Situational Judgement Questions & Answers - Free Online Practice

11.

You are a department manager and you have recently thought of a new procedure that you believe would improve the work process. Some of the employees in your department agree with the change and some do not. One of your employees openly criticises the idea to your director.

What would you do? Choose the BEST option.

You decide not to respond to the critics in order to avoid unnecessary conflict.

You reprimand the employee for going over your head to the director and work to promote your idea with even more enthusiasm.

You meet the employee for a talk and explain that bypassing your authority is unacceptable.

Employees' trust in their manager is important so you decide to implement only some of the changes to keep the employees satisfied.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer is C

No explanation has been provided for this answer.

12.

The backlog of work in Accounts department gets bigger by the day. There are many staffing issues (numbers, training etc.) causing this. The upshot is that most of your junior colleagues are now regularly missing each week's target deadline. As the team leader, you must prioritise resolving this situation before it turns into an even bigger crisis.

What would be the most effective reaction to this situation?

Remind your team of the problems and the clear need to meet every deadline.

Communicate to your team that you are resolving the problems personally.

Stay positive - and ask your immediate superior for additional resources.

Meet with the team to tell them what you believe is causing the problems.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer is C

The MOST effective option is (C). This is because missing deadlines is a major problem which needs to be escalated to your manager. You need to know where they stand on this issue.

(A) is in fact the LEAST effective option since it only pays lip service - without taking any direct actions to address the growing problem.

Answer option (B) is slightly better than the LEAST effective option (A). You are indeed resolving the issue personally and reminding the team that this leadership responsibility falls within your managerial responsibilities.

Answer option (D) starts with the good idea of holding a team meeting. The aim here needs to be keeping the team on board and asking for their thoughts/opinions on what's causing the issues. Telling them can easily be misinterpreted as blaming them. In which case they will be less likely to help you with the problem resolution.

13.

You work in an open plan sales office and you have trouble concentrating because of a noisy colleague sitting nearby. You are not the only one inconvenienced, but no-one has said or done anything about it.

What would be the most effective reaction to this situation?

Refer the matter to your line manager, since they have overall responsibility.

Make even more noise than this colleague - to show them how annoying it is.

Email your noisy colleague to complain, cc'ing in your manager

Talk to your noisy colleague and request more reasonable behaviour

View answer & explanation

Correct answer is D

(D) is MOST since this solution: raises the underlying issue; whilst looking for a mutually agreed resolution. It's an excellent first step.

(B) is LEAST because this is simply repeating the same problem as your disruptive colleague.

(A) is incorrect since it abdicates responsibility to your manager. This is an interpersonal issue requiring some personal initiative. First try to address the problem yourself.

Answer option (C) contains two elements that mean it is not the best option. Firstly, there's a passive-aggressive intent in mailing a complaint that copies in their manager. There is also some threatening intent. Escalating the issue may prove unnecessary - try speaking to them first.

14.

You are a very busy Team Leader, working in the public health sector during a national pandemic. Currently, you're attending the team's latest bi-weekly, virtual presentation on individual projects led by a different team member each week. This particular project leader has already overrun the allocated time. Some of your team members look bored now. You agree that this presentation is dragging on too long.

What would be the most effective reaction to this situation?

You decide to leave the meeting explaining you have urgent work to do asap.

Gently wrap up the session, then hold a presentation review later that day.

Wrap-up the session by secretly messaging the whole team to ask questions now.

It's the presenter's responsibility to manage time, so this is not your responsibility.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer is B

(B) is the MOST effective solution, demonstrating collaborative decision-making in seeking a resolution. Plus taking the initiative to address the timing issue. Thirdly, it's your managerial responsibility to offer balanced feedback.

The LEAST effective solution is (A) which does not address the over-running presentation or that your team members are being similarly inconvenienced.

Whilst (C) is a 'positive' response to assume leadership of the issue; it also hands responsibility to your team. It sends a strong message to the presenter but this could have been in a more openly professional - and less secretive - manner. Also, the question session will itself take even more time (away from the team's other work).

Similarly (D) avoids taking responsibility for resolving the issue. Always look for an overall solution, which this isn't!

15.

You are a Finance Analyst with a key job responsibility to research, write and communicate company reports. A further responsibility is to set objectives and review your team intern's work. You've just read through this intern's latest report draft. It does not meet any of the report objectives you set last week. You have little time to improve this key report before it's due with your client.

What would be the most effective reaction to this situation?

Let your intern find out what happens when a client receives a sub-standard report.

Forward the draft report to other analysts in your department for their own comments.

Ask your own manager what would have happened if you hadn't checked this report.

Email your collated amends to the intern; offering to explain each one in further detail.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer is D

The MOST effective response, (D), offers your own time to improve the report. This goes beyond your day-to-day job responsibility of managing the intern's work. Unfortunately for you, on this one report, you do need to put even more time and effort than you'd be expected to.

The LEAST effective response is (A) since you already know the client will not be happy with the draft report as it stands. Your attitude could easily backfire and may result in a client complaint to your manager.

Answer response (B) is an expedient option. You pass over your day-to-day intern responsibility to the rest of the team. This also introduces further delay in the report's delivery to your client.

Answer option (C) may or may not earn you some kudos with your manager. Still, it deliberately makes your intern look bad in your manager's eyes.