What you need to know to survive in an Industrial

Position

Barbara Radecki, Ph.D.February 22, 2005

Agenda Interviewing process Typical entry level job description Competencies How to survive How to Balance Work and Family

Interview Process

Interview’s purpose: acquaint interviewer and candidate. learn more about the candidate’s background and experience. help the candidate understand the position and organization.

Interview plan: Review candidate jobs/experiences. Get specific information about those jobs/experiences thru STAR

questions. Provide information and answer candidate’s questions about position

and organization. Explain the job’s essential functions and ask if the candidate can

perform the essential functions.

Interview Process-STAR

Situation/Task

Action

Result

Planned Behavioral Questions – Team Success

Contributing to Team SuccessKey ActionsActively participating as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion

of goals. Facilitates goal accomplishment Involves others Informs others on team Models commitment

Planned Behavioral Questions1. Give me an example of a time when your team/group accomplished its goals.

What was your role? What was the team’s role?2. Tell me about a time when a team you were on got stalled and was not functioning

effectively. What was the problem? What did you do?3. To accomplish goals, a team often must obtain resources from other areas. Tell

me about a time when you had to do this. What did you do? How did you know your actions benefited the team?

Planned Behavioral Questions – Initiating Action

Initiating ActionKey ActionsTaking prompt action to accomplish objectives; taking action to achieve

goals beyond what is required; being proactive. Responds quickly Takes independent action Goes above and beyond

Planned Behavioral Questions1. Have you suggested any new ideas to your manager/supervisor/team

leader recently? Give me an example.2. Can you think of a project or idea that was sold or implemented

primarily because of your efforts?3. What has been your biggest achievement at __________? What steps

did you take to achieve it?

Planned Behavioral Questions – Technical / Professional Knowledge

Technical / Professional KnowledgeKey ActionsHaving achieved a satisfactory level of technical and professional skill or

knowledge in position‑related areas; keeping up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise.

Understands technical terminology and developments Knows how to apply a technical skill or procedure Knows when to apply a technical skill or procedure Performs complex tasks in area of expertise

Planned Behavioral Questions1. Describe a project, situation, or assignment that challenged your skills as a

_________. How did you manage the situation?2. Describe a time when you successfully demonstrated your technical

knowledge. Contrast this with a time when you weren’t able to do so. What did you do differently?

3. What equipment have you been trained to operate? How proficient are you?

Planned Behavioral Questions - AdaptabilityAdaptabilityKey ActionsMaintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the

work environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.

Tries to understand changes Approaches change or newness positively Adjusts behavior

Planned Behavioral Questions1. Tell me about a situation in which you had to adjust quickly to a significant

change in organization, department, or team priorities. How did the change affect you? What did you do?

2. Tell me about an important project/task/assignment you were working on for an external customer when the specifications changed significantly but the deadline wasn’t extended. What did you do? What were the results?

3. Tell me about the most diverse group/team that you’ve been a part of. What problems did you encounter? What did you do? What happened?

Planned Behavioral Questions – Decision Making

Decision MakingKey Actions

Identify and understand issues, problems, and opportunities; comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.

Identifies issues, problems, and opportunities Gathers information Interprets information Generates alternatives Chooses appropriate action Commits to action Involves othersPlanned Behavioral Questions

1. Describe a time when you weighed the pros and cons of a situation and decided not to take action, even though you were under pressure to do so.

2. Tell me about a recent problem you uncovered in your job at __________. What sources of information did you use to identify this problem?

3. What kind of information have you been required to analyze? Describe one of your most difficult analyses.

Typical Job Description

1. Execute design of experiments and lead lab projects. Make recommendations for final decisions on product quality and testing results.

 2.  Maintain and improve laboratory systems necessary for

reliable product optimization and development. 3.  Lead and participate in continuous improvement efforts. 

4.  Ensure product optimization and process effectiveness by coordinating efforts with Manufacturing, Technical and Sales

functions.

  Knowledge And Experience

  Ability to motivate associates with experience ranging from degreed entry level to substantial years of experience.

  Knowledge and ability to apply processes to optimize

technical troubleshooting and assist in continuous improvement and problem solving efforts.

   Ability to identify and implement systems necessary to ensure

competent testing practices and procedures for resolving non-conforming test results.

  Ability to accomplish objectives by applying project management

techniques to internal and cross-functional projects.

Principal Responsibilities

Communicate project status to Sales, Technical Service, and Manufacturing departments.

  Analyze test result data and issue reports on product

performance that includes corrective action and improvement initiatives.

  Lead and participate in continuous improvement efforts.  Ensure compliance to corporate safety and ecology standards

including those related to hazardous waste handling and generation.

What to Expect on the job

Lean and Mean

Change, Focus, Speed

Constant reorganization

Constant selling yourself

What you need to know

Competency expectations for success

Career Development / Job Progressions – technical

vs managerial

Mechanism utilized for performance evaluations

Frequency of reorganization

Compensation program – bonuses, merit increases

Demographics

Competencies - Teamwork

Outstanding – Exhibit behaviors of an effective leader by recognizing team member accomplishments and building morale and motivation of team

Developed – Communicates effectively with the team, respects others’ ideas, contributes to team goals, provides coaching and performance feedback

Requires additional development – inhibits collaboration, cooperation and trust.

Competencies - Customer Focus

Outstanding – Deep understanding of customer needs, both current and future, and applies knowledge in decision making to positively impact the customer or customer relationship.

Developed – Seeks to understand customer needs and interacts with customer in helpful and friendly manner.

Requires additional development – Shows lack of consideration for or understanding of customer needs or act in ways that negatively impacts the customer.

Team – Blair Singer

Display true interest in the team and each other

in all communications.

Talk to others in their terms and in their

language.

Be brief, clear and to the point.

Verify all communications through repetition or

duplication of what was said.

Team

You can measure the value and power of a decision by observing the number of people, businesses and communities that are positively or negatively affected by it.

Leadership Checklist Spot and leverage the strengths of others. Teach others how to succeed. Use mistakes to strengthen and grow the

team. Use frequency of interaction to build

relationship, consistency and most of all trust.

Promote a realistic but bright future to the team.

Sell.

Performance Evaluation Ratings

Exceptional –exceed high stretch goal (5-10%)

Superior- Meet high or exceed moderate (10-15%)

Solid- exceed or meet standard, partially meet

high (60-70%)

Marginal- partially meet standard (5-10%)

Unsatisfactory – Fail to meet standard (2-5%)

Rating is based on combination of competency and goal attainment. Self confidence and belief in self Self esteem Ability to create positive outcomes

and maintain a positive attitude in the face of perceived adversity

“When you rule your mind you rule your world. When you choose your thoughts you choose results.”

--Imelda Shanklin

Balancing Work and Family

Pressure builds great teams in all arenas. Embrace it and don’t run from it.

Find constructive ways to release stored emotion so that the evolutionary process can proceed – exercise, sports, discussion, whatever works.

Balancing Work and Family

If you think you can, if you think you can’t, either way you are right.

Respect the rights of others to disagree with you.

Beware that you look for the obstacles in your opportunities and forget to look for the opportunities in your obstacles.

Think before you put your mouth in gear.

Balancing Work and Family Nothing is ever accomplished by what

you are going to do, only by what you do.

People are not finished when they are defeated; people are finished when they quit.

For every person that climbs the ladder of success, there are 10 waiting for the elevator to show up.

Balancing Work and Family

Don’t mind criticism. If it is untrue, disregard it; If it is ignorant, smile; If it is justified, learn from it.