Interview Questions: Planning
Definition: Planning is a core aspect of organizational management. Contingency planning, strategic planning, forecasting, resource management, project management, staffing, scheduling, and logistics are all important types of planning in organizations. Planning gives direction and sets the framework for managing time and resources by identifying goals, setting priorities, and establishing the steps needed to reach those goals.
The statements below may be used in your job interview as measures of your "Planning" skills. There are steps you can take to measure or improve Planning.
Contingency Planning
- How would you adjust plans as needed according to situational/strategic changes?
- Did you develop effective plans to deal with unforeseen circumstances?
- Share an example from your previous position, in which you were good at planning for the "unexpected".
- How do you have plans to handle unexpected events?
- Do you regularly make plans for contingencies?
- Are you able to develop contingency plans to address potential problems?
- How do you explore new directions/approaches to overcome setbacks and roadblocks?
- Can you create back-up plan for each quarter to ensure achieving sales goals?
- Give an example of how you would work toward identifying potential problems and solutions for addressing them.
- Explain how you would develop and work contingency plans as needed.
- Do you always have a "plan-b" ready if needed?
Forecasting
- Explain how you would be able to look ahead (beyond the present) when addressing the work/needs of the department.
- Did you allow input from others for the 5-year plan?
- Give an example of how you anticipated obstacles and the ways to overcome them.
- Could you anticipate potential challenges, develops plan to overcome them?
- How do you plan for future enhancements of the products?
- Give an example of how you have anticipated potential challenges, developed plans to overcome them and then carried out the plan.
- Have you anticipated challenges and do you have plans to overcome them?
- Have you anticipated potential challenges and developed plans to achieve success?
- Give an example of how you anticipated unexpected hurdles or obstacles to a plan or project.
Organization
- Are you able to organize lists of items required for meetings or presentations?
- Give an example of how you have integrated planning across functional, divisional and departmental boundaries.
- Do you create to-do lists to make sure nothing is missed?
- Can you reorder the schedule of events to maximize attendance/efficiency?
- Do you organize activities and events at conferences?
- Give an example of how you worked in an organized manner
- Are you able to able to stay organized and focused?
Strategic Planning
- Have you assessed the potential impact of changes to the strategic plan?
- Could you anticipate the impact of strategic plans?
- Can you can develop strategic plans for ensuring competitiveness in the marketplace?
- As a new manager, how would you develop strategic plans for the company/organization?
- Share an example from your previous position, in which you have developed an effective strategic plan.
- Are you able to assess the risks of various strategic plans?
- Give an example of how you understood the process for developing strategic plans for the organization.
- Can you can develop a strategic plan to reduce costs in the department?
- Describe how you would utilize strategic thinking in planning.
- Did you develop a strategic plan?
- Are you open to input from others into the plan for development or the strategic plan?
Task Division/Prioritization
- Give an example of how you prioritized tasks and allocated resources.
- If needed, can you determine the steps required for completion of a task?
- Do you accomplish major tasks by breaking them into manageable pieces?
- How do you set the appropriate sequence of tasks to ensure completion of the project?
- Have you prioritized tasks based on urgency/need?
- How would you assign the right tasks to the right people and hold them accountable?
- How can you divide complex tasks into smaller steps and then measure progress toward a goal?
- In your previous position, have you set the appropriate sequence of tasks to efficiently achieve a goal?
Implementation
- Do you encourage others to follow the plan?
- Were you able to closely follow the plan established for the department?
- Are you able to follow the plan set in place?
- Describe how you would consistently restate and reinforce your direction or forward plan.
- If hired, how would you ensure performance measures are in place to monitor and assess attainment of goals and objectives?
- Do you delegate role to team members to accomplish goals?
- Have you ensured that everyone in the department was onboard with the current plan?
- Did you involve relevant coworkers in the development of the plan?
Planning
- Are you able to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders in developing the plan for the division?
- How do you develop plans to help manage expectations and project demands?
- Have you ensured staff were held accountable for following the department plan?
- Do you make plans and follow through?
- Would you consult with the research department before making major changes?
- If needed, are you able to prioritize plans based on a cost/benefit analysis?
- In your previous position, how did you articulate the plan for the department/district?
- Can you develop plans used to accomplish urgent or critical tasks?
- Share an example from your previous position, in which you analyzed market trends to plan the best course of action.
- Do you plan meetings effectively?
Project Management
- As a new manager, how would you can develop a detailed plan outlining tasks, resources, timelines, and deliverables?
- How would you create effective project plans?
- Do you know how to create a timeline to specify when each phase of the project should be concluded?
- How do you identify what must be accomplished for successful completion of project?
- How would you can develop an effective plan to guide the project?
- Can you determine the appropriate actions needed to achieve goals? Give some examples.
- As a new manager, how would you can initiate the planning process?
- In your previous position, how were you are able to identify the needs of the department before a major change?
- Give an example of how you were open to input from others.
- Can you create plans to handle complex, multi-faceted projects? Explain.
Resource Management
- Share an example from your previous position, in which you developed systematic approach to get resources needed to accomplish a plan.
- How would you accurately estimate the amount of materials/supplies needed for this project?
- Are you able to anticipate resources needed to successfully implement a plan or project?
- If hired, how would you identify resources needed to accomplish your objectives?
- Describe how you would identify resource requirements that may impact the development of the 5-year plan.
- Did you purchase equipment and software that you felt would be needed in the future?
- How can you determine the allocation of funds based on plans for future development?
- Share an example from your previous position, in which you determined what supplies/equipment would be needed for the job.
- In your previous position, how did you determine what supplies/equipment were needed for the department?
- Do you understand what equipment will be needed for this project? Explain.
- As a new manager, how would you understand what materials would be required to successfully implement this plan?
- When would you determine the amount of materials/supplies needed for the project?
- How do you ensure staff have the supplies and resources necessary to enact the plan?
- When is the right time to determine what supplies/equipment will be needed for the project?
Scheduling/Staffing
- Are you able to re-schedule staff based on seasonal needs?
- Share an example from your previous position, in which you planned for future staffing needs.
- Did you plan and participate in networking and recruiting activities to ensure additional help is available throughout the year?
- If hired, how would you plan schedules based on associates' strengths to maximize sales?
- How would you plan and organize events effectively?
- Can you can create a timeline for events and monitor progress?
- Do you plan schedules in detail to include breaks and specific assignments, by associate, by hour to maximize customer service?
- How would you notify staff when the plan is not on schedule?
- Give an example of how you would adjust and rearrange the schedule to maximize efficiency.
- If hired, how would you determine staffing needs for the project/department?
- How do you reduce uncertainty in the department's planning and schedules?
Logistics Planning
- Would you plan freight processing during non-operating hours or off the sales floor to maximize customer service?
- In your previous position, did you develop plans to ensure seamless flow of materials through logistics?
- In your previous position, did you develop plans to ensure the smooth operation of the supply chain?
- Did you develop good plans used for logistics? Elaborate.
- Can you can create effective logistics plans to achieve high operational efficiency?
- How would you can effectively use logistics planning to reduce supply delays?
- Do you make strategic and tactical decisions to guide the logistics process? Explain.
- Are you able to are able to develop logistical plans to move material through a multi-step supply chain?
Time-Management
- Give an example of how you would set up and monitor timeframes and plans.
- How do you accurately estimate the duration of tasks?
- In your previous position, did you conduct regular assessments of the project status to ensure adherence to the set schedule?
- Describe how you would establish and monitor timeframes and timelines.
- Have you established a course of action for youself and others to accomplish specific goals?
- How would you efficiently manage deadlines?
- How do you plan and allocate time for specific activities?