| In the call center environment we are often only | | | | that different people need different |
| as successful as the people we hire. While our | | | | motivators.Tell me about some of the |
| front line employees are critical to our business, | | | | motivational factors that you see as pertinent for |
| choosing the right managers powerfully impact | | | | effective team development? What kind of team |
| your success. So what makes a good manager? | | | | was being developed? What did you learn?Tell me |
| Ask 100 people and you might get 100 different | | | | how you have increased workers morale and |
| answers. While the behaviors that make a great | | | | what was the benefit?Describe for me your most |
| manager may be open to interpretation, there are | | | | successful motivational effort.Today's managers |
| some competencies and corresponding questions, | | | | must also be able to take raw talent and develop |
| which stand the test of time.I think the face of | | | | direct reports. Setting clear goals and directions, |
| business has entered an era of global mobility and | | | | assigning work fairly and providing timely |
| flexibility. To be a successful manager in today's | | | | feedback, accomplish this. They must be able to |
| business world you have to be able to shift gears | | | | deal with problems effectively and provide |
| and cope with change effectively. You have to be | | | | ongoing development plans. Effective Managers |
| able to make decisions without knowing all of the | | | | are aware of their people's career goals and |
| details or be able to see the big picture. Today's | | | | provide challenging and stretching tasks in order to |
| managers have to be able to function in an | | | | help them reach those goals.An effective |
| atmosphere of ambiguity in order to be | | | | candidate will have the ability to provide ongoing |
| successful.Learning how to deal with ambiguity is | | | | coaching and feedback that improves |
| no small task and some managers are more | | | | performance. They will understand how people |
| comfortable with it than others. You can discover | | | | learn and will set clear goals and outcomes for |
| a candidate's comfort level with a few questions | | | | ongoing development. How will you know if your |
| that assess how well they handle ambiguity.Tell | | | | candidate can develop people? Look for answers |
| me about a time when you had to make a | | | | where they were in a developmental role even if |
| decision without having complete information. | | | | they weren't a manager of direct reports.Tell me |
| What did you learn?Tell me about a time when | | | | about a time when you worked with someone to |
| you were not given clear instructions regarding a | | | | help them learn a new skill. What steps did you |
| task to be completed and how did you handle | | | | take? What was the outcome?Tell about at time |
| it.Given that we face an ever-changing market | | | | when you set objectives or goals that forced |
| place, effective managers must have strong | | | | others to stretch in order to accomplish |
| Business Acumen. They have to be aware of the | | | | them.Give an example of when you maintained |
| competition, best practices and market trends to | | | | two-way dialogue with others about work and |
| stay ahead of the game. Today's managers must | | | | work results. What was the result?Very few |
| not only think about getting the job done today | | | | people in today's business world are responsible |
| but must focus strategically on what it will take to | | | | for providing the end product or service alone. |
| get the job done tomorrow. They have to be | | | | Managers need to be able to build effective |
| able to track data, trends and information with an | | | | teams and relationships in order to accomplish |
| eye on how it is, or will, impact their business.Can | | | | business priorities and goals. They define success |
| your management candidate synthesize | | | | in terms of the whole team's performance and |
| information and make appropriate decisions based | | | | will allow people to be responsible for the work |
| on the data available to them?How do you stay | | | | they do. They must balance that with the ability |
| up to date on your competition? What are their | | | | to provide the information their team members |
| strengths? How do you attack them? What do | | | | need to do complete their tasks while helping |
| you see happening with them in the future?What | | | | them feel good about the work that they do. |
| are your key sources for business information? | | | | Informing is a critical task in productivity and team |
| How frequently do you need/use them? Give me | | | | building.In call centers a manager often leads a |
| an example of how you have used information | | | | team, while participating as part of a team. Can |
| gained from this material in a sales situation?What | | | | your candidate build effective team |
| global factors are currently affecting business | | | | relationships?Tell me about a time when you |
| here in the United States? What has been the | | | | perceived that someone was not happy on your |
| cause? How are companies/industries responding | | | | team. How did you find out they were not happy |
| to these factors?Having Customer Focus is more | | | | and what did you do about it? What did you |
| important now than ever. Customers have more | | | | learn?Give me two examples of when you used |
| choices about whom they do business with. A | | | | different modes to convey the same |
| manager that can establish effective relationships | | | | information.Tell me which of the following is your |
| with customers is able to create customer loyalty | | | | favorite mode of communicating at work, written, |
| and build trust. Interaction with the customers | | | | oral, or email. Give an example that shows why |
| allows managers to garner customer information | | | | it's your favorite.Tell me about a time when you |
| to use it for improvements in products and | | | | initially did not feel good about being a team |
| services. Businesses that act with the customer in | | | | member, and what you did to change your |
| mind have proven to be more successful.Does | | | | feelings. What did you learn?Let's be realistic, |
| your management candidate interact with | | | | today's business needs to be productive, |
| customers? Do they have customer service | | | | competitive and profitable. An effective manager |
| experience that can drive your call center | | | | has to be able to Drive for Results and exceed |
| performance? How do you know they will be able | | | | goals. Companies won't be in business long if they |
| to resolve customer issues that may arise? You | | | | cannot keep an eye on the bottom line while |
| might ask them about several customer service | | | | pushing for results. In order to create a successful |
| experiences.Tell me about two customer related | | | | business, great managers first must understand |
| situations, which were personally difficult for you? | | | | their business, their customers and their people |
| What made them tough to deal with? What did | | | | and be able to take that information and use it to |
| you learn?How do you get and keep up to date | | | | mold results.Today's competitive environment |
| information from customers and what do you do | | | | requires a manager that can think on their feet, |
| with it?Today's global economy requires that | | | | motivate others and create success despite the |
| managers be able to interact and understand all | | | | odds. Can your can candidate provide examples |
| kinds and classes of people. They must manage | | | | that encourage you to hire them?Tell me about a |
| diversity dealing effectively with all races, | | | | time when you got results even though some |
| nationalities and cultures. Managers today need to | | | | significant factors were working against you |
| be confident in hiring variety and diversity by | | | | (competition, internal customer differences, |
| supporting equal and fair treatment for | | | | budget, etc.). What did you do that made you |
| all.Managers who can work effectively with divers | | | | different from the others?Tell me about |
| groups are becoming more and more necessary. | | | | occasions where you far exceeded expectations. |
| How will you know if your candidate has the skills | | | | What were the expectations and what did you do |
| you need to grow in a global | | | | to exceed them?Give me an example of a |
| environment?Describe a situation in which you | | | | business situation in which you had to think and |
| were able to effectively "read" another person | | | | act quickly. What was the problem? What |
| and guide your actions by your understanding of | | | | alternatives did you consider? What were the |
| their needs and values.Tell me about the most | | | | results of your decision?Finding a candidate with |
| difficult or frustrating individual that you've ever | | | | the perfect balance of all of these competencies |
| had to work with, and how you managed to | | | | might be difficult. Decide which results are most |
| work with them.A significant part of being an | | | | important to you and your organization, determine |
| effective manager and producing results is being | | | | which competencies best match your needs and |
| able to Motivate Others. Effective managers are | | | | consider asking the related questions in your |
| able to create a climate in which people want to | | | | interview process. Look for individuals with the |
| do their best. They make people feel as if their | | | | best mix of attributes and skills. With the proper |
| work is important and they empower people to | | | | competencies in mind choosing the best |
| contribute ideas, make decisions, and share | | | | candidates will be an easier task. You can be |
| ownership. Managers are able to deduce individual | | | | confidant about the people and develop and be at |
| motivators and use them to increase | | | | ease to be judged by how good they are.Carole |
| performance.Motivating people is about tapping | | | | Sue Jones is a contributing writer for Interactive |
| into their ego, their desires or their future goals. | | | | Quality Solutions. She is a training professional and |
| Finding someone who can readily motivate people | | | | instructional designer focused on management |
| can be challenging. You will need someone who | | | | development. |
| can build relationships and who also understands | | | | |