Problem:
You are the hiring manager at Home Depot and need to fill a position for an exempt status night shift supervisor. You have just interviewed an applicant who you think would be a good fit for the position. The applicant meets the minimum job requirements as listed in the advertised job description, and has responded well to the competency-based interview questions posed during the actual interview.
Type a list of effective notes from this interview. Make sure your notes are descriptive and refer to job-related facts only. Avoid using subjective language and recording any unsubstantiated opinions. You are also encouraged to conduct your own outside research to help you complete this activity.
To successfully complete the projects, the following are the minimum requirements:
- Type a list of effective notes from the interview presented during Unit.
- Use objective language and make sure all notes include job-related facts instead of opinions.
- Conduct your own outside research to help you create more realistic notes.
- Include a reference page to give credit to your sources.
Case Scenario:
Hiring Manager (HM) Good morning.
You: Good morning.
HM: I am glad you could join me today. I see from your resume that you have experience in this industry. Tell me how your past work experience at Lowes has prepared you for the position here at Home Depot.
You: Lowes and Home Depot have a lot in common. They are both large home improvement specialty retailers, with a large customer base and numerous stores nation wade. During the last 5 years of me working at Lowes, I had a pleasure of working in many different departments, giving me exposure to numerous areas of this expanding industry. I am very conformable with different home improvement products and services, and I understand and appreciate the importance of excellent customer service. I am confident that my experience, coupled with my recently obtained business degree, will meet and exceed your expectations.
HM: Working at night is a bit different than working in the daytime. Describe some work experiences you have had while working at night that demonstrate the difference between nighttime and daytime work.
You: Night and Day shift are different, but they both have the same goal which is to serve their customers. In my experience, where the difference comes in is in the amount of foot traffic a store would get during the night as opposed to during the day. Moreover, the customer base is a bit different in night shift, in comparison to day shift. Night shift usually caters to professional contractors; those that are too busy to shop during the day, or those that work nights and run out of materials. At night, customers are a lot more knowledgeable of what they want, and all the help they need is where to find what they are looking for. Nevertheless, in some occasions, emergency-home-repairs-customers would also come during the night. These customers are a lot different from the professional contractors, as they are a lot less informed of what they need to fix whatever emergency, they might be experiencing in their home. Such customers need knowledgeable staff to guide them through their repairs. Contrarily, day shift is a lot busier, requiring a lot more staff on the floor serving a lot more customers that can be both professionals and do-it-yourself-homeowners.
HM: As a supervisor you will be expected to communicate effectively with your employees and resolve disputes white the store manager is off duty. Has there ever been a time when you resolved a conflict on the job without the help of a superior? What were the results of your actions?
You: There has been numerous times where I was put in a conflict situation that I needed to resolve. Being that I worked night shift, most of the time, there is only one supervisor, and he/she is often to busy to cater to everyone’s needs. As a result, employees would work among themselves to resolve any conflicts. I was in such situation, not too long ago. Two of my colleagues got into an argument regarding working overtime. There were overtime hours available, and way too many people interested in taking them on. So, management decided to give priority to those with most seniority. These two particular employees had the exact same number of years in service, and there was only overtime hours left for one employee. The argument started with the discussion and persuasion of who should take the overtime hours, but it quickly turned into an aggressive argument. Being that I had more seniority than both of these employees, I already picked my overtime hours. However, seeing these two colleagues of mine arguing about who should get the last overtime opportunity, and knowing full well, that both of them can really benefit from extra money, I quickly made a decision. I offered them a resolution where one of them would take the last overtime shift, while the other one would work my overtime shift. This not only worked out well for my colleagues, but also it worked out well for me, as it gave me an opportunity to spend a bit more time with my 12-year-old son, and my elderly mother. It was a win-win-win situation!
HM: Being a Supervisor creates some demands in terms of dealing with a diverse workforce. Sometimes it is necessary to make difficult decisions. How would you handle a scenario in which an employee who reports to you has repeatedly been late but has never been disciplined due to their personal situation of tending to a dying parent?
You: I am very compassionate person, especially in the situations that involve an elderly and ill parent. In such situation, I would work with the employee to resolve this situation, as opposed to ignoring it or action disciplinary measures. My first step would be to sit down with an employee, and have a candid discussion about the situation that is preventing them to adhere to their schedule. I would also make sure that the employee understands the importance of punctuality, and the service levels that can only be fulfilled if all employees adhere to their schedules. The last step would be to work with this employee and create a schedule that would address business needs, but it would also be acceptable to the employee. As the last step, I would ask the employee to commit to the schedule we just built together. Once personal commitment is gained, I would advise the employee of the rules and procedures that address tardiness, and ensure that they understand that they will be subject to them if they don’t adhere to the schedule that we mutually created and agreed to. I find that taking this approach is a lot more successful, as it makes the employee a part of the solution, thus they are more likely to commit to it.
HM Interviewer 1: Do you have any questions for me at this time?
You: I would like to know if you can tell me a bit more about the department I would be working in, if I get this job. Also, what would be my first objective, in this role? Do you have any doubts about my ability to do this job? What are the next steps in the hiring process?
HM: Thank you for coming in today to speak with me. We will be in contact by e-mail in approximately one week. We appreciate your time.
You: Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this role in more detail. It is a pleasure to meet with you, and I am looking forward to hearing form you regarding you decision.