Drive is the internal motivation and determination that propels individuals to take initiative, overcome obstacles, and persistently pursue goals despite challenges. In operations roles, drive manifests as a proactive approach to problem-solving, resilience in the face of operational setbacks, and consistent energy to improve processes and achieve results.

Evaluating drive in operations candidates is essential because these roles demand individuals who can maintain momentum in fast-paced environments while navigating complex challenges. Operations professionals with strong drive don't wait for direction—they identify opportunities, initiate improvements, and persist through obstacles to ensure organizational efficiency. This trait is particularly valuable in operations because these roles often require sustaining effort through repetitive processes, managing unexpected disruptions, and continuously seeking process optimizations.

When evaluating drive in operations candidates, focus on specific behavioral examples that demonstrate initiative, persistence, goal orientation, and self-motivation. Listen for instances where candidates have gone beyond job requirements, maintained focus during challenging situations, or revitalized stalled projects. The best candidates will show evidence of both short-term task completion drive and long-term strategic motivation that aligns with organizational objectives.

Before diving into your interview, it's helpful to review our resources on structured interviewing to ensure you're using a consistent approach with all candidates. Additionally, consider how drive works alongside other competencies by exploring our guide to key competencies for hiring.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you identified an operational inefficiency and took the initiative to address it before being asked.

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate identified the inefficiency
• What specifically motivated them to address it proactively
• The steps they took to research and understand the problem
• How they developed a solution
• Any resistance or obstacles they encountered
• The outcome of their initiative
• What the experience taught them about taking initiative in operations

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific indicators helped you identify this inefficiency when others hadn't noticed it?
• How did you build support for your initiative among colleagues or leadership?
• What would you have done differently if you encountered stronger resistance to your proposed changes?
• How did this experience shape how you approach operational improvements today?

Describe a situation where you had to persistently work through multiple obstacles to complete an important operational project or process.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the project and its importance
• The specific obstacles encountered
• How the candidate maintained motivation despite setbacks
• Strategies used to overcome each obstacle
• How they adjusted their approach as new challenges emerged
• The ultimate outcome of their persistence
• Lessons learned about maintaining drive through adversity

Follow-Up Questions:

• At what point did you feel most discouraged, and how did you push through that moment?
• How did you prioritize which obstacles to tackle first?
• What resources or support did you seek out to help overcome these challenges?
• How has this experience influenced how you approach complex operational challenges now?

Tell me about a time when you set an ambitious goal for yourself or your team in an operations role and how you worked to achieve it.

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate determined what goal to set
• Why they considered it ambitious
• The plan they developed to achieve the goal
• How they maintained focus and momentum
• How they tracked progress
• Whether they achieved the goal or what they accomplished
• What they learned about goal-setting and achievement

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you break down this ambitious goal into manageable steps?
• What strategies did you use to maintain motivation throughout the process?
• How did you adjust your approach when progress wasn't happening as expected?
• How do you determine what makes a goal appropriately ambitious versus unrealistic?

Describe a situation where you had to revitalize a stalled operational initiative or remotivate a team that had lost momentum.

Areas to Cover:

• The context of the stalled initiative
• Why the initiative had lost momentum
• How the candidate diagnosed the underlying issues
• Specific actions taken to reinvigorate the project or team
• How they measured improvement in momentum
• The outcome of their efforts
• Lessons learned about maintaining drive across a team or project

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify the root causes behind the loss of momentum?
• What resistance did you encounter when trying to revitalize the initiative?
• How did you personally stay motivated while working to remotivate others?
• What indicators told you that momentum was building again?

Tell me about a time when you had to maintain high performance during a particularly monotonous or repetitive operational process.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the monotonous process
• Why maintaining high performance was challenging
• Specific strategies the candidate used to stay engaged
• How they measured their own performance
• Any innovations they introduced to improve the process
• The results of their sustained effort
• What they learned about maintaining drive during routine work

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific techniques did you use to maintain focus during repetitive tasks?
• How did you find meaning or purpose in work that might have seemed mundane?
• Were there any small improvements you made to the process to make it more engaging?
• How do you balance the need for consistency with the desire for variety in operational roles?

Describe a situation where you had to balance multiple competing operational priorities while maintaining high quality standards.

Areas to Cover:

• The competing priorities the candidate faced
• How they determined which priorities needed attention first
• Their approach to time and resource management
• How they maintained quality while managing multiple demands
• Any trade-offs they had to make
• The outcome of their prioritization efforts
• What they learned about drive and focus in high-demand situations

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you decide which priorities deserved your attention first?
• What techniques did you use to transition effectively between different tasks?
• How did you ensure quality didn't suffer when you were pulled in multiple directions?
• What systems or tools did you implement to help manage the competing demands?

Tell me about a time when you identified an opportunity to significantly improve an operational process that was working "well enough" but could be better.

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate identified the improvement opportunity
• Why they decided to pursue it when the process was already adequate
• The vision they had for the improved process
• How they built support for making changes to something that wasn't broken
• The specific improvements they implemented
• The impact of these improvements
• What this experience reveals about their drive for excellence

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specifically made you notice this opportunity when others may have been satisfied with the status quo?
• How did you convince others that this improvement was worth the effort?
• What resistance did you face when trying to improve something that was already working?
• How did you measure the success of your improvements?

Describe a situation where you had to maintain drive and momentum during an extended operational project with delayed rewards or recognition.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature and timeline of the project
• Why recognition or results were delayed
• How the candidate stayed motivated despite limited feedback
• Strategies used to track progress and maintain momentum
• How they managed personal energy and commitment
• The eventual outcome of their sustained effort
• What they learned about intrinsic motivation

Follow-Up Questions:

• What personal milestones did you create to maintain a sense of progress?
• How did you stay motivated when you couldn't see immediate results?
• What sources of feedback or validation did you seek out during this process?
• How did this experience shape your approach to long-term projects in operations?

Tell me about a time when you had to quickly learn a new operational system, tool, or process to meet an urgent business need.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and urgency of the situation
• The complexity of what needed to be learned
• The candidate's approach to rapid learning
• Resources they utilized to accelerate learning
• Obstacles encountered during the learning process
• How quickly they became proficient
• The business impact of their ability to learn quickly

Follow-Up Questions:

• What learning techniques did you find most effective for mastering this new information quickly?
• How did you prioritize what to learn first given the time constraints?
• What obstacles did you encounter during this rapid learning process?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to learning new operational skills?

Describe a situation where you identified an emerging operational problem and addressed it before it became a major issue.

Areas to Cover:

• How they identified the emerging problem
• The potential consequences had it not been addressed
• Their process for analyzing the situation
• The preventative actions they took
• Any resistance encountered when raising a problem others hadn't recognized
• The outcome of their preemptive action
• What this reveals about their proactive approach to operations

Follow-Up Questions:

• What early warning signs allowed you to identify this problem before others noticed it?
• How did you assess the potential impact of this emerging issue?
• How did you convince others to allocate resources to address a problem that hadn't fully manifested?
• What systems or approaches have you developed to spot potential issues earlier?

Tell me about a time when you had to motivate yourself to complete an important operational task that you found particularly challenging or uninteresting.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the task and why it was challenging or uninteresting
• How the candidate recognized its importance despite personal disinterest
• Specific strategies used to self-motivate
• How they monitored their progress and quality
• The outcome of their efforts
• What this experience reveals about their self-motivation abilities

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific techniques did you use to keep yourself motivated?
• How did you connect this uninteresting task to broader goals or values that were meaningful to you?
• What reward system, if any, did you create for yourself?
• How do you typically approach tasks that don't naturally engage your interest?

Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to a major operational change while maintaining productivity and positive attitude.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the operational change
• Initial reactions to the change
• How the candidate adjusted their mindset and approach
• Specific actions taken to adapt quickly
• How they maintained productivity during the transition
• The impact of their adaptability
• What they learned about resilience and flexibility

Follow-Up Questions:

• What was your initial reaction to this change, and how did you manage that reaction?
• What specific strategies did you use to adapt quickly?
• How did you help others adapt to this change, if applicable?
• What have you done to become more adaptable to operational changes in general?

Tell me about a time when you had to maintain operational excellence during a period of limited resources or budget constraints.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific resource constraints faced
• How the constraints impacted normal operations
• Creative solutions the candidate developed
• How they prioritized activities with limited resources
• Their approach to maintaining quality despite constraints
• The outcomes achieved despite limitations
• What they learned about operational efficiency

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine which activities to prioritize with limited resources?
• What creative solutions did you develop to stretch available resources?
• How did you communicate with stakeholders about potential impacts of resource constraints?
• What lasting efficiencies or improvements emerged from this experience?

Describe a situation where you pursued an operational improvement despite skepticism or resistance from others.

Areas to Cover:

• The improvement opportunity they identified
• The nature of the skepticism or resistance
• How they maintained belief in their initiative
• Strategies used to overcome resistance
• How they gathered support or evidence
• The outcome of their persistence
• What this reveals about their conviction and resilience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What made you continue pursuing this improvement despite the resistance?
• How did you respond to specific objections or skepticism?
• What approaches did you use to build support for your idea?
• How did this experience affect how you introduce new operational ideas now?

Tell me about a time when you had to recover and maintain momentum after an operational failure or setback.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the failure or setback
• The initial impact on the candidate and team
• How they processed the disappointment
• Specific steps taken to recover
• How they rebuilt momentum and confidence
• The ultimate outcome after recovery
• Lessons learned about resilience

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you personally process the disappointment of this setback?
• What specific steps did you take to restart momentum?
• How did you prevent the setback from negatively affecting team morale?
• What systems or approaches did you implement to reduce the risk of similar setbacks?

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between drive and just being busy?

Drive is purpose-oriented momentum toward meaningful goals, while busyness can be activity without clear direction or impact. When evaluating candidates, look for examples where their energy was channeled toward specific outcomes rather than just completing tasks. The best operations candidates demonstrate drive by initiating improvements, persisting through obstacles, and maintaining focus on high-impact activities rather than just staying busy.

How can I distinguish between genuine drive and rehearsed interview responses?

Follow-up questions are your best tool. When candidates provide an initial example, probe deeper with questions about specific obstacles, emotional responses, and detailed steps taken. Those with genuine drive will easily provide rich details about their thought processes, adjustments made along the way, and lessons learned. Also, listen for emotional authenticity when they describe challenges and how they maintained motivation through difficulties.

Should I evaluate drive differently for entry-level versus senior operations roles?

Yes. For entry-level roles, focus on evaluating foundational drive through any life experiences (academic projects, volunteer work, personal challenges). For mid-level roles, look for workplace examples demonstrating sustained drive and initiative. For senior roles, evaluate strategic drive—how they've built drive in teams, maintained organizational momentum during difficult periods, and created systems that foster initiative throughout operations.

How many of these questions should I include in a single interview?

Focus on 3-4 questions with thorough follow-up rather than trying to cover all questions. This approach allows you to dig deeper into specific examples and get beyond rehearsed responses. Select questions that align with the specific operations role's needs—for example, prioritize questions about revitalizing stalled initiatives for turnaround situations or questions about maintaining quality during high volume for scaling operations.

How should I balance evaluating drive against other operations competencies?

While drive is crucial, it must be evaluated alongside other competencies like attention to detail, analytical thinking, and collaboration. A candidate with extreme drive but poor collaboration skills might push initiatives forward at the expense of team cohesion. Similarly, high drive without strong analytical skills might lead to energetic but poorly conceived operational changes. Look for candidates who demonstrate balanced drive that complements their other strengths.

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