Archived Help! Delivering Bad News to upper management (interview)

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TargetHopeful2012

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Just looking to see if my answer is decent. I don't need any specifics but if its bad please let me know... lol.

Just incase this question comes up "tell me about a time you delivered bad news to management" I want to be sure that I am heading in the right direction here....

I took on the responsibility of conducting the quarterly call audit for the call center, which just means listening to calls in order to ensure that the agents in the centers are adhering to the policies and procedures. After I ran the reports, I realized that incentive fraud had increased by 6%, meaning that we were paying agents tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses that were earned unethically. Although I was feeling anxious, I knew that I needed to bring this to my manager’s attention as soon as possible. I prepared myself for this meeting by carefully analyzing trends so that I could effectively communicate the root of the problem to my manager. I also partnered up with another supervisor that I could have another set of eyes to ensure that I had gathered all of the information that I needed. I also formulated a solution (additional quality monitoring) that would help lower the fraud. I set up a meeting with my manager and empathetically communicated to him what I had found. I made sure that I came to the meeting with a detailed report so that he could visually see in terms of dollars how much we had lost in the final quarter. It was important to me to take some accountability for this since I am a supervisor. In fact, I took accountability on behalf of all of the supervisors during that meeting and presented my manager with my proposed solution. Although my manager was unhappy with the news that I brought to him, he told me that he was extremely grateful that I communicated it to him about it as soon as it happened, and that I was accountable enough to come up with a solution. My manager allowed me to fine tune my solution and we rolled it out the next quarter. The solution that I formulated actually decreased incentive fraud by 8% over the next quarter. I learned that one of the keys to being an effective leader is taking accountability and effective communication skills.
 
Good answer. On the interview, say better opportunies.
For that battle, Keep all docs! Seek out the audit or hr for help. Pick your battles carefully. Check your company policy & procedure for direction. If there is none, document the heck out of it. Be ready for questions from anyone at upper mgt. the silent ones, have the best details!
 
Good answer. On the interview, say better opportunies.
For that battle, Keep all docs! Seek out the audit or hr for help. Pick your battles carefully. Check your company policy & procedure for direction. If there is none, document the heck out of it. Be ready for questions from anyone at upper mgt. the silent ones, have the best details!

So you think i should say that i sought out help as a part of the process and sought assistance from the company policy and procedures manual as part of the solutions process?
 
You followed policy & made your mgr aware of fraud happening. Then, you should get credit/bonus for preventing further loss to company. If your boss does nothing on the fraud, you need go to his boss, with your detailed documents of events & conversions with your boss.
Who knows your boss could be stealing from the company. IMO
I know that this a what if question, that is my honest answer.
 
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This is an answer for a Target interview, right?

No, it is A hypothetical behavior a question. I have not actually gone on the interview and I do not currently work for target, but I have a list of behavioral questions and I'm trying to prepare myself just in case they come up in the interview.
 
stop living by what if's. it is suggested to contact your local govt job training agency, who can help you on interviews for various jobs.
here are some great links done by the us dept of labor for employment & training:
http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/wia/act.cfm

it has several links for training & jobs offers for the federal, state, local governments & private sectors. they offer several tyoes of assistance programs: for ex: job loss, training, career opps, find a job, & self assessment of yourself(help you find that career).
http://www.doleta.gov/jobseekers/

these programs are paid for by taxpayers & various govt agencies. most services are free or at little cost to you.
i hope this helps!
 
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