1. What would you do if you knew that your boss was absolutely wrong about an important work related issue?

It would depend on a number of factors, including the personality of my boss, how critical the issue is, and the overall situation.
If my boss did not like having his authority brought into question or challenged, or was prone to anger, I would probably never tell him he's wrong. I would simply be polite, try to understand his perspectve and what he is wanting to get accomplished, handle the situation the way I know it needs to be handled, and then provide my boss with the results he desired.

2. Suppose if you don't see eye to eye with your supervisor on how to deal with a problem? How would you handle the situation?

I would first try and put myself in my supervisor's shoes and view the problems from his or her perspective. If I was still struggling to see eye to eye with my supervisor's assessment and/or solution to the problem, I would analyze the problem and come up with a few other ways to address the problem. In private, I would then discuss the problem with my supervisor and suggest how I think it should be addressed.

3. Suppose if you were working on an important project and all of the sudden the priorities were changed?

When faced with this question, interviewees often assume the interviewer is trying to gauge how flexible they can be. In some instances, this may be true. However, the interviewer may just easily be trying to determine if you're the type of person who will put their foot down about it. Like all situational interview questions, the interviewer is trying to determine if you can think under pressure, how you analyze a situation, and how you're likely to interact with others.

4. Describe about a time when your work was criticized by your boss or other co-workers?

No one is always perfect, and the interviewer knows this. The interviewer wants to see if you can admit that you've made mistakes, but more importantly how you dealt with the situation and learned from it. You want to share with the interviewer an example criticism that had a measurable positive outcome. Make sure to turn the negative criticism into a positive experience.

5. Suppose if team members you've been assigned to lead during a new project object to your vision and the ideas for implementation. What specifically would you do to address their objections?

I usually ask for feedback about my ideas and take into account everyone's opinions prior to beginning a new project. When possible, I organize meetings with group members to discuss my plans and explain how the company will benefit after the project is successfully completed. Likewise, I make it clear to team members that policy changes can be made if they are dissatisfied after beginning a new project.

6. If you're responsible for important project near completion but receive another important project that must be completed immediately. How do you multi-task and prioritize?

Before beginning the new project, I determine what must be completed and estimate how long it will take and what resources are needed to successfully complete the project. If I'm confident it cannot be completed by the deadline, I would request that a superior be assigned the project, while recommending another co-worker to take responsibility for any current projects the superior is working on.

7. What you do when subordinate is performing below average, what specific steps do you take to correct the problem?

I begin by identifying what factors have contributed to the poor performance. I then figure whether the cause of the poor performance is work related or personal. When the problem is related to the individual's private life, I determine whether it's possible, or appropriate, for me to recommend solutions.

8. Suppose if you're responsible for ensuring a large amount of work be finished before the end of the new year. A subordinate decides to use sick hours to take an entire week of work off. What would you do to address the problem?

I start by finding out how much vacation time the worker used during the year. If the individual has used few vacation hours, I do not report the situation to my superiors, but will encourage the individual to remain at work during the week and consider using their vacation time during a less critical time for the company. If the individual has lied about being sick in the past to take time off work, I would refer the situation to the human resources department.

9. What you do if you realized about a project you completed just before deadline did not meet all of the project specifications?

First, I would not expect that this would ever happen as I always review all project specs, time requirements, and deadlines prior to starting any new assignment to ensure my work is done on time, within budget, and that it meets all project specifications. If it ever were to occur, I would bring the issue to the attention of my superiors and ask for a realistic extension to make sure the project met all specifications. I would review my project planning process to see what went wrong, why the project was not done on time according to specs and take steps to make sure it never happened again.

10. Tell me if we hired you, what steps would you take to make important job related decisions?

First, I would determine if the decision is one that would benefit the company.
I would then assess if and how the decision would fit within the scope of the company's core values.
I would assess how a decision might negatively impact the company.

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