15 Follow Through Interview Questions and Answers

When it comes to job interviews, follow through is key. After all, the whole point of an interview is to show that you’re the best candidate for the job. But what exactly does follow through mean?

In a job interview context, following through means demonstrating that you have the skills and qualities the employer is looking for. It also means asking questions that show you’re interested in the role and the company, and taking the time to send a thank-you note after the interview.

If you want to make sure you ace your next job interview, take a look at these follow through interview questions and answers.

1. What is follow through?

This question is a great way to show your interviewer that you know what follow through means and how it can help you succeed in the role. You can answer this question by defining what follow through is, explaining why it’s important and sharing an example of when you used follow through skills in your previous roles.

Example: “Follow through is the ability to complete tasks or projects once you’ve started them. In my last position as a marketing manager, I had to delegate many projects to other team members. When I assigned these projects, I always made sure to provide clear instructions on what needed to be done and when. This helped my team members understand their responsibilities and ensured they completed their work on time.”

2. How does a lack of follow through affect team morale and productivity?

This question can help the interviewer assess your understanding of how a lack of follow through affects others and the organization as a whole. Use examples from your experience to explain how it impacts morale and productivity, and what you would do in this situation to improve these aspects of an organization.

Example: “In my last role, I noticed that our team was not following up on important tasks or projects. This led to confusion among employees about who was responsible for certain assignments. It also caused some projects to be delayed because we didn’t have enough people working on them. To solve this problem, I created a system where everyone had to check off their tasks each day so they could see if anyone else needed help with theirs.”

3. Can you give me an example of a time when your inability to follow through on something cost you or someone else at work?

This question is a great way for employers to learn more about your ability to follow through on tasks and projects. It’s important that you answer honestly, but also try to use this as an opportunity to show how you’ve learned from past mistakes.

Example: “In my previous role, I was responsible for creating weekly reports for upper management. Unfortunately, one week I forgot to send the report out. My manager called me into his office and asked why I hadn’t sent it yet. I explained what happened and apologized. He told me he would have preferred if I had notified him earlier so we could have discussed other options. From then on, I made sure to send the report every Friday at noon.”

4. Do you think that the ability to follow through is related to self-discipline? Why or why not?

This question is an opportunity to show your knowledge of the subject and how you apply it in your life. You can use examples from your own experience or refer to a study that supports your answer.

Example: “I think self-discipline is important for follow through, but I also believe that there are other factors involved. For example, if someone has low self-esteem, they may have trouble following through on tasks because they don’t feel confident enough to do so. If someone doesn’t understand why something needs to be done, they might not see the value in doing it. In my last job, I worked with a team member who had these issues. We talked about what she needed to do and why, and then we set up some goals together. She was able to meet her goals after that.”

5. Have you ever been responsible for following up with multiple people, tasks, or projects at the same time? If yes, how did you manage your responsibilities and priorities in such a situation?

This question can help the interviewer understand how you prioritize your tasks and manage multiple projects at once. Use examples from previous experiences to explain how you organized your time, delegated responsibilities or communicated with others about your progress on various projects.

Example: “In my last role as a marketing manager, I was responsible for managing several campaigns simultaneously. For example, one week I would be working on a campaign that focused on social media engagement while also creating content for our website. To ensure I could complete all of these tasks in a timely manner, I created a schedule where I worked on each project for two hours every day. This allowed me to focus on each task without feeling overwhelmed.”

6. Have you ever failed to follow through on a commitment made to a customer or client? If yes, then what happened?

This question is a great way to show your ability to learn from mistakes and how you can improve your follow through skills. When answering this question, it’s important to be honest about any past failures and explain what steps you took to ensure they didn’t happen again.

Example: “In my previous role as an assistant manager at a retail store, I was responsible for scheduling employees on the weekends. One weekend, I scheduled one of our best salespeople to work when she had already committed to working another event. She called me in tears because she couldn’t come into work that day. I immediately apologized and offered her time off or extra hours to make up for it. We ended up hiring someone else to cover her shift so she could attend the event.”

7. Have you ever worked with a co-worker who had poor follow through skills? What was it like working with them?

This question can help an interviewer understand how you work with others and your ability to manage challenging situations. In your answer, try to focus on the positive aspects of working with someone who has poor follow through skills.

Example: “I’ve worked with a co-worker in the past who had poor follow through skills. At first, it was frustrating because I would have to repeat myself multiple times when asking them for information or feedback. However, after talking with them about their follow through skills, they were able to improve by making a conscious effort to remember things more often. It helped that we set up reminders for each other so we could stay organized.”

8. Do you think follow through should be evaluated as part of performance reviews? Why or why not?

This question can help an interviewer understand your perspective on follow through and how you think it should be used in the workplace. It can also give them insight into how you might approach performance reviews if you’re hired for the position.

Example: “I do think follow through should be evaluated as part of a performance review because it’s such an important skill to have in any role. I believe that employees who are able to consistently complete tasks they’ve committed to, meet deadlines and communicate with their managers and colleagues effectively will benefit from having these skills recognized during their evaluations.”

9. In your opinion, what’s the best way to avoid failing to follow through on things?

This question can help the interviewer understand your thought process and how you approach tasks. It can also show them that you’re aware of potential challenges in a role and have strategies for overcoming them. In your answer, try to explain what steps you take to ensure you complete projects on time or meet deadlines.

Example: “I think it’s important to set realistic goals when following through on things. If I know I’m going to be busy with other projects at work, I’ll make sure to leave enough time in my schedule to get everything done. Another thing I do is write down all of my commitments so I don’t forget anything. This helps me stay organized and ensures I don’t miss any deadlines.”

10. What advice would you give to a new employee about the importance of following through on their commitments?

This question can help the interviewer assess your leadership skills and ability to motivate others. It also helps them understand how you would approach a new employee who may not be familiar with the company’s expectations for following through on commitments. In your answer, try to emphasize the importance of following through on commitments while also explaining why it is important.

Example: “I think it’s very important that we all follow through on our commitments because it shows respect for our colleagues and the organization as a whole. If someone makes a commitment to do something, I believe they should do their best to fulfill that commitment. When I was working at my previous job, I noticed that some employees were late or didn’t complete assignments when they said they would. I talked to those employees about the importance of following through on commitments and explained that it could impact their performance reviews.”

11. Is there a difference between being accountable and having good follow through skills? If so, can you explain this difference?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of the two terms and how they relate. It also allows you to show that you understand what it means to be accountable for your actions, which can help you in future situations where you may need to take responsibility for something.

Example: “Accountability and follow through are both important skills to have when working in an office setting. However, accountability is more about taking responsibility for your actions while having good follow through skills is more about following through on tasks or projects that you’ve been assigned. For example, if I was given a task at work, I would make sure to complete it by the deadline so that my manager could review it.”

12. What steps do you take to make sure that you’re able to follow through on everything you’ve committed to?

This question can help the interviewer understand how you plan your time and organize your tasks. Showcase your ability to prioritize, schedule your time effectively and meet deadlines by providing an example of a time when you successfully followed through on multiple commitments.

Example: “I make sure that I have all my assignments planned out in advance so I know exactly what I need to do each day. This helps me stay organized and ensures that I’m able to complete my work on time. In college, I had three classes per semester with two major projects due every quarter. To ensure that I was able to complete everything on time, I scheduled my days ahead of time and made sure to block off time for studying and writing.”

13. What are some common pitfalls that lead to failure to follow through?

This question can help the interviewer assess your ability to recognize and avoid common pitfalls that could lead to failure. Use examples from past experiences where you were able to identify a potential pitfall before it became an issue, or describe how you would handle such situations in the future.

Example: “I’ve found that one of the most common reasons for failing to follow through is not setting realistic expectations. If I don’t clearly define what success looks like, then there’s no way to know if I’m on track to meet my goals. Another reason is when people are unclear about their priorities. When I have multiple projects going at once, I make sure to prioritize them based on urgency and importance so I can stay focused on the tasks that matter most.”

14. What are some strategies to help improve follow through habits?

Employers may ask this question to see if you have any strategies for improving your follow through habits. They want to know that you can recognize when you need to improve and take steps to do so. In your answer, share a few methods you use to help yourself stay on track with projects or tasks.

Example: “I find it helpful to set reminders in my calendar or planner for upcoming deadlines. This way I don’t forget about important dates or times when I need to complete something. Another strategy I use is creating lists of things I need to get done each day. This helps me prioritize what’s most important and keeps me from feeling overwhelmed by all the work I have to do.”

15. What is the most important thing one needs to keep in mind while trying to build better follow through habits?

This question is a great way for the interviewer to assess your ability to develop and implement strategies that help you achieve goals. Your answer should include an example of how you developed a strategy to improve your follow through habits in the past, or how you would go about doing so if you have not done so before.

Example: “The most important thing I’ve learned while working on improving my follow through habits is that it’s essential to find a balance between being too strict with yourself and being too lenient. If I’m too strict, I can get discouraged when I don’t meet my goals. However, if I’m too lenient, I may lose motivation because I feel like there are no consequences for missing deadlines or falling short of expectations. Finding this balance has helped me stay motivated and focused on achieving my goals.”