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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Jobs/Vacancies / Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance (39806 Views)
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Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Votukpa(m): 7:12am On Feb 17, 2015 |
This thread is very informative of the penchant Nigerians have for textbook definitions of very ubiquitous concepts. Concepts such as effectiveness and efficiency. For those seeking employment in large capitalist organizations, you are to refflect your ability to keep things simple while being focussed like a laser beam on the task at hand. This means you have to learn how to think on your feet and not show your potential employers that you're pretending to know what you're talking about. Unfortunately, the university system doesn't teach the skillset needed to think on your feet to reflect the potential for efficiency in the work place. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by ebbie9ja(m): 7:20am On Feb 17, 2015 |
soe:I don't agree with you. A productive staff is both effective and efficient. While effective is doing the right thing (towards achieving organisational goals), Efficiency is how well you use your resources to achieve this i.e getting higher output with same or lower input, but you might be doing this on a wrong objective that has nothing to do with the organisation. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Nobody: 7:30am On Feb 17, 2015 |
Jokay07:good. now swap the words 'effective' and 'efficient' in this your write-up and you will see that there is no difference if being effective is now the advantage. in other words you have not applied the meanings of these two words correctly in your explanation. in short the way you have used them I can comfortably swap them and claim they mean the same thing as your write up and still seemingly make sense. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by ebbie9ja(m): 7:40am On Feb 17, 2015 |
Jonwesley:Only Time,why not say resources: it could be managing people to get optimum performance or managing capital |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by allisonluvsu(m): 7:56am On Feb 17, 2015 |
vb0mb: They are two different things from the main meaning bro.See the meaning of ineffective and effective |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Blazingsun: 8:12am On Feb 17, 2015 |
digitalsimboja: In my opinion, my best answer to your interviewer is: Well, I think businesses around the world are looking for the most efficient way to get things done to remain profitable and be a going concern, so I will be an efficient staff especially since I believe being effective is a given for any professional in my field. 1 Like |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Ultimate001: 8:14am On Feb 17, 2015 |
digitalsimboja:An efficient worker is better! A worker could be effective and not efficient. An effective worker is d one who participates actively and significantly in the activities of d organisation (at whatever cost). On the other hand, an efficient worker does the forestated perfectly well. Not only that, he also does this at the least cost possible; talking abt the monetary, time, energy nd other inputable costs. U will understand more if u offered/offer physics. In physics, efficiency is doing a great deal of work with d least input possible and achieving the best possible results. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by masqot(m): 8:26am On Feb 17, 2015 |
An effective employee does his work according to laid down rule. He's an obedient servant cos his effectiveness is measured based on expectation. On the other hand, an efficient employee do not only follow rules but makes decisions. He understands what his job entails and delivers with optimal resources utilization. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by justfash50: 9:03am On Feb 17, 2015 |
Pls @all drop your dictionary and listen to we management student, managers. Effectiveness is getting the job done irrespective of wastage, time I.e not utilizing the resources well but not all the time. Efficiency is when resources are utilized well without necessarily achieving the desired goal. Goals/ objectives to companies are very important and its their very existence I.e profit , growth etc. It is good to be both efficient and effective but if you are to choose one its EFFECTIVENESS that is better because at the end of the day it is the result that matters for your company. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Princeyoungd2: 9:11am On Feb 17, 2015 |
digitalsimboja: ok a quick one, no right or wrong answer to this question ok . you where asked previously about your attributes? now they simply want to know about your preferred work force style. trust me there is no way you can be wrong if you go for any. 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by dom(m): 9:26am On Feb 17, 2015 |
Behold the differences, according to Peter Drucker: Effective: Doing the right things. Efficient: Doing things right. The rest is up to you. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by DEGREE2466(m): 9:47am On Feb 17, 2015 |
femi4: i guess you quoted me without reading or comprehending what i wrote. For reiteration purpose, I said that the company's product is not desired by the consumers as a result of reduction in the input in an attempt to be efficient. Thus the company could be termed efficient but not effective. Do your research. My only argument with you is that efficiency can exist without effectiveness which is very disastrous to the firm involved. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by CHM11: 9:49am On Feb 17, 2015 |
franciskaine:thanks, even Nobel Loriet Shoyinka still learns something in english everyday. That said, I think the word 'staffs' is very much valid as used in the context. 'Staffs' can be used when referring to employees of different companies or employees of different departments. Anyway, just do a research online dear friend, I'm very much open to learn. What I saw: 1) English plural - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Note 2: For staff in the sense of "a body of employees", the plural is always staffs; otherwise, both staffs and staves are acceptable, except in compounds; such as flagstaffs. The stave of a barrel or cask is a back-formation from staves, which is its plural. 2.There are two issues here. The first is that the term "staff", when referring to a group of people working together, is a singular count noun with plural reference, like "team". So it is correct to speak of the "staffs" of various companies, just as it's correct to speak of various teams in a league. The other issue is whether the verb should agree with singular "staff" gramatically ("Our staff is always ready to help you" ![]() staff are always..." ![]() favors the former whereas British often favours the latter. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by femi4: 9:58am On Feb 17, 2015 |
DEGREE2466:The bolded is EFFECTIVE. Whatever you do continuously over the time with the desired output is called EFFICIENCY. You can't put Efficiency ahead of Effectiveness For example, MacLean used to be Effective and Efficient but with the birth of closeup, MacLean, though still Effective had lost its Efficiency value to Closeup |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by eroms22: 10:04am On Feb 17, 2015 |
allisonluvsu:SPOT ON |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by chinedum13(m): 10:24am On Feb 17, 2015 |
chukux2:great! U are right on point. 1 Like |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Malawian(m): 10:26am On Feb 17, 2015 |
digitalsimboja:effective means creative while efficient means judicious. if you are looking for management positions, you should go for effective and vice versa. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Albishir: 10:35am On Feb 17, 2015 |
Efficiency simply means being thorough in service. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Bolosiye: 10:58am On Feb 17, 2015 |
Collynzo9:i quite go with ur definition. The difference here i think should be time and minimal resources deployed in carring out a given task |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Nobody: 11:01am On Feb 17, 2015 |
CHM11: ] This is your exact usage of the word staff which necessitated my correction..." 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." don't you think using staffs in a formal setting makes you sound superfluous? I had rather prefer the member of staff of both companies or firm. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by damocheezy(m): 12:32pm On Feb 17, 2015 |
This is semantics and both has to do with productive rate. Effectiveness has to do with being productive while to be efficient means conservative production, that is, production without consuming extra. I'll vote for an efficient staff because an effective staff might be consuming more although productive. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by snthesis(m): 3:09pm On Feb 17, 2015 |
the first question is what role is the candidate applying for? that will determine the best answer also the terms of engagement i.e KPI are you able to deliver the project Safely, on schedule and within budget- efficiency doesnt apply under project management -you cant be efficiently safe. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by aadoiza: 6:30pm On Feb 17, 2015 |
Something meaningful--even if it was a confabulation. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by paul990(m): 7:11pm On Feb 17, 2015 |
You can be EFFECTIVE without being EFFICIENT but you can't be EFFICIENT without being EFFECTIVE. that's how I see it though. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by ujuesther: 7:21pm On Feb 17, 2015 |
chukux2: Efficiency: Using minimum input to achieve maximum output. That's to add to your explanation. 100% if I were to score you in an exam but your example might bring you back to 0%. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Nobody: 7:26pm On Feb 17, 2015 |
ujuesther: Hahahaha, you hate my example. True, because of extreme positions on both sides of the divide my example should actually not be used at this point in time. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by kengreatleads(m): 11:12pm On Feb 17, 2015 |
In my opinion, I'll answer thus: I believe efficiency is working by the book, delivering results and thereby making the employer happy while being effective means you don't necessarily get things done by the book as a matter of fact the employer may not agree with your methods just like Jack Bauer of 24, but you deliver even better results. As for my choice: I'll start off as an efficient staff and evolve into an effective staff, inventing better methods of getting things done. But first I'll convince my employer of the viability of my method before execution. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by simdam500(m): 11:21am On Feb 18, 2015 |
Learning.... Sitting down nd relax |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by Ayodee2(m): 2:38pm On Feb 18, 2015 |
digitalsimboja:EFFICIENT MEANS DOING THINGS RIGHTLY while EFFECTIVE MEANS DOING THE RIGHT THING. i.e if u are able to carry out jobs assigned to u verry well or u hv high turnover it then means u are efficient. on the other hand, u are effective if and when u are able to take up responsibilities and use ur initiative in solving problems without waiting to b directed. Being effective is far ahead of being efficient. A good mgt expert will prefer someone who is effective for managerial post and efficient person for production post. |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by frez14: 11:31am On Feb 20, 2015 |
hmm....... |
Re: Interview Question That Threw Me Off-balance by ladyJ22(f): 1:35pm On Feb 22, 2015 |
CHM11: |
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