Work-style and ethics judgment: customer gifts, harassment, coworker growth

This round was an online work-style assessment rather than a coding test. It had three sections: 1. **Most like you and least like you:** each item shows three statements about how you work, and you pick the one most like you and the one least like you. The three statements in an item typically reflect a dependable, a collaborative and a communicative way of working. 2. **Agreement:** each item is a statement that you rate on a five-point scale from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. 3. **Most and least likely to do:** each item describes a workplace situation and lists possible actions; you pick the action you are most likely to take and the one you are least likely to take. The report names two of the situations and one of the rated statements, and the parts below ask about each. For every part, say what you would choose, what you would rule out, and why, as you would explain it to an interviewer. ### Clarifying Questions - Should the situations be answered the way company policy expects, or the way you would actually behave, and are those meant to be the same? - Does the assessment reward one consistent work style across all items, or the best answer to each item on its own? ### Part 1 — A customer offers you a gift A customer you work with offers you a gift. Which action are you most likely to take, which are you least likely to take, and why? ```hint Who could be influenced Think about why companies restrict gifts from people whose business you handle, and who you would check with before accepting or declining. ``` #### Clarifying Questions for this Part - Is the gift a token, such as a branded mug, or something of real value, such as an expensive dinner or event tickets? - Is the customer waiting on a decision you influence, such as a contract, a price or a support escalation? #### What This Part Should Cover - Why a gift from a customer creates a conflict of interest, or the appearance of one - Acting within the company's gift policy, and disclosing the offer when unsure - Declining in a way that keeps the customer relationship intact ### Part 2 — You see a manager harassing a coworker You see a manager harassing one of your coworkers. Which action are you most likely to take, which are you least likely to take, and why? ```hint Three moments, one channel Separate what you do in the moment, what you do for your coworker afterwards, and which reporting channel still works when the person involved holds authority. ``` #### Clarifying Questions for this Part - Is the manager your own manager, your coworker's manager, or someone in another team? - Was it a single incident or part of a pattern you have seen before? #### What This Part Should Cover - Supporting the coworker and, where it is safe, not standing by in the moment - Reporting through a proper channel instead of ignoring it or handling it alone - Recording what you saw, and protecting the coworker's confidentiality and against retaliation ### Part 3 — Rating a statement about coworkers' growth Rate this statement on the five-point scale and explain your rating: "I believe my coworkers can significantly develop their working skills." ```hint What trait is being measured Ask what the statement reveals about you: whether you expect the people around you to grow, and whether you act on that expectation. ``` #### What This Part Should Cover - What the statement reveals about how you view colleagues - A decisive rating with a reason, rather than a hedge - How the belief shows up in day-to-day behavior ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Reads every option in full, including a qualifier that turns a reasonable action into an extreme one - Puts integrity and company policy ahead of convenience, politeness or loyalty to a person - Escalates misconduct through proper channels while supporting the people affected - Gives decisive answers to value statements instead of hedging in the middle of the scale - Presents a coherent, dependable and collaborative work style, but picks the clearly right option even when it breaks that pattern ### Follow-up Questions - The customer insists and says they will be offended if you refuse. What do you do? - The coworker asks you not to report what you saw. How do you respond? - A teammate has made little progress despite months of coaching. Does that change your rating of the statement, and what do you do next? - In the most-like/least-like section, two of the three statements both describe you well. How do you choose between them?