Critical Evaluation

Problem-solving/Analysis

Behavioral

• Describe for me a decision you made that would normally have been made by your supervisor. What was the outcome?
  
• Describe a time when you needed to use the principles of logic to solve a problem.
  
• Have you ever solved a problem that others around you could not solve? Tell me about it.
  
• What was one of the toughest problems you ever solved? What process did you go through to solve it?
  
• Tell me about a time when you had a work problem and didn't know what to do.
  
• Tell me about a time when you solved one problem but created others.
  
• Tell me about a time when a work problem was more than it at first appeared to be.
  
• How have you approached solving a problem that initially seemed insurmountable?
  
• What have you done when faced with an obstacle to an important project? Give me an example.
  
• How do you analyze different options to determine which is the best alternative?
  
• Describe for me how your prior positions required you to be proficient in the analysis of technical reports.
  
• Give an example of when you used analytical techniques to design solutions to solve problems.
  

Situational

• Assume math is not your strength. You need to do some statistical analysis regarding your group's performance to present to other departments. What do you do?
  

General

• Do people ever come to you for help in solving problems? Why? Give me an example of when this happened.
  

Solve for x. 4x - 12 = 48.

Strategic Thinking

Behavioral

• Give me an example of a time when you had to engage in future planning.
  
• Tell me about a time when you participated in developing your departmental or organizational business strategy. What was your role? How did you approach it?
  
• Tell me about a time when you identified a need for a new approach or product to meet a market need.
  
• Tell of how your job (at a current or former employer) was directly related to a strategic goal.
  

Situational

• Outline how you would create a strategy for a product promotion campaign.
  
• A strategic plan is settled on. Would you identify competitors? Allies? How?
  

General

• Tell me how the duties and responsibilities of your current or past position related to the organization's business strategy.
  
• Is it more important to be a detail-oriented person or a big-picture person? Explain.
  
• What do you think is the role of the president/CEO in strategic planning for the organization?
  
• What is strategic thinking?
  

Technical Capacity

Behavioral

• The last time that you experienced a technical problem during your workday, to whom did you go for help? Why did you choose this person?
  
• Tell me about a time when you used your technical knowledge to solve a problem that appeared to be unsolvable.
  
• Describe a technical report that you had to complete. What did the report entail? What was the purpose? Who was the audience?
  
• Describe a time when you had to share data electronically.
  

Situational

• You need to merge a document from Excel to Word. Can it be done?
  
• An executive needs money sent to a certain account (say, to buy tickets for a prospective client). Only you have the requisite information and authority. What do you look for in the URL to ensure security with the site?
  
• An employee e-mails a Word presentation to you. How would you get that presentation to an overhead PowerPoint projection?
  
• Say a weather emergency keeps employees from going to the office, but a meeting has to happen. How would you assemble meeting participants?
  
• Several team members in several different states need to collaborate. What are the best steps to accomplish that? How would you facilitate?
  

General

• Describe the types of network security features you have implemented or maintained in the past.
  
• How would you describe your skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access (relevant software used in the job)? Beginner, intermediate or advanced?
  
• Describe your previous experience with travel planning and reservations.
  
• What experience do you have scheduling meetings and conferences and ordering food and materials for meetings?
  
• How many words per minute can you type?
  
• What do you believe is your most honed skill?
  
• In your opinion, how does managing a staff of technical workers differ from managing other kinds of workers?
  
• What characteristics do you feel are necessary for success as a technical support worker?
  
• What support, either administrative or technical assistance, did you receive in your previous positions?
  
• Describe the ideal technical support you would need to be most effective as [job title].
  
• How can technology help this position function?
  

Thoroughness

Behavioral

• What means have you used to focus on detail and to keep from making mistakes?
  
• When there's a decision for a new critical process, what means do you use to communicate step-by-step processes to ensure other people understand and will complete the process correctly?
  
• Tell me the steps you take to monitor the quality of your work in your current job.
  
• How do you decide when something is "good enough" or when it needs to be as close as possible to perfection? When have you had to make this determination? Explain.
  
• Describe a time when you failed to satisfy a client or customer due to some minor neglect. What did you do to correct it?
  

Situational

• After repairing some drywall, you notice you've left a small amount of debris where you did the work. What do you do? 
  

General

• Tell me how the quality of your work affects others around you. Give me an example.
  
• Describe "thoroughness."