Learn what skills and qualities interviewers are looking for from an organizational development specialist, what questions you can expect, and how you should go about answering them.
Organizational development specialists help businesses achieve their goals by improving efficiency and effectiveness. They do this by analyzing data, developing plans, and implementing changes to company policies and procedures.
If you want to become an organizational development specialist, you will need to have strong analytical and problem-solving skills. You will also need to be able to effectively communicate with people at all levels of an organization.
An interview for an organizational development specialist position will assess your skills and experience. The interviewer will also want to know how you would approach various situations. To help you prepare, we have compiled a list of common organizational development specialist interview questions and answers.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality test that helps employers understand how their employees interact with one another. The interviewer may ask you this question to see if you have experience using the MBTI in your previous roles. If you haven’t used it before, consider researching it and explaining what you learned about it.
Example: “I’ve never taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator myself, but I did take an online course on personality types last year. It was part of my degree program, so I found it interesting to learn more about different personalities and how they can affect our work relationships. I think understanding these differences could help me better support team members who are working together.”
This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the necessary skills and abilities to succeed in this role. Your answer should include a list of important qualities, such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork and leadership skills.
Example: “The most important qualities for an organizational development specialist are creativity, flexibility, patience and empathy. These qualities allow me to understand my clients’ needs and develop solutions that work best for them. They also enable me to collaborate with others on projects and provide support when needed.”
An interviewer may ask this question to assess your ability to gather information from employees and use it to improve the workplace. Your answer should show that you know how to conduct an employee survey, what methods you would use to collect data and how you would analyze the results of a survey.
Example: “I would first decide on the questions I want to ask in the survey. Then, I would create a list of all the employees who work for the company and send them emails with links to the online survey. I would also print out paper copies of the survey and leave them in common areas where employees can take them. I would then wait until the deadline to submit the surveys and enter the data into a spreadsheet program so I could begin analyzing the results.”
This question can help the interviewer understand your experience with using data to make decisions and how you use that information to improve an organization. Use examples from past projects or experiences to highlight your ability to analyze data, interpret results and apply those findings to organizational development initiatives.
Example: “In my last role as an OD specialist, I used data analysis to determine which employees were most likely to leave their positions within a company. From there, I created strategies for managers to implement retention tactics to keep these employees happy in their roles. This helped reduce turnover rates by 25% over the course of one year.”
This question can help the interviewer gain insight into your experience with organizational change and how you helped facilitate positive outcomes. Use examples from previous roles to highlight your ability to implement successful changes in an organization’s structure, processes or procedures.
Example: “In my last role as an OD specialist, I worked with a team of managers who were tasked with developing new strategies for improving employee engagement within their department. After conducting research on best practices for increasing engagement, we decided that implementing a more flexible work schedule would be beneficial for employees’ morale and productivity. We presented our findings to senior management, who approved the project. As a result, the department saw improved employee satisfaction and higher levels of productivity.”
This question is an opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the role and how you plan to make a positive impact. Your answer should include what steps you would take to learn about the organization’s culture, values and goals. You can also mention any research you might do on the company’s website or social media accounts.
Example: “I would start by meeting with my manager to get a better understanding of their expectations for me. I would then meet with each department head to ask them questions about their roles and responsibilities. I would also look at the company’s website and social media accounts to see if there are any initiatives that I could help support. Finally, I would reach out to current employees to find out more about why they enjoy working here.”
This question can help the interviewer assess your problem-solving skills and ability to work with a variety of people. Use examples from past experiences where you helped resolve low morale among staff members or other employees.
Example: “I would first try to understand why some staff members are experiencing low morale. I would then meet with each employee individually to discuss their concerns, as well as how they feel management is contributing to these feelings. After this meeting, I would schedule another meeting with all staff members who expressed low morale to explain what steps management will take to improve morale and make employees happier at work.”
This question can help an interviewer determine how you react to constructive criticism. When answering, it can be helpful to mention a time when you received feedback and used it to improve your work or behavior.
Example: “I find that receiving constructive criticism is one of the best ways to learn new skills and develop as a professional. In my last role, I was working on a project with another specialist who had more experience than me. He gave me some great advice about how to complete my task more efficiently. I took his advice and implemented it into my workflow. It helped me finish my projects faster and more accurately.”
This question can help the interviewer determine your ability to make improvements within an organization. Use examples from previous experience or explain how you would go about making changes in a company’s workflow.
Example: “I noticed that there were several employees who weren’t using their vacation time, so I created a system where they could donate it to coworkers who needed more time off. This helped increase morale and allowed for more flexibility when people needed time off. Another example is when I worked with a nonprofit that was having trouble finding qualified candidates for open positions. We developed a training program to teach entry-level applicants the skills necessary to work at our company.”
This question can help the interviewer determine how often you stay up to date on industry trends and best practices. Showcase your ability to learn new things by mentioning a recent training or certification, or share an example of how you’ve applied new knowledge in your previous role.
Example: “I recently completed my Certified Professional in Learning and Development certification through the Human Resource Certification Institute. This was a three-year program that required me to complete 30 credits of professional development courses and pass two exams. I find it important to keep learning because there are always new techniques and technologies available for us to use.”
This question is a great way to assess your organizational development skills. It allows the interviewer to see how you would approach an important task and what steps you would take to ensure its success. In your answer, try to include specific examples of how you have improved communication channels in the past.
Example: “I think improving communication channels is one of the most important things that I can do as an OD specialist. When I was working for my previous employer, we had a lot of issues with our communication channels. We were using several different methods of communication, which made it difficult for employees to get their questions answered or voice concerns. So, I started by creating a company-wide survey to find out what types of communication people preferred. Then, I implemented a new communication system based on those results.”
This question can help the interviewer determine your experience with using tools that are important for this role. Use examples from previous work to describe how you used project management tools and highlight any skills you have in this area.
Example: “I’ve worked with several different project management software programs, including Basecamp, Trello and Asana. I find these tools helpful because they allow me to collaborate with my team members on projects and assign tasks to each person. In my last position, I used Basecamp as a way to communicate with my team about our progress on projects and to share files and documents. I also used Trello to create checklists of tasks we needed to complete and Asana to organize our workflow.”
Employers ask this question to learn more about your qualifications and how you can contribute to their company. When answering, it’s important to highlight a skill or experience that makes you unique from other candidates. You may also want to mention something that relates to the job description.
Example: “I have five years of experience in organizational development, which is more than most applicants for this role. I am also highly organized and detail-oriented, which helps me create effective strategies for my clients. In addition, I am passionate about helping others develop their skills and abilities so they can reach their goals.”
This question can help the interviewer understand your preferred methods of implementing change within an organization. Your answer should include a list of techniques you have used in the past and why they are effective for you.
Example: “I find that employee surveys are one of the most useful organizational development tools I use because they allow me to collect data from employees about their work experiences, which helps me identify areas where improvements can be made. Another technique I like is goal-setting, as it allows me to create measurable objectives with my clients so we can track our progress over time. Finally, I also enjoy using training programs to educate employees on new policies or procedures.”
This question can help the interviewer get a better idea of your overall approach to organizational development. Your answer should include an example of how you helped an organization succeed in the past and what steps you took to achieve that success.
Example: “I think one of the most important things an OD specialist can do is listen to employees. I once worked with a company where many employees felt like they weren’t being heard by management. We held focus groups, surveys and interviews to find out what employees really thought about their work environment. After we gathered all of this information, we used it to create a plan for improving communication between employees and management.”
Interviewers may ask this question to assess your knowledge of organizational development best practices. They want to know that you can apply industry standards and guidelines when conducting employee surveys. In your answer, explain how often you recommend organizations conduct employee surveys and provide a specific example of when you have done so in the past.
Example: “I typically recommend organizations conduct employee surveys at least once per year. This allows employees to feel comfortable sharing their opinions without feeling like they are being surveyed too frequently. I recently worked with an organization that wanted to improve its customer service satisfaction scores. We conducted an annual survey where we asked employees questions about their job satisfaction, communication within the company and more. The results helped us identify areas for improvement.”
An interviewer may ask this question to assess your problem-solving skills and how you would apply them to a specific situation. In your answer, try to describe the steps you would take to address low engagement in an organization.
Example: “I would first conduct a survey of employees within that department to find out what they think about their work environment. I would then use the results of the survey to create a plan for improving employee engagement. For example, if many employees said they wanted more opportunities for professional development, I would suggest creating training programs or workshops for employees to attend.”