Job Search Engine - What-If Questions

Questions behind questions often come in the form of what-if questions:
QUESTION: What would you do if you discovered that another employee was stealing from the company?

The real concern behind this question is not what you would do if someone were stealing. It’s more about loyalty and whether you have good judgment. See if you can guess which of these answers would be the best for this problem:

ANSWER A: I would tell my coworker that it’s illegal to steal from the company.
ANSWER B: I would immediately tell my supervisor.
ANSWER C: I would probably tell my coworker that I had suspi- cions about his or her stealing and that I hoped he or she would return what was stolen. If I noticed that the stealing continued, I would have to bring it up with my supervisor.

Answers A and B both make sense. They are not necessarily the “wrong” answers. Answer C, however, is the most appropriate one because it shows that the interviewee would first attempt to solve the problem with the other employee on his or her own and then get management involved only if those strategies didn’t work.

Companies generally prefer that employees try to work out their problems themselves. It shows good interpersonal skills to be able to bring up something negative with a coworker. Of course, if the problem can’t be solved, it shows good judgment and loyalty to the company to broach the subject with a manager or supervisor.

You might expect to receive several questions in the what-if category. Usually what-ifs are hypothetical questions involving morality, ethics, and interpersonal relations. The interviewer is not looking for an exact answer as much as he or she is evaluat- ing your judgment as good or poor. Consider the following hypo- thetical situations, and imagine how you might handle them, should the interviewer bring them up:

QUESTION: What if you noticed a team member really slacking off? He is coming in late, taking long lunches, leaving early, or chatting on the phone when he is supposed to be helping the team meet its deadline?

ANSWER: Well, I might say, “Hey, Harry, we really need your help here. This is an important project, and all of us need to work together to see it through. You’ve got the talents to help us make the deadline. I really rely on you as part of the team, and I think your involvement would help out everyone. I have a lot of respect for your ideas, and I think we really need your input.” If Harry didn’t show some change after our talk, I would probably have to bring it up with our supervisor.

QUESTION: What if your boss continually gossips about one of your coworkers with you and wants you to join in on the derogatory comments?

Your reaction to situation number 2 would probably depend a lot upon your relationship with your boss. If you know the boss well, you might be able to say:
ANSWER: I really don’t feel comfortable talking about Sally in this way.

If you didn’t know the boss very well, it might be risky to bring up your discomfort. In that case, you might just have to listen to the gossip but not participate by saying anything bad about Sally.

QUESTION: What if you have an important personal engagement that involves several other people, has been planned well in advance, and also costs a considerable amount of money, but your boss needs you, just this once, at the last minute to help her close a $3 billion deal before midnight?

This situation is probably the most common and the most difficult to deal with. Having to stay late at work when there are family or social obligations is something just about everyone has to face at one time or another. It’s a tough situation because someone is bound to be disappointed no matter what you decide.

First, tell your boss about the importance of your social engagement, but also reassure her that you will do everything you can to help close the deal. You might offer to stay a little bit later and be late for your other appointment. You might also say something like “I would make myself available by cell phone all night until 1 a.m. if need be, and then be on call at my social event.” If you are particularly invested in your job and perhaps up for promotion, you might just have to accept the conse quences and decide to stay until midnight to help the boss out.

Again, there is no universally right answer.
If you have a significant other, spouse, or family member, you might discuss beforehand what sort of choices will need to be made in this situation when work and home obligations conflict. That way, you’ll know if you have the support of your family to stay at work late, or if it’s absolutely essential to choose your fam- ily or friend first.

Now that you have mastered the question behind the question, you’re over halfway through completing the entire interview with finesse, competence, and know-how. There are only two more types of interview questions to consider: stress questions and questions you ask the prospective employer.