Question: Imagine this scenario: You are working in the B2B sales department of a vending machine manufacturer. You and your team had recently closed a deal to sell and deliver three hundred (300) vending machine units to a new business client. However, two weeks before the proposed delivery date, the operations team tell you that they will not be able to produce the full three hundred (300) units by the delivery date. What would you do?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Follow-up questions:

Question Details:

Question Type:

Situational

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Complex Problem Solving,Management of Time,Social – Negotiation,Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others,Systems Evaluation

Abilities:

Cognitive – Fluency of Ideas (Idea Generation Frequency),Cognitive – Originality,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition)

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With External Customers,Job Structure – Handling Time Pressure,Job Structure – Structured versus Unstructured Work

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Handling Ambiguity,Patience

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

If the candidate has a back up plan and an alternate date which they might have already discussed with the client.
If the candidate’s negotiation skills are displayed in their answer.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate is not flexible to come up with an alternate solution.
If the candidate gives an impulsive reaction in response to the answer.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: Unknown