Answering the Interview Question: “How Do You Prioritize Your Work?”

Time management is crucial to perform well at any job, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if an interviewer asks, “How do you prioritize your work?”

Why employers ask “How do you prioritize your work?”

Employers ask this interview question as a way to evaluate your time-management skills and to assess your ability to distinguish between urgent and important tasks. Your answer to this question allows the interviewer to get an idea of how you would manage and complete your work assignments, should they hire you for the job.

Here are steps as a guide to help you answer this interview question:

1. Describe how you schedule your day

When the interviewer presents this question, be specific in your answer about how you manage your daily work assignments. For instance, if you create a to-do list first thing in the morning, explain how you list your tasks and rank them in order of their urgency and importance. This shows the interviewer your initiative and your ability to effectively organize your workload.

2. Explain how you shift between priorities

It can be common to have changes come up throughout your workday that demand your attention, and explaining how you handle last-minute shifts in your workload can highlight your adaptability and give the interviewer insight into how you reorganize your priorities.

3. Discuss how you set your deadlines

Completing work assignments on time is an important aspect of any job, and the interviewer wants to know that you can establish timelines for yourself that accommodate impending and shifting deadlines where necessary. Discuss how you set your deadlines according to task urgency, and provide details about how you determine appropriate time frames.

For instance, give examples of how you discuss due dates with team leaders or confirm important and tight deadlines.

4. Talk about how you maintain work-life balance

Explaining how you set realistic expectations for yourself during your workday highlights your ability to determine what tasks need to be completed and when a timeline should be extended. For instance, if you work on a project that you know will extend to the following day, share your expectations for what you can finish in an eight-hour period. This shows employers that you understand the importance of working within your daily time limits and that you value your productivity and performance.

5. Connect your answer to the job requirements

When the interviewer asks about your ability to prioritize your workload, be sure you connect the examples in your answer to the job requirements. For instance, if you’re interviewing for an administrative assistant position, describe how you organize your administrative tasks such as responding to client emails, disseminating information for senior executives and communicating with customers.

6. Show That You Can Reprioritize and Be Flexible

It doesn’t matter how well-organized your workday schedule is or how many complex spread sheets you make. If you can’t adjust and reprioritize, hiring managers will be less inclined to give you a chance.

Things change all the time in fast-paced workplaces. Priorities change, management gives new mandates, and company goals move. How do you respond to those changes?

When you answer this question, you must show that you can remain flexible.  There are many ways to do this. One way is to talk about how you don’t over-stuff your schedule or always give yourself ample time to complete tasks to ensure that you can respond to changes as they come. Provide examples of how you’ve had to reprioritize your work in the past and what you did to ensure you could focus on new tasks without letting the others fall by the wayside.

Final Tip…..

Practice your answer. Having a good answer to “How do you prioritize your work?” will significantly improve your chance of getting a job offer. Keep these key points in mind to show a potential employer that you know how to juggle company priorities, efficiency, and work-life balance.

Have an upcoming interview? Do you need help in answering interview questions confidently? Get a professional interview coach to help you prepare and stand out from the other candidates. Book your session today!