Selection Plan: Department Manager Interview Protocol and Questions

This paper focuses on developing an efficient selection plan and a structured interview process for a department manager position at the Tanglewood store. It addresses the limitations of existing selection methods, which are suitable for entry-level employees but not for managerial roles. The assignment includes the creation of a detailed selection plan, identifying key KSAOs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics) such as problem-solving, planning, communication, and leadership. Furthermore, the paper develops a standardized interview protocol with ten questions designed to assess candidates based on the selection plan, providing scoring keys and sample answers for each question to ensure consistency and facilitate the evaluation process. The assignment draws on established HR practices, including employment testing and comprehensive staffing models, to ensure the selection process effectively identifies the best-qualified candidates. The paper also highlights the importance of assessing candidates' abilities in areas like decision-making, conflict management, and organizational knowledge.

Running Head: Human Resource Planning
Staffing
Name
Submitted To
Date

Introduction
In this current paper, a discussion is made here regarding the manner in which efficient policy of
screening must be adopted for hiring a position for a department manager in the Tanglewood
store. The current paper discusses the case, where the process of assessing selection method
initiated by Marilyn Gonzalez is not only limited to store associates, but it also covers
department managers, assistant store managers, and store managers. The controversy related to
the selection methods is that they seem to be adequately fit for hiring entry level employees, but
not ideally fit for hiring the position for the department managers. After analyzing the case, a
conclusion is drawn that there is a dire need to develop an efficient selection plan and a
structured interview for the Department Manager position.
Question 1. Develop a detailed selection plan for the position of a department manager to
determine the most important KSAOs for this position.
Answer – A detailed selection plan for the position of a department manager involves adopting
rigorous methods of employment testing and comprehensive staffing model to aid in the desired
selection process (Gatewood et al., 2015). The rigorous methods of employment testing and
comprehensive staffing model provide the most important ways to determine the most important
KSAOs for this position. KSAO is an abbreviated form of Knowledge, Skills & Abilities, and is
also referred to as Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs). These are
attributes required for selecting and identifying the best-qualified candidate for certain vacancies.
To qualify for a position, an individual must meet two types of factors such as Selective Factors
and Quality Ranking Factors (Sanghi, 2016).

The detailed selection plan involving employment testing and comprehensive staffing model at
this moment analyzes the in-depth competencies of department manager in Problem Solving and
Analytical Ability; Planning and Organizing; Decisiveness; Judgment; Communication Skill;
Interpersonal Skill; Direction and Motivation; Supervisory Role Performance; Specialty
Competence; Organizational Knowledge; and Leadership. The selection plan enables to
determine KSAOs while conducting an interview for the department manager by enabling the
HR or any authoritative person to be in a good position to decide the best-qualified applicant for
targeted positions (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014).
Problem Solving and Analytical Ability – It evaluates the applicant's ability to identify possible
causes of the problems, and based on that determine the best-qualified applicant for a position.
Planning and Organizing – It evaluates the applicant's ability to identify his/her course of action
while dealing with evaluating criteria and tracking systems for monitoring goal progress and
accomplishment.
Decisiveness - It evaluates the decision-making ability of an applicant involving how an action
on difficult or unpleasant tasks must proceed in a timely fashion.
Judgment - It evaluates the applicant’s ability to develop and evaluate substitutive courses of
action that requires making decisions based on correct assumptions concerning resources and
guidelines.
Communication Skill - It evaluates the applicant’s ability onto which manner he/she presents and
expresses ideas and information effectively and concisely in an oral and/or written mode to the
target audience (Putta, 2014).

Interpersonal Skill - It evaluates the applicant’s ability on his/her awareness towards responding
to and considering the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others in both favorable and
unfavorable situations, regardless of their status or position.
Direction and Motivation - It evaluates the applicant’s approach towards motivating and
providing direction in the activities of others to accomplish goals.
Specialty Competence - It evaluates the applicant’s approach towards the understanding of
operational and/or staff environment as the position requires, and based on that appropriately
applying procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies.
Organizational Knowledge - It evaluates the applicant’s approach towards the way he/she can
demonstrate knowledge of the Department’s or Agency’s organizational components to the
targeted audience.
Leadership - It evaluates the applicant’s approach towards establishing work standards and
expectations for himself/herself and others.
Question 2. Using the selection plan, develop a standardized interview protocol consisting of 10
questions that will be asked to all candidates, along with scoring keys for each question. Be
specific with the scoring key.
Answer – Following are the list of standardized interview protocol consisting of 10 questions
that will be asked to all candidates by using the above-suggested selection plan.
A) How to accomplish specific goals?
Scale: 1=Poor; 3= Average 5 = Excellent
Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Ignoring the goal and arguing with the customer

3 (average): Listening to the customer and working according to it 5 (excellent): Demonstrating
all of the efforts of the organization towards achieving customer service values.
B) How to make decision on difficult or unpleasant tasks involving managing staff.
Scale: 1=Poor; 3= Average 5 = Excellent
Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Ignoring staffs; argue with the staffs
3 (average): Listening to the staff and removing the tension from the situation
5 (excellent): Demonstrating all the situation involving organizational values and policies.
C) How to implement solutions to problems?
Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Ignoring the situation; argue with the customer
3 (average): Listening to the customer; removing the tension from the situation
5 (excellent): Demonstrating all of the ways in which the problems can be resolved.
D) In which way one should present information and material which gains the agreement of
others?
Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Tell the person to leave; argue with the person
3 (average): Listen to the person; remove the tension from the situation
5 (excellent): Demonstrate all of the customer service values of the organization.
E) How to manage conflicts/confrontations/disagreements with client in a positive manner?
Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Tell the customer to leave; argue with the customer
3 (average): Listen to the customer; remove the tension from the situation

5 (excellent): Demonstrate all of the customer service values of the organization.
F) In which way he/she can provide advice and assistance to others as required.
Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Ignoring the situation; argue with the customer or members of
the organization 3 (average): Listen to the customer or members; remove the tension from the
situation 5 (excellent): Demonstrate all of the customer service values of the organization.
G) How to support and promote organizational decisions?
Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Tell the customer to leave; argue with the customer
3 (average): Listen to the customer; remove the tension from the situation
5 (excellent): Demonstrate ways to support and promote organizational decisions.
H) How to maintain credibility with others on specialty matters?
Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Tell the customer to leave; argue with the customer
3 (average): Listen to the customer; remove the tension from the situation
5 (excellent): Demonstrate all of the customer service values of the organization.
I) How to demonstrate principal knowledge of the Department’s or Agency’s organizational
components within the organization.
Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Tell the customer to leave; argue with the customer
3 (average): Listen to the customer; remove the tension from the situation
5 (excellent): Demonstrate principal knowledge of the department of the organization.
J) How do you address obstacles and deal with problems while making sale of goods?

Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): Tell the customer to leave; argue with the customer
3 (average): Listen to the customer; remove the tension from the situation
5 (excellent): Demonstrate all of the obstacles and deal with problems of the organization.

References
Gatewood, R., Feild, H. S., & Barrick, M. (2015). Human resource selection. Nelson Education.
Sanghi, S. (2016). The handbook of competency mapping: understanding, designing and
implementing competency models in organizations. SAGE Publications India.
Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's handbook of
human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Armstrong's handbook of human
resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Putta, S. S. (2014). Improving Entrepreneur's Management Skills through Entrepreneurship
Training. Journal of Commerce and Management Thought, 5(3), 459.