1. Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?
First I will evaluate my decision through
research and facts. I’ll try to know its long term effect and the benefit. Then
I’ll call a meeting where I’ll show my findings and will make them understand
that my decision is arguable but not invalid. Little autocracy is good but not
completely.
Suggestion:
Conflicts on ideas are very normal in a
teamed work company. As many people there are, as many idea there would be.
Discussing and generating idea doesn’t infer that first idea was bad. Rather
shaping and adding more corners is a good thing. But if you think your idea was
the best, then prove it. Show the logical reasons behind it. Present it in a good
format. Find its pros and cons. And most important thing is “discussion”. If you still your idea is flawless, you will
win eventually if you stick with it.
If it’s a completely new idea and seems
almost insane, you can go for it too, if your educated intuition tells you to
do so. Remember how the apple and Intel born? Creativity is good, rather it’s
the best. Just make sure your heart says it correct and your experience says
it’s viable. Work hard for your idea and most important thing is, show other
workers its fruitful outcome. This also shows that you love the company as you
are generating ideas for the company.
This question is another example of
handling challenging co workers...
To handle a disagreements at work tell them
you followed these steps:
a.
You listen them clearly.
b.
You separated from your
position and showed them that you have added their suggestion.
c.
You showed professionalism.
d.
And when the disagreement is
resolved, you have out that behind.
2. Tell me
about a time when you worked with a colleague who was not doing their share of
the work. How did you handle it?
I’ll take him/her to lunch. Will talk about
the work process and will define his/her scope of work or share in a friendly
tone. I’ll say I am ready to help you anytime and you also need to do the same.
Will make him/her understand together we achieve more, divided is not possible.
I will make a good friendship with him/her.
If these things don’t work, I’ll raise my
voice to my boss about this matter and will tell him to interpret but not to
spoil our relation.
Suggestion:
You
have to work with that colleague eventually. Then why not make him friends?
This is corporate world. There is no personal issues exists. At the dusk he
will go to his place and you will yours. Then why make this 8hours painful by
making constant complain about him? Make him friend. When he will understand he
has the same responsibilities as you he will understand the importance of work.
Having lunch or dining outside is a great thing to build relation in workplace.
Ask about his family, about his hobbies, then about the job responsibilities.
Tell him, you do this part and I’ll do this. Make the share 50/50 or 60/40.
Making idle employee work is a great achievement of a manager. Remember if you
can show this attitude to your interviewer he will treat you as a responsible
and “make thing happen” person. And these qualities have big impact for
qualifying a candidate at interview.
3. What have
you found to be the difficult part of being a member, not leader, of a team?
How did you handle this?
First of all,
I’ll try to be more attentive and focused. If the problem remains, I’ll go to
the team leader and discuss how to bridge the communication gap and my proposal
of building the bond. If that doesn’t work I will change the team.
Suggestions:
There are some people who can’t work under
framed direction. They think the managers want to confine them in to an order
box. And some people are born rebel. They oppose every words told to them.
DON’T BE THAT KIND OF PERSON. Act normal. Remember you are not unemployed. You
have to follow the chain of command. To do so listen everything what they say.
BUT, if you thing his leading is taking you to a different path, raise your
voice. Tell him directly or personally what was the part of his speech you
didn’t like. This will not only show you that you have interest in work place
also you are a discussable person. Discussion has the solution of every matter.
The more you discuss they more your connections build. If the leader is making
constant mistakes, then tell him personally. Talk man to man. There is no harm
in talking man to man right?
After trying all these works, if that
doesn’t work that too, go and change your team. But show interviewer you are
compassionate and respectful to other person’s opinion too.
4.
Tell me about a time when you experienced a loss for
doing what is right. How did you react?
At one project I
have worked with a team leader who was very cunning and sly. In my team there
were five members and we worked very hard at our project. When the project came
to a near end he showed up and tried to take all the credits by himself which
were earned by us. As soon as I heard the news I acted quickly. I gathered my
fellow colleagues and discussed the matter with them. Then we went to the
manager and told him the whole situation. He responded well and took official
action against him. Since then whenever I face this kind of problem I raise my
voice against it, try to solve it by myself and if it’s bigger issue, I
escalate it to upper authority.
Suggestion:
This is the question to judge your dignity,
your way of choosing right path. And how you are going to protect your as well
as company’s benefit.
Some companies out there may not accept the
raising voice against them but you are not going to lose your state right? You
have to react at which you are not responsible for. Interviewer wants to see
the reaction you took and the problem solving capability. If you can restrain
your dignity, you will keep companies priorities too. Interviewer wants to see
how a candidate raises his voice (non-violently of course) and abstain his
place for longer run. Show them you are a tough guy with flexible manner. An
interviewer is must be looking for a strong personality but respectable person.
Be that person.
5. Give an example of a time when you had to be relatively quick
in coming to a decision.
My last job was technical troubleshooting
for telecommunication. At telecom field it is required to give quick responses
as it is related to call service and data service for communication
purpose. There I had a situation to give
a base station site on air with 1hour of timeline due to urgency from customer
but the technical person was absent. Realizing the severity of that issue, I
managed a new guy to go there and supported him from report. Also there was
shortage of equipment for the transmission. But I gave him proper tools and
guided him to make the proper connection. Doing these the site came on air on
time. When the equipment came I send another guy and connected the transmission
with proper combination.
Suggestion: tell them real life scenario to
overcome a tough situation. Also give them the outcome.
6. Give me an
example of your ability to build motivation in your subordinates.
I was a mid-level manager of my last
company. My responsibility was to manage my employees also make them motivated.
At the year 2009, when my company was facing downsizing the employees felt
down. They were shifted from their focus and were depressed. To make them active
I took a day long motivational session with them where I showed them the future
planning of the company and the upcoming projects. I also defined their job
responsibilities for future and the result of that. Also I arranged training
session on various skill management courses. Doing this kind of things they
knew where they are going and started their normal working with enthusiasm.
Suggestions: mention the steps. Be sure
that you are motivated and enthusiastic. If you are not motivated and poorly informed
than employee won’t be motivated too.
7. Give me an
example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to gain information
needed to solve a problem; then tell me how you analyzed the information and
came to a decision.
At launching a new product into a marketer
needs lots of information regarding that product and that was my job. At my
last company I was a fund allocator for scientific researches. I got an opportunity to work with a renowned
scientist for his upcoming project. Though he was prominent in his field but, I
had a little doubt whether his findings is going to work or not. To do so, I
talked with several experts in this field and discussed about the possibility.
I also searched at internet regarding these.
Then I found out that it is really possible if certain measurements are
taken.
Suggestions: use these words: “Internet”,
“Library”, “Discussion” for showing the research u has done to Ans this
question.
8. Describe the
most significant written document, report, or presentation that you’ve completed.
All my professional life I have used a
handbook where I have written the key happenings by own hand. The subjects were:
“Experiences”, “Key Learning” and “Troubleshooting”. Every page had a column
named as “My Opinion”. I have valuated
my steps by year and found a steady progress.
Suggestion: tell them you are a document
man. You know how to evaluate the progress and evolve steadily.
9. What did you do in your last job in order to be effective
with your organization and planning? Be specific.
My last company’s marketing policy was not
good as the turnover ratio was very small. To solve that, I sat with by bosses
and designed a policy to reach more customers. I increased field base survey
finding the customers opinion about the product. I also divided the survey team
for better output. Then I monitored them every day and assessed them by their
performance. Then our revenue curve went up and earnings per share also
increased.
Suggestion: remember for better planning,
three steps are needed: plotting, implementing and monitoring.
10. Describe the most creative work-related project you have
completed.
Remember creativeness means breaking or
bending the rules. So don’t show them you are too creative unless the job requirements
are creativeness.
Sample Ans: though I am a member of
technical department I always like to pursue my career in creativeness. I
myself am engaged with an interior farm and work there as part time. For my
company’s marketing, I provided a creative marketing concept which was a big
hit. It was a related with the minimization of the work place congestion and
making a better office. The concept also worked in my office and I was
recognized as an employee of the month.
