How do you prioritize your work?
⚡ In a Hurry? Quick Answer
Mention specific tools (Trello, Jira, Asana, Notion) and frameworks (Eisenhower Matrix, MoSCoW method, Priority Matrix). Give a concrete example of juggling competing priorities successfully using your system.
💡 The Recruiter's Mind
They're evaluating: Do you have a systematic approach or just wing it? Can you handle multiple deadlines? Do you understand the difference between urgent and important? Can you push back when needed? Mention tools like Trello/Jira or methods like the Eisenhower Matrix to show you have a real system, not just good intentions.
The Answer Framework
Structure your response to show both methodology and flexibility:
- State your framework: Name the specific method or tool you use (20%)
- Explain your process: How you assess and categorize tasks (30%)
- Give a concrete example: Show your system in action with competing priorities (40%)
- Show adaptability: Explain how you handle changing priorities (10%)
Example Answers by Approach
Eisenhower Matrix Approach
"I use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize my work, categorizing tasks by urgency and importance. This helps me focus on high-impact work rather than just reacting to whatever feels most urgent in the moment."
"I start each week by listing everything on my plate and sorting it into four quadrants: urgent and important (do first), important but not urgent (schedule time for), urgent but not important (delegate or minimize time), and neither urgent nor important (eliminate). I use Todoist to track this, tagging each task accordingly."
"For example, last month I was balancing a client presentation due in three days, a strategic planning document for my manager, daily support tickets, and routine reporting. The presentation went in 'urgent and important' - I blocked my calendar for it. The strategic planning was 'important but not urgent' - I scheduled two-hour blocks later in the week. For support tickets, I identified which were truly urgent versus which could wait 24 hours, delegating some to teammates. I postponed the routine reporting until after the presentation. This systematic approach helped me deliver the high-stakes presentation successfully while not dropping the ball on long-term priorities."
"I also review and reprioritize daily during my morning review, because priorities can shift quickly. If something becomes more urgent, I consciously decide what moves down the list, rather than just adding more to my plate."
Tool-Based Systematic Approach
"I'm very systematic about prioritization, using Jira to manage all my tasks and projects. I assign each item a priority level based on three factors: deadline proximity, business impact, and dependencies - meaning what's blocking other people or projects."
"Each morning, I review my Jira board and identify my top three priorities for the day. I use time blocking in my Google Calendar to protect time for those priorities, treating them like unmovable meetings. I also maintain a 'parking lot' column in Jira for tasks that are important but not current, so they don't clutter my active view."
"Recently, I was managing a website redesign with a hard launch date, training new team members, fixing critical bugs, and planning next quarter's roadmap. I created a priority matrix: the critical bugs and redesign blockers were P0 (daily attention), new hire training was P1 (scheduled blocks), roadmap planning was P2 (end of week focus). When a major bug came in mid-week that could have derailed the redesign, I immediately reassessed, postponed one training session, and pulled in help from another team to ensure both the bug fix and redesign stayed on track."
"This system has helped me maintain a 95% on-time delivery rate even when managing 15-20 active tasks. The key is being transparent about priorities with stakeholders and revisiting them regularly."
Stakeholder-Driven Prioritization
"My prioritization approach combines structured frameworks with stakeholder communication. I use a modified MoSCoW method - Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have - to categorize work based on business value and urgency."
"At the start of each project or sprint, I work with stakeholders to classify requirements. I ask questions like: 'What's the cost of delay?' 'Who's blocked if this doesn't happen?' 'What's the business impact?' This collaborative approach ensures my priorities align with organizational needs, not just my own preferences."
"For example, when I was supporting three different departments last quarter, each with conflicting deadlines, I scheduled a 30-minute priority alignment meeting with all three managers. We mapped out all deliverables on a timeline, identified dependencies, and agreed on what was truly 'must have' versus 'should have.' This revealed that two of the 'urgent' requests could actually wait two weeks without business impact, while one request I'd deprioritized was blocking a $100K deal."
"I use Asana to track everything with clear due dates and priority tags. I also send weekly priority updates to stakeholders showing what I'm working on and what's queued, which has dramatically reduced the number of 'Is this done yet?' messages. This transparency helps manage expectations and gives me space to focus on what truly matters. When priorities shift, which they inevitably do, I communicate the trade-offs: 'I can do X by Friday, but that means Y moves to next week - is that acceptable?'"
🚫 Red Flags to Avoid
- Saying "I just handle the most urgent things first" (reactive, not strategic)
- Claiming you treat everything as equally important (shows poor judgment)
- Not mentioning any specific tools, methods, or frameworks
- Suggesting you never say no or push back on unrealistic deadlines
- Only mentioning deadlines without considering impact or importance
- Being vague: "I make a to-do list" without explaining how you prioritize it
- Suggesting you work on whatever you feel like doing
- Not having a system for reprioritizing when things change
- Claiming you've never struggled with competing priorities
- Failing to mention communication with stakeholders about priorities
Frameworks and Tools to Mention
Reference specific methodologies and tools that demonstrate systematic thinking:
Prioritization Frameworks:
- Eisenhower Matrix: Urgent/Important grid (four quadrants)
- MoSCoW Method: Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have
- Priority Matrix: Impact vs. Effort quadrants
- RICE Score: Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort (for product work)
- Weighted Shortest Job First: Cost of delay divided by job duration
- Eat the Frog: Hardest/most important task first thing in the morning
Tools:
- Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, Monday.com, ClickUp, Notion
- Task Management: Todoist, Microsoft To Do, Things, OmniFocus
- Time Blocking: Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Calendly
- Note-Taking: Notion, Evernote, OneNote (for capturing and organizing tasks)
Pro Tips for Maximum Impact
- Be specific about your tools: "I use Trello" is better than "I use a project management tool"
- Show the criteria you use: Deadline, business impact, dependencies, stakeholder importance
- Demonstrate flexibility: Good prioritization includes reprioritizing when circumstances change
- Include communication: How you manage stakeholder expectations about priorities
- Quantify your success: "95% on-time delivery rate" or "manage 15-20 concurrent tasks"
- Show you can say no: Strategic prioritization means declining or postponing low-priority work
- Match the role: Product managers might emphasize business value; engineers might focus on dependencies
- Balance structure and adaptability: You have a system, but you're not rigid