Question: Imagine this scenario: You are the manager of a department. Lately, your best staff member is having performance problems. How would you handle this?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

How would you handle a performance problem with your best employee? Your worst employee?

Follow-up questions:

Will the approach differ for your best and worst employee? Why or Why not?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Situational

Skills:

Complex Problem Solving,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others)

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility)

Other Factors:

Management Level,Personality-Job Fit,Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Performance Management (Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates),Work Output – Quality Improvement

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Interpersonal Relationships – Coordinate or Lead Others

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Analytical Thinking,Leadership/Command,Patience

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The candidate’s management skills.

Red Flags to Watch For:

The candidate’s poor management skills.

Sample Answer:

Each employee is different. It is a matter of finding out what the root cause is for poor performance. In performance management, it’s always good to document everything. I use performance improvement plan, with agreed timelines, for those who are below par. I monitor their progress weekly, as much as possible, based on deliverables.

Question Source: Unknown