The document discusses technical writing from a management perspective. It provides an overview of a book on technical writing management that covers topics like hiring and motivating writers, setting up documentation teams, and maintaining them. It also discusses the roles and responsibilities of technical writers and documentation managers. Additionally, it outlines different working environments writers may find themselves in, such as being part of a services team, working alone, or as part of a documentation or development team. The advantages and disadvantages of each are presented. The document concludes with sections on testing techniques and criteria for analyzing candidates during the hiring process.

1. Technical WritingManagement Perspective
Prof
Shivananda
R
Koteshwar
Director,
The
Amaatra
Academy
shivoo@pes.edu
/
Facebook:
shivoo.koteshwar
Oct 22nd 2013
v1.0
BLOG: http://shivookoteshwar.wordpress.com
SLIDESHARE: www.slideshare.net/shivoo.koteshwar

2. The Book
2

Technical Writing-Management Perspective
 By
Sajitha Jayaprakash
 ISBN:
978-81-204-1740-3
Documentation Process = POWER
Planning, Organizing, Writing, Editing, Reviewing
Today’s technical writers are not just writers. They are expected to perform all tasks
of a project from the start till finish – planning, writing, creating illustrations,
usability testing, editing, proofreading, publishing, archiving and much more.
Technical communicator describes the job function correctly ….
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

3. Who can use this book
3
Indian managers, not related to documentation but
responsible for hiring writers to help in setting up a
documentation group
 Remote managers, who want to get an insight about
the recruitment process, technical writing as a
career and management policies followed in India
 Senior writers who are transitioning to management
roles, responsible for recruitment and setting up a
documentation team but having no recruiting
experience or someone to mentor them

Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

4. What does the book contain
4
Work culture and other related topics
 Hiring and motivating the writers
 Setting the documentation team and maintaining it
 Making the documentation team visible
 The importance of keeping writers motivated and
ways of doing it
 Setting up a translation team
 Resolving and managing conflict
 Managing team performance

Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

5. Technical Writer’s Profile
5


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Understand, collect and filter complex information into a form that can be
easily understood by a non technical audience
Create various types of documents, including marketing materials,
presentations, proposals, pamphlets, brochures, technical reports,
newsletters, in-house publications
Understand technology and business to document the policies and
procedures
Create illustrations, diagrams, flow charts etc
Design and produce layouts which will help in locating information easily
Perform user interface review and provide appropriate feedback to the
engineers
Work in a diverge range of environments – products, subject matter, tools,
manuals etc
Multi-task – work on multiple projects and products at various stages of
completion
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

6. Skills of a Technical Writer
6
Basic Skills
• Language skills
• Writing skills
• Understanding the
subject
• Interpersonal skills
• Be specific
• Ability to learn
• Clarity of thought
• Technical competence
• Flexibility
• Attention to Details
• Ability to Analyze
• Concern for consistency
• Aptitude
Essential Skills
•
•
•
•
•
Strategy
Thinking
Project Management
Time Management
People Management
Personal Skills
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©
Communication
Focus
Team Spirit
Be a student and
teacher at heart
Responsibility
Curiosity about details
Continuous learning
Reasoning and problem
solving
Handling pressure
Handling stress
Positive attitude
Avoid assumptions

7. Responsibilities of a Technical Writer
7
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

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




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Write, format, edit and configure documents on multiple mediums.
Gather information and Plan individual writing projects
Be capable for self directed work and be monitored at certain intervals for quality and progress. Design
and produce documents with minimal supervision and monitoring
Follow appropriate style, conventions and guidelines for text and graphics
Communicate effectively with the subject matter experts
Share information and knowledge and offer to take up more responsibilities
Attend product development, documentation and postmortem meetings
Keep the team lead and documentation manager informed about the status of the work on a regular basis
Take up responsibilities and ensure proper flow of work
Understand and improvise the documentation process and life cycle. Identify opportunities to improve quality
of documentation
Troubleshoot problems and issues
Directly communicate with the project managers for planning the projects
If there is no designed editor, review/edit document written by other writers
Plan and implement infrastructure for technical documentation such as templates, style guides, writer’s took kit
and processes
Work closely with cross functional team members to produce content for the document
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

8. Responsibilities of a Documentation
Manager
8

Documentation:



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


Interact with SMEs, quality team, support team, product managers and technical writers to analyze, plan and prioritize
document
Identify and manage project issues. Assess and manage risk within and across multiple documentation projects
Compile metrics and data for maintaining traceability
Identify areas to improve documentation, systems, processes and procedures
Update technical tools, format and methods
Improve and implement processes quality systems
Management


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Hiring, Training, Appraising, Budgeting, Team management, Project management
Contribute to strategic planning
Delegate tasks and projects and monitor them periodically
Manage people individually and as a team
Make decisions on selecting tools and technologies
Train and mentor new employees (or delegate the responsibility appropriately)
Address employee conflicts
Manage team resources and ensure high quality and productivity
Identify opportunities to grow the documentation group and individuals
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

9. Working Environment and Objectives
9

Employee working in a company can be
1.
2.
3.
4.

Part of services/support team OR
Single writer OR
Part of the documentation team OR
Part of development
Three most important organizational objectives of a
technical writer are:
1.
2.
3.
Producing high quality of documentation
Cost saving through innovative use of technology and through
better productivity
Keeping pace with the changing technologies, processes,
products and tools
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

10. Working Condition
Part of services or a support team
10
Services / Support Team: Some organizations have a team of writers who
neither report to documentation manager or product manager. They may report
to managers of the marketing, usability, quality assurance or even
administration team.
Advantage
Disadvantage
• Writers may get away with
their demands (Tools,
Trainings etc) because no
one else understands their
work and job responsibilities
• No one understands the
importance of technical
writers and so their requests
for training, learning and
tools may not be heeded to
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

11. Working Condition
Single Writer
11
Advantage
Disadvantage
• Writers get the opportunity to shoulder the
responsibilities for planning, writing,
editing and other activities related to
documentation
• There is no scope for ego clashes
• Some writers prefer to work alone
• Some find it easier to work alone than in
a team
• Some like to work independently with no
one to compete with
• Others like to be on their toes all the time
and do all the tasks themselves
• Apart from writing, the writers also have to take up the
responsibility of planning, quality testing, editing etc
• They will have no backup for additional activities
• Writers are expected to do the tasks they are responsible for
and take up more
• Their performance may not be gauged appropriately
• There may not be anyone to peer-edit and proof read the
documents for accuracy, language, style and format
• They may miss the opportunity to share best practices
• It may become difficult to implement documentation processes,
just for one person
• The writers may be star performers, but there will be no
benchmark to compare their performance with
• Brings lot of pressure, stress and tension as they will have to
handle different projects at various stages of completion single
handedly
• Lone writers will have to undergo a lengthy learning curve. They
will have a tough time if they are expected to create standards,
processes, project plans, self edits, figure out the training
requirements and communicate
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

12. Working Condition
Documentation Team
12
Advantage
Disadvantage
• Increase opportunities to get diverse
work
• Uniform standard and process can be
established
• Growth and progression is possible
• Knowledge sharing is possible
• Good support from the
documentation manager
• Some managers may enforce projects
on technical writers without taking
their opinion about it. So there is a
risk that the writers might not like the
projects assigned to them
• Sometimes there can be ego hassles
and clashes between the team
members
• Favoritism can also occur
• Team work requires strong
interpersonal skills and team spirit. So
self centered individuals will find it
difficult to work in such environment.
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

13. Working Condition
Part of Development Team
13
Advantage
Disadvantage
• Work in synchronism with the engineers
• Get the required information and review
feedback on time
• Get an opportunity to increase their product
knowledge
• Product/project managers may not understand the
documentation related issues and requirements.
They may set unrealistic deadlines
• Technical writers cannot grow professionally as
they can in a documentation team
• There can be a conflict in standards, styles and
processes followed for different product lines and
this does not give a feel of unison
• The writers might work on only one product for a
long duration. If the work is not challenging, in the
long run, this leads to loss of interest in the
product and the domain.
• The product/project managers may overrate or
underrate the writers. Their reworks and judgment
can only be considered for a given project to add
some value to appraisal process rather than the
real appraisal or evaluation of the technical
writer
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

14. Working Condition
Documentation Team Advantages in detail (1/2)
14

Increase opportunities to get diverse work


The writers get opportunity to work on different technologies product tools and domains
Reduced Monotony


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
Writers can get involved in peer editing, reviewing and proofreading
Team members are available for peer reviews, peer edits, process/tool innovation, knowledge sharing
Uniform standard and process can be established




Tasks, projects and assorted responsibilities can be interchanged or can be worked in rotation
Writers can choose and work on their areas of interest (editing, graphics, training etc
One can follow streamlined documentation process in the team
Writers get involved in decision making activities regarding the processes and stylistic issues
It is possible to enforce a formal technical review process
Growth and progression is possible

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Hierarchy in a team clearly defines roles and responsibilities and allows career growth
It creates an environment for helping and mentoring. Senior writers will be able to take up more
responsible roles
Writers have an identify which greatly improves their self esteem and in turn, their efficiency and
productivity
Projects can be allotted based on the expertise and experience of the writers
Team work proves a nurturing environment which is required for logical and professional progression
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

15. Working Condition
Documentation Team Advantages in detail (2/2)
15

Knowledge sharing is possible





The writers can have knowledge which allows them to stay connected and are up-to-date
and consistent in the job skills
It allows interaction with other writers, given an opportunity to share information,
knowledge and expertise with team members
Writers get the opportunity to share opinions about writing, process, usability, content
organization and presentation
This increases not only the products and domain knowledge, but also increases technical
writing skills and knowledge about various tools
Support from the documentation manager




Documentation manager can judge the skills and performance of a technical writer better
than a product/project manager. They also can help facilitate training and performance
recognition.
They will try to ensure that a writer gets due recognition
They help in participation in events that involve the local and international peer groups like
STC
In case of an issue (Slipped deadline, personal tiffs, ego clashes, etc), the manager has the
authority to take the necessary/corrective action
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

16. Testing Techniques
16

Give the candidate a simple writing assignment


Use logic tests such as word games or simple logic puzzles


This is to evaluate the content development skills
Ask the candidates to write on a given topic or a hypothetical situation


This will help you in evaluating the logical thinking capacity of the candidate
Give a series of screen shorts (or a architecture diagram) and ask the
candidate to develop a procedure (or contents) using some basic hints


This will help you evaluate the language skills, writing abilities and organizational
skills of the candidate
This will give you an idea about their logical thinking ability and how they think in a
difficult situation. You can also assess their writing skills
Ask the candidate to edit a couple of paragraphs that contains an
introduction to a concept, procedure and a few panel shots

This will help evaluate whether the candidate has any eye for detail and understands
mistakes when they see one
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

17. Analyzing the candidate – Checklist
17
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Minimal error in spelling, grammar and
punctuation (in resume and written test)
Is a good listener
Likes to write – about anything and
about everything (ideas, thoughts,
poems, articles, stories, essays etc)
Asks questions for clarification
Seems to be a quick learner
Explains concepts/situation very well
Is friendly and approachable –can
work in a team
Is communicative – shares information
and knowledge
Receptive to changes and can adapt
quickly to new situations
Has clarity of thought – can think and
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
write in a logical manner
Does not take feedback personally
Can work under pressure and handle
unexpected demands with poise
Takes pride in quality work
Can multi-task effectively
Does not mind reworking on a project or
doing repetitive tasks
Pays attention to tone, grammar, detail
and syntax
Agrees to mistakes or errors made and
own them up
Seems to be self motivated
Is creative
Has sense of ethics and professionalism
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

18. Hiring Guidelines
18


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Recruit the right candidate, not the best
Avoid candidates who come unprepared
Be a little flexible
Hire someone you know
Do not make a doubtful decision
Do not blindly hire someone with technical writing certification
Do not rely too much on recommendation letters
Follow interview guidelines








Ask open ended questions
Have a common evaluating system
Candidate must complement the existing team
Have a 2 way communication
Evaluate attitude
Watch out for non verbal communication
Share correct information
Look for the right candidate
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

19. Collaborative Writing
19


Collaborative writing/authoring is actively performed by more than one writer to
produce a document or a set of documents.
Checklist for successful Collaborate writing



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

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
A system or a methodology designed that effectively support the collaborative process
Understand the group dynamics. Identify the comfort level between the team members
Decide the roles and responsibilities for different individuals involved
Brainstorm for ideas, suggestions and trouble shooting
Identify techniques for sharing and communicating information/idea
Improve the social skills such as communication, team spirit and cooperating
Educate the team members about the different factors that influence the collaborative
writing process
Identify and use an appropriate RCS so that multiple writers can work
Deal with important ideas generated in group meetings
Identify social and work related practices and culture when writers from diverse cultures
and location work together
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

20. Types of Collaboration & Strategies
20

Single Writer Collaborative Method


Multiple Writers Collaborative Method


One writer is responsible for the writing effort. So collaboration happens
with project leader, editor, indexer, illustrator and proof reader
Writing collaboration happens between more than one writer. Different
writers may be responsible for different chapters of a document
Collaborative strategies

Parallel Collaboration


Sequential Collaboration


Writing efforts is divided into sub tasks which are assigned to different team
members and tasks are completed simultaneously
Writing effort is divided into sequential steps and one writer completes his
task and passes the document to the next writer to perform another task
Mixed Collaboration
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

21. 21
Setting up a Documentation Team
(1/2)

Ask yourself who, what, where, why and how questions






Gather job specific information


What has to be done? – Type of work
When must they be done? – Timeframe/schedule
Who must I hire to get things done – Candidate experience, technical
proficiency, tool proficiency, language skills ?
What must I use to get things done? – Tools and process
What is the place of the department in the organizational chart? – Hierarchy
and progress
Department requirements, Types of documents to be created, Process to be
followed and quality requirements
Gather management specific information

Assess business need, Identify requirements of the positions, Start the
department, Establish credibility, Create documentation development
practices, Specify industry-standard style guide to be used and finalize
reviewing mechanism
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

22. 22
Setting up a Documentation Team
(2/2)

Document work processes

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




Establish a training plan for the writers and provide adequate training
Have a documented process that is followed by already established teams in
other locations
Differentiate between American and British English. Indian writers might have
to unlearn the British English that is taught at school/college levels
No matter how a problem may arise, ensure that you document the problem
and concerns around how the problem affects the functioning of the team.
Offer constructive suggestions for resolving the problem
Do a sample Project
Reassess the requirements
Generate Awareness
Document Technical Review process
Hire the right people
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

23. Working From Home
23
Who can work from home
Who cannot not work from home
Can clearly separate work and personal time
Freshers, youngsters, New hires
Has demonstrated hard work and commitment to work
and has good performance records
People who need constant help from peers/
managers
Has organized, disciplined and professional approach
towards work
Who has poor personal motivation
Is productive and can multi task effectively
Who are not self starters
Dependable when working in the office
Who need frequent external help
Do not need frequent help and support from team
members to function effectively
Who need a managed environment
Do not have to get the work closely and frequently
reviewed/supervised
Who can communicate effectively and clearly
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

24. APPENDIX:
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
BLOG: http://shivookoteshwar.wordpress.com
SLIDESHARE: www.slideshare.net/shivoo.koteshwar

25. Probable Questions (1/13)
25

Warming up
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Tell us about yourself – your education, interests and anything else you would like to share with us
Why are you interested in this position?
What makes you apply for this position in this organization?
According to you what are the skills that make you the right choice for this position?
What give adjectives describe you the best?
Non Experienced Candidates
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why do you want to take up a job as a technical writer?
What do you know about technical writing?
What makes you think it will be the right career choice for you?
While in the college what was your dream job?



(If not technical writer) If that’s what you wanted to do, why apply for this position?
What if you don’t land up with your dream job?
Education
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What was your major subject in college?
Why did you choose that subject?
If that is your subject of interest, why did you apply for this position?
Do you knave any training or certification that is relevant to this position?
Describe the most useful training course(s) you have attended
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

26. Probable Questions (2/13)
26

Interest
1.
2.
Why did you take up the job of a technical writer?
How did y become a technical writer?
4.
What about technical writing interests you?
What types of work do you dislike or find frustrating?
5.
Explain in brief what you have learned in all these years
6.
What kids of tasks do you feel most confident doing?
Do you have any hobbies or personal interest that would help you in this position?
3.
7.

Current and Past position
2.
Tell us about your current role? What actives do you enjoy most at your job? Why?
What responsibilities do you enjoy handling for you? Why?
3.
What job functions are the most difficult for you? Why?
4.
What work related accomplishment are you most proud of? Why?
Who are the audience you write for?
1.
5.
7.
What type of documentations do you create?
Describe your typical work day
8.
How will your experience help you in this position?
9.
Which of your traits do you feel could be strengthened or improved? What have you done to improve them?
What do you like the most about your current position and What do you like the least about your current position?
6.
10.
12.
What are the reasons for looking out for a change?
What would you want in this job that you are not getting now?
13.
What should your present employer have done to keep you from looking for a new job?
11.
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

27. Probable Questions (3/13)
27

Experience
What are the 3 most important job responsibilities you have in your most recent position?
What skills and experience do you have that are relevant to this position?
1.
2.
4.
What challenges are you looking for in a position?
If you were hired for this job, in what areas could you contribute immediately and in what areas would you need additional training?
5.
What skill sets do you bring with you that not listed in the job description that will help you to be successful in this position?
6.
In what areas would you like to develop further? What are your plans to do that?
Besides your education and job experience, what else qualifies you for this job?
3.
7.
What are the 3 most important things have you learned from your previous work experiences?
Describe your most significant professional accomplishments to date – what was your role in it and what was result of the accomplishment?
8.
9.
Give an example of a problem you solved and the process you used? – Who were involved? What led to that situation or problem? What
was the final outcome?
Describe the biggest challenges you faced in your current job?
10.
11.

What did you do to overcome these problems?
Did you receive help from the others? If yes, who?

Could you change the challenge to your advantage? How?


Software/Tool Experience
2.
Name the tools you are familiar with
How often do you use them?
3.
When do you use them?
4.
5.
If you have used XYZ & ABC. Can you give a comparison?
Have you used any revision control system? What?
6.
What software do you use for -taking snapshots, editing images or creating illustrations?
1.
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

28. Probable Questions (4/13)
28

Projects
1.
Were you the only writer involved I this project?
3.
What factors did you take into account for creating the project plan?
4.
How did you plan the documentation project?
5.
Who were the people involved in approving the project plans??
6.
How did you learn the product you were to document?
7.
What was the process for gathering the required information and What was the process followed for the documentation effort?
8.
How was the information filtered?
9.
What were the styles guides used or referred to?
10.
Did you follow any guidelines or use any checklists?
11.
How did you determine the required and appropriate information for the project?
12.
Describe the review process followed and Hoe do you identify the technical reviewers
13.
Who performed the peer edits?
14.
What was the actual time taken for completing the project
15.

Did you create the document by yourself or was it a team effort?
2.
What types of problems did you face and how did you sort them out?
Work Preferences
1.
What kind of people do you enjoy working with?
2.
What kind of people do you find difficult working with?
3.
What type of work environment appeals that most to you?
4.
What would hinder you from doing a good job?
5.
Describe the type of manager you prefer to work for
6.
Describe the ideal team you would like to work in
7.
What is your idea of a perfect job?
8.
Describe an ideal work environment
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

29. Probable Questions (5/13)
29

Work Behaviors
1.
2.
Tell me about a team project of which you are particularly proud of
How many people were involved in this project?
4.
What were your role and responsibilities?
What were the responsibilities of the other team members?
5.
What was the outcome of the project?
6.
Did you face any problems? If yes, how did you overcome it?
Did you learn anything from this project? What?
3.
7.
8.
9.

Do you think you could have done a better job if you handled the project alone?
Do you consider yourself to be a self-starter? If so, explain why
Performance
1.
2.
Give an example of a time when you took the initiative on a project?
What was been your most important achievement at work? Why?
4.
How do you set your priorities when multitasking?
According to you what are the greatest challenges when starting a new project?
5.
How do you feel about taking an additional work/responsibilities?
6.
How do you plan your project?
When a new assignment is given to you, what do you do?
3.
7.
9.
Can you manage your workload and meet conflicting deadlines? How?
Has there ever been a situation where you had many ideas that could have been implemented but you could not do it? Why?
10.
When was your last appraisal? Di your supervisor suggest need for improvement in any areas?
11.
Has there been a situation where you had to avoid following an established procedure to keep to the deadline?
8.
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

30. Probable Questions (6/13)
30

Team Spirit
Do you think a team of people can work well together?
According to you, what are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a team?
What can be done to improve how a team functions?
Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others? Why?
Rate yourself as a team player(from 1 to 10), explain
Describe experiences you have had working with groups
Tell us about the types of people you would work with
Tell us about the types of people you have trouble getting along with or would like to avoid
What does it mean to you to be a team player?
What experiences have you had working in close proximity with others?
How would you react to criticism?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

12.
13.
14.
15.
By another team member / By your manager / If it were constructive or positive criticism / If it were a negative or
unfair criticism
How do you deal with team maters with negative attitude?
Can you tell us about any experiences you have ahead in dealing with different people working at various levels at
the same time?
If I asked your co workers about your greatest strengths as a team member, what would they tell me?
Describe the most difficult challenge you faced in trying to work corporately with someone who did not share the
same ideas you had about the project or process?
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

31. Probable Questions (7/13)
31

Communication / Interpersonal Skills
1.
How would you rate your communication skills?

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

(If Low) what do you plan to do to improve your communication skills?
How would you like to share information with others in the team – write an email or talk with them?
Would you prefer to give a written or a verbal report to your supervisor? Why?
How do you rate your writing skills and ability/
How do the others rate your writing skills?
Will there be any difference in your writing style when writing to your friend or sibling, spouse,
team member, boss, client , reviewers (for technical/editorial review)
Managing conflict / People
1.
2.
What is your approach in dealing with disagreement or conflict with the team members?
Did you ever have to deal with any disagreeable person?

3.
How do you react when team members disagree?

4.
What led to the situation? Did it distract you? How did you deal with it? What action was taken?
What was the final outcome? How is the interaction with the concerned person after the incident?
Do you become involved in the discussion? Or Do you sit back, listen, watch and alter speak with
them and help them sort it out or do you hold back and let them work it out themselves?
Has there been any occasion when you successfully communicated with your team member even
when you felt the individual did not value your perspective
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

32. Probable Questions (8/13)
32

Problem Solving Skills
Describe a problem which you faced during your current/previous job
1.




How did you solve the problems?
How have you dealt with the problems to keep a project moving
Have you ever anticipated potential problems?
2.
3.
4.

(If yes) have you developed preventive measures and taken control of the situation before the problems became
serious? Explain
To whom do you turn for help when you have am major problem? Why?
5.

Getting information from different sources
Receiving technical review feedback on time
Regarding tools and process if any
When an existing procedure did not work and you came up with a better alternative
Flexibility / Adaptability
What was the most significant change you made in your area of work?
Have you shown your innovative and/or creative aspect at work?
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
If yes, what did you do? If no, can you demonstrate that you are innovative and creative?
Do you prefer to work on projects which changes frequently? Why?
Do you prefer to work on projects which has well-laid out tasks? Why?
Do you prefer long-term or short0term projects?
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

33. Probable Questions (9/13)
33

Delegating
What kind of tasks do you delegate?
What factor do you taken into consideration while delegating tasks
How did you decide whom to distribute the important tasks to?
1.
2.
3.



4.

What was the outcome of this decision?
Di you face any problems? What?
What did you learn about decision making from this incident?
Do you delegate responsibilities and decision making power?
Decision Making
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Do you take important decisions independently without consulting your supervisor?
Tell us about some such decision that you have made
Have you made any project related decision that backfired? How did you handle it? what would you have done
differently?
Have you made any decision that turned out better than you believed it would?
When do you find it difficult to make a decision?
What times of decisions do you find easy to make?
What types of decision do y find it difficult to make?
Do you anticipate problems well in advance? Explain
Is there any decision you made which would normally have been made by your supervisor
Your supervisor is on vacation and some important decision has to be made regarding a project you are working on.
Will you make the decision yourself or consult with your supervisor? Explain why or why not
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

34. Probable Questions (10/13)
34

Leadership Skills (For Senior Writers)
If you have an idea to improve the process/guideline followed by your department, what would you do?
What were the most important things you learned when leading a team?
Describe how you evaluate the effectiveness of your leadership
Did you have to bring about some change that was not readily accepted ? How did you handle it?
Describe your approach in getting your people to accept newer ideas?
How do handle a situation when a team member is working hard, putting in extra efforts, but absolutely no output?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Management Skills (For Senior Writers)
Describe your role as a manager and your management style
How would employees who reported to you describe you – a leader or manager?
What is the limit of your management responsibilities?
What are the types of decisions that are beyond your authority.
Tell me about a situation where you have changed the opinion of your peers ?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Whose opinion did you influence and what was the issue?
How did you persuade them?
What action did you take?
Did you change their opinion>?
What was the outcome?
7.
What is the best part of being a manager or a supervisor?
What is the most difficult part of being a manager or a supervisor?
8.
According to you, what is easy to manage- people or projects? Why?
6.
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

35. Probable Questions (11/13)
35

Supervisory Skills (For Senior Writers)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Describe your role and responsibilities as a supervisor
What are the recognition and reward systems you have found to be most effective with your employees
Is there a situation when an employee came to you with a novel idea? What did you do about it?
How have you participated in any important planning processes?
What was the most challenging personnel issue you had to deal with? How did you handle it?
What factors do you consider in setting and communicating your expectations?
Have you handled conflicts in team?
Did you face a situation where in you had a team member who had rigid thoughts and opinions about almost every
thing and was not ready to adjust? How did you handle this situation?
Performance Issues (For Senior Writers)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
How do you monitor the performance of your team?
How do you work with employees to improve their performance?
How do you handle poor performance>
Did you have to give feedback to an employee who displayed a lack of professionalism in their work? If yes, how
did you handle the situation?
What have you done to develop the skills of your staff?
Do y take suggestions and inputs from the employees for training?
Has there been any instance when you had to give negative feedback to an employee? If yes, describe the method
used and what was the outcome?
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

36. Probable Questions (12/13)
36

Time Management
How do you handle frequent interruptions of your work?
Describe your organizational / prioritizing skills?
How do you structure your daily work, schedule and prioritize tasks/projects?
Suppose you are in a situation where deadlines and priorities change frequently and rapidly, How would you
determine the priorities?
How do you determine priorities for managing your time and/or projects?
Do you perform better when handling one project at a time?
Describe a time when you had to complete multiple projects within a tight schedule?
Give an example of how you have dealt with several simultaneous demands which had equal importance and
deadlines. Describe how you determined priorities and completed the work
How comfortable (or uncomfortable) are you in working for long and stressful hours during the release phase?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Stress management
Describe a stressful project when you preformed well
Describe the type of stress that enhances and hampers your efforts. Give examples
How do you respond to stress?
Give an example of how y have dealt with several simultaneous demands which had equal importance and
deadlines
1.
2.
3.
4.


Describe how you determined priorities and got he work done
How did you divide your attention to the tasks?
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

37. Probable Questions (13/13)
37

Working with Management
1.
2.
3.
4.

What kind of a boss would you like to work with?
Describe the characteristics of the best manager you ever had
Describe the toughest manager you ever had
Did you ever have any disagreements with your supervisors. How they
were resolved?
Winding up
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What do you find most attractive about this position?
If y were hiring someone for this job, what qualities would you look
for?
What would you most likely to accomplish in two years?
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Justify why you should be selected for this position?
Use five adjectives to describe yourself
Do you have any questions?
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©

38. Thank You !
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar
shivoo@pes.edu
BLOG: http://shivookoteshwar.wordpress.com
SLIDESHARE: www.slideshare.net/shivoo.koteshwar
Prof Shivananda R Koteshwar ©