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taSk-BaSed QueStionS examPLe inteRview anSweRS interviewer: the proposed merging of our four divisions
down to two represents a significant change; can you give
me an example of when you have implemented a major
initiative or change programme?

7 Poor answer:

“Well I’ve never done anything on the scale of what you are proposing here,

but my first reaction is to focus on communication. People are likely to be
unhappy, you always get competitiveness in this kind of situation and I would
want to get all the key players together and set some ground rules at the
outset. It’s likely that some jobs are going to be at risk, so we would need
to start consultations early. Incidentally, I noticed that XYZ Ltd are talking
about consolidation as well – I know that they are in a different market to you
but I think it’s interesting that so many of the big players are making similar
decisions at about the same time. Where was I? I’d probably want to set up a
change team as well, made up of people from all the divisions so that we could
avoid any duplication of effort. I had to do something similar at ABC Ltd when
two sales teams had to be merged; communication was the key, I made sure

that people were talking to each other throughout.”

Here we have a negative, followed by a lot of hypothetical solutions, followed by
an irrelevant digression, followed by a poor example; not likely to impress!

3 Better answer:

“Yes, you have a significant challenge on your hands. My experience of this

kind of merger is that people are at their best when they are clear about what
the intention is rather than working in an atmosphere of rumour and suspicion.
At ABC Ltd the Board gave me the role of merger coordinator, the job was to
bring the sales teams from all the product lines together into a unified sales
function. I gave myself the target of achieving an integrated department
within 3 months and I pulled together a team to do this. I appointed a head
of communications and a head of coordination. They reported to me weekly
in terms of the various work streams that were necessary to bring about the
change. I separated the coordination and communication roles because my
experience is that conflicts arise if the same person is trying to implement and

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