encountered
- Your role & responsibilities: Explain your position and the specific responsibilities you had in managing the crisis
- Actions taken to address the crisis: Outline the steps you took to handle the facility-related crisis
- Collaboration & communication: Describe how you collaborated with relevant stakeholders and communicated updates during the crisis
- Problem-solving & decision-making: Highlight any problem-solving techniques or decision-making processes you utilized to resolve the crisis
- Results & impact: Share the outcome of your efforts and the impact it had on the facility and its operations
- Lessons learned: Discuss any lessons or insights you gained from handling the facility-related crisis
- Preventive measures: Explain any preventive measures or improvements you implemented to avoid similar crises in the future
Underlying Motivations
What the Interviewer is trying to find out about you and your experiences through this question
- Problem-solving skills: Assessing the interviewer's interest in my ability to handle facility-related crises and solve problems effectively
- Decision-making abilities: Determining if I can make quick and effective decisions during facility-related emergencies
- Leadership skills: Evaluating my capability to take charge and lead a team during a facility-related crisis
- Crisis management skills: Assessing my experience and expertise in managing facility-related crises and mitigating potential risks
- Adaptability & resilience: Determining how well I can handle unexpected situations and adapt to changing circumstances in facility management
Potential Minefields
How to avoid some common minefields when answering this question in order to not raise any red flags
- Lack of preparation: Not being able to provide a specific example or struggling to recall details of the crisis
- Blaming others: Putting the blame solely on others without taking any responsibility for the crisis
- Ineffective communication: Failing to mention clear and timely communication with stakeholders during the crisis
- Lack of problem-solving skills: Not discussing the steps taken to resolve the crisis or the strategies implemented
- Poor decision-making: Not explaining the rationale behind the decisions made during the crisis
- Neglecting preventive measures: Not mentioning any efforts to prevent similar crises in the future or improve facility management procedures