rate my 4 previous managers as part of an interview questionnaire

[catsmom21]

Originally Posted by rabbit33

Oh pooh. Part of an interview is to assess whether you can complete tasks. If they ask you "rate your four previous managers" you've just been given an assigned task. Your job is to complete the assigned task without either trashing the four previous managers or making it look like they fart only rose perfume. Kicking up a fuss at this assigned task tells them (well, at any rate it'd tell me), "This person is going to make a federal case out of everything they don't agree with, and be a royal pain in the rear to work with."

It also tells the interviewee that this is a place you do not want to work unless you are desperate. The question is inappropriate and manipulative. It is not an underling's place to "rate" a manager.

[xray731]

Originally Posted by G-fused

Diplomacy and tact is a valuable skill that will help get you ahead.

Hard work and dedication is what gets you a head - being a team player also. These questions today are just BS and any one can lie - as my friend did and use an example of someone else's.

"Give us an example of a situation and how you handled it?" Guess what - if a situation appears, I don't sit there thinking "Now what should I do?" - I handle it and move on to the next situation. If you're good at your job you handle things automatically. You are prepared at all times.

[xray731]

Originally Posted by catsmom21

It also tells the interviewee that this is a place you do not want to work unless you are desperate. The question is inappropriate and manipulative. It is not an underling's place to "rate" a manager.

And truth be told - that manager could get a promotion or leave to go to another job and now you may not get along with the new manager.

[tnff]

Originally Posted by xray731

"Give us an example of a situation and how you handled it?" Guess what - if a situation appears, I don't sit there thinking "Now what should I do?" - I handle it and move on to the next situation. If you're good at your job you handle things automatically. You are prepared at all times.

I like your thinking. I've thought about that question and the thing that always comes to my mind is "what is a situation?" The things that someone else might consider a situation, I might consider too routine to even mention in the morning report. I have to think hard to find things from my career I would use as an example of a situation. And then, could I even state it in such a way they'd recognize the situation?

[xray731]

Originally Posted by tnff

I like your thinking. I've thought about that question and the thing that always comes to my mind is "what is a situation?" The things that someone else might consider a situation, I might consider too routine to even mention in the morning report. I have to think hard to find things from my career I would use as an example of a situation. And then, could I even state it in such a way they'd recognize the situation?

After that interview - with the VA no less - I came home and called a friend as I'd been at the same place for 15 yrs, wanted a change and was new to all this. As a matter of fact, my previous 2 jobs were offered to me because people had heard of me through others in medicine. I was offered my jobs because the other techs or doctors recommended me - so even applying for a position was new to me.

When I called my friend - I was telling her about all these questions they were asking and wondered why they considered this a better idea then looking at a resume and talking to your references. I had told her about them wanting me to tell them about a situation where I had to take action and what I did. She said you should have used the time when you yada, yada, yada - that's the one I used to get this job. I said you used my situation and put yourself in my place she said yeah, they don't know any different.

Regardless, I think they're stupid questions. Especially knowing you can lie about everything. With a resume and references - they have names, employers and can call and get a good idea by what those people say not only about your work ethic - but your character.

I didn't get the VA job - was it related to the questions asked - who knows - but I got a phone call a couple of weeks later from another place for a job that someone in the industry recommended me for.