- Do you consider yourself to be a reliable person? …
- What do you feel is an acceptable number of days to be absent in a year?
- What would you do if your workday ends before you’ve finished an important task?
Arriving on time is essential to holding down a job, especially in roles that must be fully staffed around the clock. Employers look for applicants who understand why punctuality is a big deal. Few bosses will tolerate excuses for being late, especially if it happens more than once.
Researching punctuality questions and answers can help you ace your job interview. The key is to reassure the hiring manager that you take pride in being punctual by offering examples of your past performance. Ideally, your references can back up your claims.
You can make a great first impression by stressing your commitment to timeliness in attendance, staying on task, and meeting deadlines. Successful employees are motivated by a desire to be on top of things regardless of the assigned tasks. They also understand that being late can disrupt the workflow, inconvenience team members, disappoint the boss, and ultimately result in job termination. Use punctuality interview questions to communicate your dedication to punctuality.
A. My parents taught me the value of hard work and being on time. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career. As a shift leader, I recognize the importance of being a good role model, and I stress the importance of punctuality when training new staff.
Employers like to hear that a job candidate has more than just a vague desire to be punctual. Identify specific steps you take to arrive on time, even when the unexpected happens, such as a traffic snarl. Be truthful because your references will likely be asked questions related to your attendance and punctuality.
A. I could take the later bus and sleep in but arriving on time is more important to me. I enjoy having extra time to plan my day. When I was interning at the hospital, I arrived 30 minutes early and studied in the cafeteria until my shift started; that way, I was always on time.
Arriving on time is only one measure of punctuality. Consider mentioning examples of how you set goals at your current job and track your progress to produce a quality product ahead of schedule whenever possible. Forbes recommends providing concrete examples that indicate how punctuality mattered at your last job and enhanced your overall performance. Describe jobs you have held that required punctuality.
A. I worked weekends at our family business all through high school. When I turned 16, I was responsible for opening the shop early in the morning and getting everything set up well before the first customer arrived.
Employers can be a bit sneaky in how they go about assessing your sense of duty. Instead of directly asking if you’re punctual, they might throw you a curveball question to see how you behave in a work setting. For example, you might be asked, “What’s the best excuse for being late?” The purpose of this question is to see what you consider a valid reason for tardiness.
Don’t blow this interview question by giving a flimsy reason like your alarm didn’t go off or the bus was late again. Answer the question by explaining that only unforeseeable circumstances outside your control are a legitimate excuse. Mention unsafe driving conditions or a serious incident such as your car being rear-ended and towed on your way to work. Indeed Career Guide also recommends stating that you immediately contacted your supervisor to explain the situation.
Mary Dowd holds a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s in counseling and student affairs from Minnesota State Mankato. Helping students succeed has been her passion while serving in many areas of student affairs and adjunct teaching. Currently she is a dean of students at a large, public university. Dr. Dpwd’s writing experience includes published research, training materials and hundreds of practical online articles.
Attendance Officer interview questions
Tell me about a time your attendance impacted your work.
The candidate may tell you how arriving early and staying late allowed them to advance more quickly. Or, they may tell you how they had to change their ways after failing to make attendance a top priority. Both positive and negative examples could add up to a strong response.
Tell me about a time you couldn’t finish a task before the end of the day.
Having employees work late every evening is not ideal. And, if someone consistently can’t get their assignments done during regular hours, you might want to question their productivity. Look for candidates who were willing to take personal responsibility for the occasional overly ambitious project by staying late, asking for an extension, or enlisting the help of others.
Employers can be a bit sneaky in how they go about assessing your sense of duty. Instead of directly asking if you’re punctual, they might throw you a curveball question to see how you behave in a work setting. For example, you might be asked, “What’s the best excuse for being late?” The purpose of this question is to see what you consider a valid reason for tardiness.
Researching punctuality questions and answers can help you ace your job interview. The key is to reassure the hiring manager that you take pride in being punctual by offering examples of your past performance. Ideally, your references can back up your claims.
A. My parents taught me the value of hard work and being on time. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career. As a shift leader, I recognize the importance of being a good role model, and I stress the importance of punctuality when training new staff.
A. I could take the later bus and sleep in but arriving on time is more important to me. I enjoy having extra time to plan my day. When I was interning at the hospital, I arrived 30 minutes early and studied in the cafeteria until my shift started; that way, I was always on time.
Arriving on time is only one measure of punctuality. Consider mentioning examples of how you set goals at your current job and track your progress to produce a quality product ahead of schedule whenever possible. Forbes recommends providing concrete examples that indicate how punctuality mattered at your last job and enhanced your overall performance. Describe jobs you have held that required punctuality.
Tell me about a time personal issues pulled you away from work.
Sometimes things happen that force us to put our jobs on hold. This may be a family emergency, an illness, or an unexpected loss. This is inevitable. However, you don’t want employees who walk away, assuming other people will cover. Dependable candidates may tell you how they checked in, set up alternate arrangements, or were profoundly grateful for the extra support of their colleagues during a tough time.
FAQ
How do you answer reliability interview question?
How do you show reliability in a job interview?
- Use Clues from the Job Interview. …
- Ask Specific Questions During the Interview and Pay Close Attention to How They Answer. …
- Ask Their References About Their Character, Job Performance and Reliability. …
- Work with a Recruitment Partner.
How do you legally ask about attendance in an interview?
How would you describe your reliability?
