Tanglewood Behavioural Questions

It is a vital part of the recruitment process that applicants are thoroughly assessed to ascertain if they have the necessary KSAOs needed for this position of Department Manager, as well as their suitability regarding person/organisation fit, which is particularly relevant in this case, considering the strong culture at Tanglewood.

A selection plan has been developed from an analysis of the job description and background information on Tanglewood, especially aspects of their organisational culture which emphasise teamwork and a participatory management style.

Selection plan for Department Manager

Major KSAO Category Necessary for selection?

(Y/N)

Experience check

Education check Marshfield Applicant

Exam Retail knowledge

Test

Knowledge of retail management Y X X X

Develop and implement store policies and procedures N X

Ability to supervise retail staff Y X X

Strong communication skills Y X

Strong work ethic Y

Good verbal skills Y

Decision making ability Y X X

Strong commitment to customer service Y X X

Sound reasoning skills Y X

Ability to lead and motivate teams Y X

Ability to problem solve and resolve conflict Y X

Skills in analysing financial and operational data N X X

Able to delegate effectively and empower others Y X

Liaise effectively between staff and management Y X

This highlights the KSAOs that aren't being adequately measured in the current system, despite the fact they are essential for performing the role of Department Manager. Therefore, the interview questions that will be developed to supplement the existing selection plan will particularly focus on the following areas -

Team work - the role of Department Manager is all about leading a team and effectively interacting with all team members, particularly important for the culture at Tanglewood and also relates to person / organisation fit.

Problem solving/conflict resolution - staff and customers will look to the Department Manager to solve the day to day problems that arise.

Work ethic - to improve the overall quality of Department Managers so they can raise the overall work standard and 'lead by example'.

Communication skills - Vital for dealing with staff and customers; this job is also an important link between floor staff and management, requiring advanced communication skills.

Leadership skills - Essential to manage a team successfully and ensure staff are motivated to do their best.

Keeping in mind that each new predictor needs to add something new to the selection process, the following 10 initial interview questions have been developed to supplement the existing criteria and more effectively measure the desired KSAOs of the candidates. Questions are divided into situational and behavioural and keeping them job related will result in a more objective evaluation of applicants. A structured interview based on these factors will help to ensure those selected to advance to the selection stage are the best choices from the available applicants.

Behavioural Questions KSAO target

1. Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team. How did the team respond to you? What would you do differently next time? Team work

Communication

Leadership

2. Describe a time when you had to use your presentation skills to express your opinion and influence others to seeing things from your view.

Communication

Problem solving

Leadership

3. Tell me about a time where you felt you needed to go above and beyond the regular call of duty in order to get a job done.

Work ethic

Problem solving

4. Describe a stressful situation that you have encountered at work and how you handled it.

Problem solving

Work ethic

5.Tell me about the best team you have worked in? Why does it stand out positively in your mind? Team work

Work ethic

Situational Questions KSAO target

1. If a customer was to approach you with a complaint about one of your staff members stating that they had acted in a disinterested and inappropriate manner toward the customer in store, how would you deal with this situation and prevent it from occurring again?

Conflict resolution Problem solving

Communication

Leadership

2. If you had a special promotion in your department how would you communicate this to your staff to motivate them? How would you delegate their individual tasks to them?

Leadership

Team work

Communication

3. Sometimes, customers have expectations that are unrealistic. Can you describe a time when you had to persuade a customer to reconsider their expectations and look at other options. How did they respond?

Conflict resolution

Communication

Problem solving

4. What happened when you last had to address undesirable behaviour in a staff member? How did you initiate the discussions towards solving the issue? What actions did you take to deal with the situation? What was the outcome?

Conflict resolution

Communication