Situational Judgement Test Situational Judgement Workplace Scenarios 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You are a newly appointed team supervisor in a logistics company. Situation: A long-serving employee repeatedly ignores the new inventory process you introduced last week, continuing to use the old method. Other team members are watching how you handle this. What is the MOST appropriate action?
- Ignore the behaviour to avoid conflict, since the employee has more experience than you
- Speak privately with the employee to understand any concerns about the new process, reiterate the reasons for the change, and set clear expectations going forward (Correct answer)
- Immediately write a formal warning to demonstrate authority to the rest of the team
- Revert to the old process to keep the experienced employee satisfied
Correct answer: Speak privately with the employee to understand any concerns about the new process, reiterate the reasons for the change, and set clear expectations going forward
A private conversation that invites feedback while affirming expectations is a measured first step in addressing non-compliance.
Option B is correct because it treats the employee respectfully, surfaces any legitimate concerns, and sets clear expectations without public confrontation. Option A undermines your authority and team standards. Option C escalates disproportionately for a first offence. Option D abandons a process you put in place and signals that resistance works.
Question 2: You are a healthcare administrator. Situation: A physician asks you to backdate a patient consent form because the original was misplaced before a procedure. The patient has since been discharged and is recovering well. What is the MOST appropriate action?
- Backdate the form as the physician requests since the patient is fine and no harm occurred
- Decline to backdate the form, explain that this would constitute falsification of medical records, and advise the physician to follow the organisation's incident-reporting process to document the missing consent (Correct answer)
- Backdate the form but note internally that this was done to protect yourself
- Ignore the request and say nothing to avoid getting involved
Correct answer: Decline to backdate the form, explain that this would constitute falsification of medical records, and advise the physician to follow the organisation's incident-reporting process to document the missing consent
Falsifying medical records is illegal and unethical regardless of patient outcome; the correct path is transparent incident reporting.
Option B is correct because it refuses to participate in falsification, explains the legal risk, and directs the physician to the proper channel. Option A is illegal and exposes both the organisation and yourself to serious liability. Option C still constitutes falsification and does not protect you. Option D avoids accountability and allows a regulatory breach to stand uncorrected.
Question 3: You are a project manager in an IT company. Situation: You are halfway through a project when a client calls to request a significant change in scope that was not in the original contract. The change would add two weeks to the timeline and considerable cost. Your team is already stretched. What is the MOST appropriate action?
- Agree to the scope change immediately to maintain client satisfaction and figure out resourcing later
- Acknowledge the client's request, explain the timeline and cost implications clearly, and arrange a formal scope-change discussion with relevant stakeholders before committing (Correct answer)
- Refuse the change outright because it was not in the original contract
- Have a junior team member handle the client's call to buy time
Correct answer: Acknowledge the client's request, explain the timeline and cost implications clearly, and arrange a formal scope-change discussion with relevant stakeholders before committing
Managing scope changes through a formal process protects the project, the team, and the client relationship.
Option B is correct because it acknowledges the client's needs, communicates transparently about impact, and follows proper change-management protocols. Option A risks overloading the team and blowing the budget. Option C is needlessly dismissive and may damage the client relationship. Option D is evasive and delays a necessary professional conversation.
Question 4: You are a retail store supervisor. Situation: You notice that one of your employees is consistently arriving five minutes late each shift. When you raised it casually last week the employee said they were working on it, but the tardiness has continued. What is the MOST appropriate action?
- Continue to ignore it since five minutes is not a significant amount of time
- Schedule a formal one-to-one meeting with the employee, document the pattern, ask if there are any underlying issues, and set a clear improvement timeline with consequences (Correct answer)
- Immediately reduce the employee's hours as a punishment without discussion
- Ask other team members whether they have noticed the tardiness to build a case
Correct answer: Schedule a formal one-to-one meeting with the employee, document the pattern, ask if there are any underlying issues, and set a clear improvement timeline with consequences
Formal documentation and a structured conversation with the employee is the appropriate next step after an informal prompt has not produced change.
Option B is correct because it formalises the concern, explores potential causes, and sets clear expectations — the standard progression in performance management. Option A allows the issue to persist and may be unfair to colleagues. Option C skips proper process and could be viewed as retaliatory. Option D is inappropriate and could create a hostile environment.
Question 5: You are a social worker. Situation: During a home visit, a child discloses that a family member has been hitting them. The family is not currently on your at-risk register and the child is visibly nervous about what you will do next. What is the MOST appropriate action?
- Reassure the child you will keep the disclosure completely secret to maintain their trust
- Calmly thank the child for telling you, explain that you have a duty to make sure they are safe, and immediately follow your organisation's safeguarding referral process (Correct answer)
- Return to the office to review the case file before deciding whether to act
- Speak to the family member directly to verify the child's account before making any referral
Correct answer: Calmly thank the child for telling you, explain that you have a duty to make sure they are safe, and immediately follow your organisation's safeguarding referral process
Child safeguarding obligations require immediate action through proper referral channels; promising secrecy is never appropriate.
Option B is correct because it handles the disclosure sensitively, is honest with the child about next steps, and activates the safeguarding process without delay. Option A creates a false promise you cannot keep and delays protection. Option C delays action when the child may be at risk. Option D could alert the alleged abuser and place the child in greater danger.
Question 6: You are a team member in a marketing agency. Situation: Your team has been assigned a high-profile campaign. During a brainstorming session, you have an idea that you believe is significantly better than the one your team leader is championing. The team leader seems committed to their approach. What is the MOST appropriate action?
- Stay silent to avoid confrontation and support whatever the team leader decides
- Raise your idea respectfully after the team leader has finished presenting, frame it constructively, and invite the team's input before any final decision is made (Correct answer)
- Go directly to the client to present your idea without informing the team leader
- Complain to colleagues privately that the team leader's idea is inferior
Correct answer: Raise your idea respectfully after the team leader has finished presenting, frame it constructively, and invite the team's input before any final decision is made
Contributing ideas constructively through proper channels is a mark of professional engagement and adds value without undermining authority.
Option B is correct because it respects process, contributes constructively, and invites collaborative evaluation without undermining the team leader. Option A wastes a potentially valuable contribution. Option C bypasses your chain of command and damages trust. Option D is unprofessional and does nothing to improve the campaign.
Question 7: You are a call centre agent for an insurance company. Situation: A caller is extremely distressed because their home flood claim was denied. They say they cannot afford repairs and begin crying during the call. The denial was made correctly under policy terms. What is the MOST appropriate action?
- Apologise and offer to reverse the denial to stop the customer from becoming more upset
- Acknowledge the customer's distress with empathy, clearly explain the reason for the denial in plain language, inform them of the formal appeals process, and provide details of any available hardship support schemes (Correct answer)
- Transfer the call immediately to avoid dealing with an emotional customer
- Read the policy exclusion clause verbatim without further comment and end the call
Correct answer: Acknowledge the customer's distress with empathy, clearly explain the reason for the denial in plain language, inform them of the formal appeals process, and provide details of any available hardship support schemes
Combining empathy with clear factual communication and signposting to further options is the professional standard for handling distressed customers.
Option B is correct because it validates the customer's feelings, maintains the integrity of the decision, and gives the customer a constructive path forward. Option A is dishonest and could expose the company to liability. Option C abandons a vulnerable customer. Option D is cold, unhelpful, and likely to escalate distress.
Situational Judgement Test Situational Judgement Workplace Scenarios 2
You are a newly appointed team supervisor in a logistics company.
Situation: A long-serving employee repeatedly ignores the new inventory process you introduced last week, continuing to use the old method.
Other team members are watching how you handle this.
What is the MOST appropriate action?