Do you feel performance should be rewarded over experience when it comes to career advancement opportunities?
Over the years, there has been a philosophical shift in how large companies choose to promote their staff. Where seniority was the only factor long ago, more and more companies are basing employee promotions based on merit and performance. The team at Kimberly-Clark likes to ask a question like this, depending on if the role they are interviewing for is union based or not.
"Both tenure and performance are important, but I lean toward performance driving the decision. I feel employees should be paid and rewarded based on the documented value they bring to the organization. This approach is a strong motivator - a new employee would be greatly encouraged by being rewarded for performance. It also facilitates healthy competition with more tenured employees. Can you elaborate on how recent staff in this department at Kimberly-Clark were promoted?"
"Experience and company knowledge are so important and valuable to an organization, while performance is the documented articulation of an employee's value to the company. I believe the best compensation programs figure out a way to honor both, with an emphasis on performance. Doing so encourages good employees to stay since they know they're valued for their tenure and experience but discourages people from getting so comfortable in a long-time role that they don't strive for their highest performance."
Feel free to speak openly about how you feel employees should be considered for promotion, but keep in mind whether the job you are being considered for is part of the union or non-union. Unions tend to have a collective bargaining agreement that factors in promotion based on seniority for those that apply, and non-union jobs do not.
"Having been in a union manufacturing environment for the first three years of my career, I've been part of a system that promotes based on seniority of the interested internal applicants and know this is a fair way of doing things. If I'm fortunate enough to join Kimberly-Clark, I'm dedicated to putting my time in and working towards future leadership opportunities on the floor."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
This is a tough question, but I believe there should be both in place. I believe your more experienced should make a little more money but there should be incentives to get paid more also.
Marcie's Feedback
This is a tough question and it's fine to explain that you see both sides. Can you discuss more why you think being experienced should be rewarded with higher pay? And then also explain why this doesn't mean that employees should just rest on their laurels and that performance-based incentives motivate less-experienced workers to push themselves. Show the interviewer that you fully understand both sides of this argument by providing a thoughtful and thorough answer.
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