Wyoming Workforce Planning
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Rating Guide - Example A

Competency: Team Leadership & Relationship Building

Question

Please describe a situation in your career in which you built a team using members from separate workgroups.  Be specific about the groups with which you worked, your common goal, the specific role you played in bringing everything together, and the outcome of the situation.

Rating Criteria

5 points:  In addition to 4-point elements, response indicates that:

• Candidate planned and implemented several team-building activities that successfully brought together team members.

• Candidate created a team approach with 3 or more workgroups and/or 12 or more people.

4 points:  Response indicates that:

• Candidate truly had primary responsibility for creating a successful teamwork approach.

• Candidate’s actions led to successful teamwork and outcome.

• Candidate regularly sought and utilized information from team members.  S/he ensured team members felt valued and appreciated.

3 points:  Response indicates that:

• Candidate played an important role in fostering teamwork.

• Candidate’s actions positively impacted and helped create a successful outcome.

• Candidate provided or contributed to opportunities for team members to share information and work together.

2 points:  Response indicates that:

• Teamwork and coordination were evident, and that the candidate participated in the process, but s/he did not clearly demonstrate that it was his or her actions that led to a successful outcome.

1 point:  Response indicates that:

• Candidate’s actions (or lack thereof) did little to foster successful teamwork.  Teamwork may have “happened on its own.”

0 points:  Response indicates that:

• Candidate took actions that were counterproductive to fostering teamwork. OR

• Candidate did not provide a response.

Interviewer’s notes on candidate’s response:

Candidate’s score on this question: __________

Reason(s) for assigning this score:

Rating Guide - Example B

Competency: Conflict Management & Mediation

Definition

Ability to effectively resolve disputes among others. Manages disagreements. Methods and style of dealing with disagreements. Requires the ability to remain impartial and unbiased.  Help others resolve complex or sensitive disagreements and conflicts.  Effectively lead a rational process of illuminating issues, enhancing understanding of divergent interests, and identifying common grounds for a workable solution.

Question

 This position serves as a facilitator or coordinator of special projects and committees.  In this role, you need to resolve differences of opinion among committee members regarding project issues.  Please describe a situation in which you faced a similar challenge.  Include the type of project and the differences of opinion.  Be specific about the actions you took and what you said when resolving those differences.

6

• Candidate’s response shows extensive aptitude for resolving differences.  Key behaviors demonstrated should include:

• Directed discussion toward identifying common interests and possible solutions;

• Involved all parties in development of alternatives that fulfilled their interests and needs;

• Helped all parties understand the key issues from others’ perspective; and,

• Resolved the differences in a way that each person felt his or her concerns were respected and addressed.

• Response is thorough, clear, complete, and provides specific details in response to the scope of the question.

4

3

• Candidate’s response shows adequate aptitude for resolving differences.  Key behaviors demonstrated should include:

• Listened to all parties and impartially re-stated and acknowledged all positions,

• Clearly identified areas of agreement and disagreement, and focused on those issues in need of resolution,

• Identified and collected all necessary information relevant to the differences, and

• Identified circumstances necessary for a successful resolution to occur.

• Response is clear, complete, and provides specific details in response to the scope of the question.

1

• Candidate’s response shows little aptitude for resolving differences.  Key behaviors demonstrated may include:

• Does not appear to have considered all positions equally;

• Made little attempt at unbiased mediation of the differences in opinion; and/or,

• Allowed differing parties to “work it out among themselves.”

• Response may be unclear, incomplete, or lacking specific details in response to the scope of the question.

Interviewer’s notes on candidate’s response:

Candidate’s score on this question: __________

Reason(s) for assigning this score:

Rating Guide - Example C

Competency: Resource Management

Definition

Effectively organize multiple assignments, sometimes of a complex nature or involving competing priorities, to produce work products that are accurate, thorough, and on time.  Ability to appropriately allocate a variety of resources, which may include, materials, money, facilities, and equipment. Requires the ability to assess needs and track progress for multiple customers.

Question

Tell us about a time when you were required to complete multiple assignments in the same time period.  How did you handle the situation?  Please be specific about the situation, the number of assignments, the actions you took, the reasons for those actions, and the result.

Key Criteria

• Worked concurrently on four or more assignments;

• Most or all of the assignments were of a complex nature and required thought and diligence to handle appropriately;

• All of the assignments were completed on time;

• Candidate employed sound rationale for the actions taken and for the method used to prioritize assignments; and,

• All parties involved (supervisor, customer, co-worker) were satisfied with the results.

Response covers in detail all of the elements listed.  The situation described is highly complex, similar to what may be encountered in this position.  Response indicates that the candidate fully understood and considered the issues involved, and that he/she took proactive steps to ensure timely completion of the assignments.

Response covers at least 3 of the elements listed, but is less thorough than an exceptional response.  The situation described is similar in complexity to what is routinely encountered in this position.  Response indicates that the candidate understood the issues involved, and that he/she handled the situation satisfactorily.

Response covers at least 3 of the elements listed, but is less thorough than an exceptional response.  The situation described is similar in complexity to what is routinely encountered in this position.  Response indicates that the candidate understood the issues involved, and that he/she handled the situation satisfactorily.

Interviewer’s notes on candidate’s response:

Candidate’s score on this question: __________

Reason(s) for assigning this score:

Rating Guide - Example D

Addresses supervisory actions related to employee performance issues.  Competency Cluster: Performance Management

Question

As supervisor, you are responsible for keeping your team’s morale and productivity up.  This includes the potential for dealing with employees who display a negative attitude or perform poorly.  Please describe a situation in which an employee you supervised was underperforming or hurting team morale with his or her attitude on the job.  Be specific about how you addressed the employee, the actions you took, and the outcome of the situation.

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7

Response demonstrates superior aptitude for supervision and employee motivation.  Should include: 

• Privately asked to speak with employee and explained that noticed he or she seemed unhappy at work; and

• Expressed concern for employee’s welfare and performance at work.

• Listened to employee to determine reason for performance problems.

• Helped employee identify problems or areas of concern and how may best help employee.

• Developed plan whereby employee could succeed at work and obtain training or assistance necessary to achieve success.

• Set guidelines and time frames for follow-up.

• Documented situation.

5

4

Response demonstrates sufficient aptitude for supervision and employee motivation.  Should include: 

• Spoke to employee and clearly expressed concerns with his or her performance at work.

• Focused on measurable outcomes and means of achieving them.

• Developed mutually-agreed upon plan for improvement of performance.

• Documented situation.

2

1

Response demonstrates inadequate experience with or aptitude for supervision or employee motivation.  May include:

• Informed own supervisor of situation.

• Warned employee about his or her poor performance at work.

• Documented poor performance in employee’s personnel file.

Interviewer’s notes on candidate’s response:

Candidate’s score on this question: __________

Reason(s) for assigning this score: