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140 COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

ceived word from management that not everyone on the team could attend
the pitch meeting because funds for travel were low. Since the clients expect
senior staff to attend these meetings, that meant the production assistants
could not.

Action: The production assistant on a special account worked just as

hard, if not harder, than others in the group. I conveyed my misgivings about
not inviting him, but management remained firm in its decision.

Result: It is important for employees, no matter their status in the or-

ganization, to feel valued. Since the assistant could not attend, I videoconfer-
enced him in. It was a happy solution that satisfied everyone.

Question 133. Recall a time when you discovered a way to improve

upon an existing process.

Situation: SuperMart outsourced their company’s helpdesk work to

Technology Solutions, my previous employer. Since it was our first multimil-
lion-dollar account, we strived to provide exceptional service and to run the
project with zero error.

Action: Based on my reputation for getting things done, I was selected

as project leader. My accountability included rewriting the training manual to
ensure that the modules focused on both hard skills, such as network trou-
bleshooting, and soft skills, like time management and communications. Af-
ter completion of the guide, I chose the technicians who would join me, and
I trained them on executing the new protocols with care.

Result: SuperMart employees completed a survey to determine the

level of service they received when contacting the helpdesk for support. We ex-
ceeded expectations and received high marks for exemplary end-user support.

Question 134. Describe a time when you figured out a problem that

others had tried to solve but failed.

Situation: The Central Hospital emergency room had a problem with

overcrowding. In the past, management disciplined the intake coordinators
for not working faster. Unfortunately, though there was meeting after meeting
about this, the situation did not change.

Action: I believed that the intake coordinators were overworked, and

they were doing well, considering the resources available to them. To build

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