Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

• Describe your normal methods of assigning work to subordinates.

• Who is in charge while you are gone? How do you inform this person of the limits and responsibilities you expect him/her to observe?

• Have you ever moved up to a position where you had to supervise former peers? How did you handle it?

• Describe a project that required a major effort by many members of your staff. Who did you ask to participate? Why did you choose them? What assignments did they have?

• You've probably had a situation in which you delegated a responsibility, but the work wasn't done as you expected. Why do you think this happened? What would you do differently next time?

• What part of your work has given you the greatest feeling of achievement and satisfaction?

• What part of your work have you found to be the most frustrating or unsatisfying?

• Why did you choose this particular line of work?

• How did you hear about this job?

• Why did you choose to interview at our organization?

• Why do you want to work here?

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

• What types of work do you like best? Why?

• What types of work would you prefer to avoid? Why?

• Describe your work ethic, with examples.

• What interests do you have outside work that might positively affect your on-the-job performance?

• Describe a typical workweek. How did you plan the week's activities? How well did the schedule work?

• Tell me about an occasion when your schedule was upset by unforeseen circumstances. What did you do?

• How do you determine which activities have top priorities on your time?

• Describe a situation in which your department experienced a major backlog, or the threat of one. How did you deal with that problem?

• How do you develop short-range plans for your organization? Long-range plans?

• Give me an example of a time when expenses in your department threatened to run over budget. What did you do about it?

• How many hours a week do you find it critical to get your job done?

• Have you had to introduce a new policy or idea that departed from the customary way of doing things? What approach did you take to gain cooperation? How did it work out?

• Tell me about a time that you had to gain the cooperation of a group over which you had little or no authority. What did you do? How effective were you?

• What did you do to help your subordinates set performance objectives last year?

• Describe a situation in which you had to help a subordinate solve a problem or meet an objective. What did you do? How successful were you?

• Describe a situation in which a subordinate had a performance or disciplinary problem. How did you handle it?

• Give me an example of the approach you would take to explain the features of a product or service to a customer who has trouble understanding them.

• Describe a selling situation where it was important to obtain good information. What happened?

• You've probably had an occasion when you realized your initial approach wasn't working and you had to try a different method. What did you do?

• Describe the primary types of people to whom you sell. What approach do you use for each group?

• Many salespeople work without close supervision. How does this affect you?

• What's the best method you've found to obtain new prospects?

• How do your selling techniques differ from those of others you know?

• Have you ever been in a position where you felt you could clinch a sale if you oversold the product just a little? What did you do?

• How far do you feel the average salesperson in your field would go to make a sale? How far have you gone?

• How did you gain the technical knowledge you needed to sell your previous employer's product line?

• What did you find easiest to learn about the product? Hardest?

• Have you ever found it difficult to make a sale because you had trouble understanding the customer's requirements? Why do you think this happened? What did you do about it?

• What were your sales goals for the last year? How did you achieve them?

• Describe a typical sales trip. How do you decide which prospects to contact?

• How does it affect you when someone turns you down?

• How does it affect you when an unusual number of people turn you down?

• Describe the biggest sale you ever lost. How did you react?

• Describe one of your toughest sales experiences. How did you deal with that problem? Did you make the sale?

• What do you think has been the biggest improvement in your sales ability during the last year?

• Describe a typical sales encounter. Exactly what would you say to convince a customer to buy?

• What are the two most common objections you face, and how do you deal with them?

• Role-play with me, if you will, presenting yourself to me over the phone as if you were a headhunter. Convince me that this "product" you're selling is worth my time.

• How do you define your closing style?

• Tell me the last time you failed to meet your quota. How many times did that happen over the past year and what plan of action did you take to get back on track?

• With no undue flattery, if you grade me on how well I'm conducting this interview, what can you tell me about my sales and management style on the basis of the questions I'm asking you?

• Tell me about your quality ratios. How many prospects do you typically see before closing a sale?

• This job requires you to [Name an Essential Function]. Are you able to do that with or without reasonable accommodation? How would you accomplish that task?

• Can you perform the functions (essential and/or marginal) of this job, with or without reasonable accommodation?

• Would you be willing to take a physical for the job? All new employees are required to pass it.

• [Name of Company] is a government contractor that has an Affirmative Action Plan for disabled and special disabled veterans. Do you wish to identify yourself to the company as disabled or as a special disabled veteran?

• The hiring process involves an interview, timed written test, and job demonstration. Do you need a reasonable accommodation for this process?

• There will be a number of weekend conferences you will need to attend. Does overnight and weekend travel present a problem for you?

• You may have to stay overnight when traveling with other co-workers. Would that bother you?

• Are you able to meet required work schedules?

• You might be asked to work later than 5 p.m. on occasion. Would you be able to meet that requirement?

• Can you meet the attendance requirements of this job?