Virtual Job Tryout Following Procedures and Instructions 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You are assigned to train a new employee on a task procedure. The new employee asks why a specific step is done a certain way, and you don't know the reason. What should you do?
- Make up a plausible reason so the trainee does not lose confidence in you
- Tell the trainee the reason doesn't matter and to just follow the steps
- Acknowledge you don't know and offer to find out the correct answer together (Correct answer)
- Skip that step from the training since you can't explain it
Correct answer: Acknowledge you don't know and offer to find out the correct answer together
Admitting uncertainty and committing to find the correct answer models intellectual honesty and ensures accurate information is passed on.
Question 2: A customer asks you to handle their request in a way that falls outside your company's standard procedure. They insist your company has done it that way before. What is the best response?
- Accommodate the customer since they may be right about past practice
- Follow your current procedure and explain that you must adhere to established guidelines (Correct answer)
- Tell the customer the previous employee who helped them was wrong
- Offer to do it the customer's way just this once to maintain the relationship
Correct answer: Follow your current procedure and explain that you must adhere to established guidelines
Consistent adherence to current procedures protects the company and the customer, and past exceptions do not set policy.
Question 3: You discover that a procedure you have been following contains a typo that has been causing you to perform a step incorrectly. What is your first action?
- Correct the procedure document yourself and continue working
- Report the error to your supervisor and ask how to handle work already completed (Correct answer)
- Continue following the procedure as written until someone else notices
- Announce the error to your whole team immediately so they also stop
Correct answer: Report the error to your supervisor and ask how to handle work already completed
Reporting the typo to your supervisor ensures the document gets corrected officially and allows assessment of any impact from prior incorrect steps.
Question 4: You are given instructions to complete a task by end of day, but following the procedure correctly will take longer than that deadline allows. What should you do?
- Rush through the procedure, cutting corners to meet the deadline
- Complete the procedure correctly and inform your supervisor as soon as you realize the deadline is at risk (Correct answer)
- Miss the deadline without saying anything and finish correctly the next day
- Do half the task correctly and submit it on time as a partial completion
Correct answer: Complete the procedure correctly and inform your supervisor as soon as you realize the deadline is at risk
Communicating a deadline risk early allows supervisors to adjust priorities, provide help, or negotiate with stakeholders.
Question 5: You notice that two different written procedures in your department contradict each other for the same situation. Which action is most appropriate?
- Choose the procedure that seems most logical and follow it consistently
- Alternate between the two procedures to cover your bases
- Report the contradiction to your supervisor so it can be officially resolved (Correct answer)
- Follow the older procedure since it was established first
Correct answer: Report the contradiction to your supervisor so it can be officially resolved
Conflicting procedures create compliance and quality risks that only a supervisor or process owner can resolve authoritatively.
Question 6: You are completing a routine procedure when you notice an unusual situation the procedure does not seem to address. What is the best approach?
- Handle the unusual situation however seems best and continue the procedure
- Stop, document what you observed, and consult your supervisor before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Skip that part of the procedure since the instructions don't cover it
- Ask a coworker what they would do in the same situation
Correct answer: Stop, document what you observed, and consult your supervisor before proceeding
Unusual situations outside the scope of a procedure require supervisor input to ensure the correct and safe response.
Question 7: After completing a task, your supervisor points out that you missed a step in the procedure. What is the most professional response?
- Explain why the step seemed unnecessary given the circumstances
- Acknowledge the mistake, ask how to correct it, and take steps to prevent it in the future (Correct answer)
- Apologize and promise it won't happen again without further discussion
- Suggest the procedure should be revised to remove the step you missed
Correct answer: Acknowledge the mistake, ask how to correct it, and take steps to prevent it in the future
Accepting responsibility, correcting the error, and learning from it demonstrates professionalism and a commitment to quality.
Virtual Job Tryout Following Procedures and Instructions 3
You are assigned to train a new employee on a task procedure.
The new employee asks why a specific step is done a certain way, and you don't know the reason.
What should you do?