Dearest, please herewith is a question I was asked in an interview that had me blabbing without arriving at any answer. Maybe u can help rectify d answer to it by injecting ur own view here. Thanks in advance as the question goes 'Differentiate between an effective and efficient staff; which one do u prefer to be in our firm'..i blanked really at this.
i will go for 'efficient' . Why? Because being an effective staff makes someone's capacity and capability concentrated in a section or department. A staff might be effective in adminstrative work while he won't be effective in finance. An effective staff is not flexible in terms of transfer of work. But an efficient staff is capable of doing different works, he is not effective in the adminstrative work alone but efficient enough to handle both adminstrative and financial work. He is efficient enough to perform very well under any given work condition. This would be my reply if I am being asked in an interview. Just my opinionYou have to be both effective and efficient to get the job(s) done. In terms- Effectiveness is the ability to get the job done in the right way while efficiency is about being a reliable asset.
The job in hand (task) will require effectiveness to achieve the set goal, but in a rapidly changing business environment where market value, labour and capital demands are very dynamic, Efficient staffs will be assets in EFFECTING continuity and sustainable development of the firm.
If I was to answer that question I would say "I would be both effective and efficient in your company because I believe these competencies go together to assure excellence in the job. Effective staffs will help achieve short term goals, but efficient staffs will ensure long term goals are not compromised due to changes in the business.
Being both effective and efficient would help me work, learn and grow professionally by being an excellently reliable staff"
Depends on the interviewers body language, you should know when to stop talking and let him assimilate and understand what you've said.
This question test three or four things:
1. Listening skill: Does he understand and think before he responds?
2. Excellence: How will he stay excellent in the job?
3. Ambition: Is he after the short term or long term or both?
4. Orientation: does he know the difference between effectiveness and efficiency?
My view tho..other peeps might have superior arguments....
Effectiveness in the world of management simply means doing the right thing while efficiency means doing things right.An employee is said to be effective when he or she often carry out tasks that are in alignment with the organizational or departmental goals while an efficient staff is a staff that seeks to perform assigned duties with the lowest possible cost.Hence, while effectiveness involves the understanding and achievement of set goals and objectives, efficiency on the other hand is concerned with how well resources are utilized to carry out assigned roles and responsibilities. A good employee must be both efficient and effective as the both terms are not mutually exclusive.Note to job seekers:
In answering this kind of question, there are 3 paths to make the right impression
1.) Take some time to think about this and start by defining both terms ( if you really know them). Blabbing or waffling will give the opposite undesired impression. Then give real life examples of each attribute.
Thereafter, give the reason why you prefer one to the other
2) Tell the interviewer that it is desirable to have both attributes
3) Admit to little difference between the two terms but promise to research more into them
Like MyPortalNg on Facebook!
