Strong time management is important at Mars & Co. How do you manage your time, even on the busiest days?

"I manage my time by exercising the idea of 'time-blocking'. This approach means that I won't incessantly check my email; instead, I will allow myself to return emails in 30-minute time blocks, four times per day. Setting calendar alerts and personal deadlines for myself has also helped a lot."

The interviewer would like to know more about the types of tools you use to stay on task and meet deadlines. Discuss how you prioritize when everything demands your attention at once. Think about the ways you manage your projects and daily tasks and how those will help you to succeed in your role with Mars & Co.

"Very carefully! I prioritize deadlines and work that need to be done. Then work backward from there. When necessary, I utilize my resources and team to pitch in and contribute."

What kind of people do you enjoy working with?

"I best enjoy working with individuals who are driven, positive, energetic, and take accountability for their work. I do have the ability to work with a large variety of individuals; however, these are the ideal traits I would see in future colleagues."

Culture fit is a critical factor when looking for a new position. Talk to the interviewer about the types of personalities that you best work with. Be sure to remain positive and avoid using this as an opportunity to speak poorly of previous colleagues.

"Some other great characteristics of co-workers: - Encouraging - Helpful - Engaged - Positive - Hard-working - Punctual - Reliable"

What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?

"I am really comfortable working in any role within a team and I think my experiences throughout my career demonstrate this well. At many times in my career, I've been the legwork of team operations and have easily taken direction on projects and been able to hit pre-established deadlines. As well, I've lead many projects and have shown my ability to lead others in a team effort and the ability to delegate tasks and set milestones for projects. If hired for this position, you can be rest assured that I have the ability to be a key team players with your clients in helping better their business."

Coming to work for a consulting business requires the ability to work as part of a larger team on the projects you will be heading. Teamwork in this setting requires versatility and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have that versatility in your answer to this question. Many times, you will be taking the bull by the horns and leading the way. Other times, you will be the worker bee researching behind the scenes. You may be tasked with being the organizer of projects behind the scenes as well. Make sure that you highlight your ability to be flexible when working as part of a team here.

"From a very young age in my career, I've always been a natural leader in a team based environment. My excellent communication skills, honesty, critical thinking and decision making skills have proven time and time again that I can lead others in the most effective way possible. And while being a leader comes naturally to me, I can easily let others take the lead on projects."

Talk about a success story that you have in implementing an organization design change with an organization. How will your skills used here benefit the clients of Mars & Co?

"With a background in HR, my org design work has most often centered around labor efficiencies with organizations. I have a lot of experience in evaluating work processes and gauging the appropriate labor needs that are necessary. Last year, I worked with a small plastics manufacturer that wasn't using their automation capabilities to their highest level. They were essentially paying many people to do what some of their machinery could actually do. While it did involve some difficult conversations and some difficult employment decisions, the organization was able to save a lot of labor costs on simple modifications to their processes."

Organizational design is a very broad field that looks at workflow, procedures, systems and structures that impact the overall business goals of an organization. Over time, changes in products and ways of doing business should require changes in the overall design of the organization, but companies are often slow to react to needed changes. Talk about an organization design project that you were a part of and describe the details of the project that you handled. Then, talk about your organizational design skills that you would bring to the table at Mars & Co.

"As you can see from my resume, I have a vast amount of experience in the transportation and warehousing industries. In my work here, org redesign has always been a focus to increase efficiencies and profitability. Last year, I helped a large trucking firm implement the UPS logistics philosophy in their routing that saved a lot money on fuel, maintenance costs and labor. If hired here, I think my corporate design experience in these areas would translate well to industries like manufacturing and healthcare."

Talk about a time you had to use conflict resolution skills in a business setting. What was the situation and the outcome and how did you positively influence that outcome?

"In my current role, I was asked to work with two sales managers that were not seeing eye to eye in future planning processes and I was asked to step in and intervene on the situation. My approach to this situation was to first meet individually with each manager to get their perspective on the situation and, lo and behold, both managers felt disrespected by the other. With that in mind, my approach to coaching their relationship focused on empathy and the ability to see things from each other's chair. I held an open forum where each could talk about times they felt disrespected by the other and I think it was really eye opening for each. At the end of that single conversation, both realized that they were in competition with each other and both agreed to work hand in hand for the betterment of the organization in the future."

In this role with Mars & Co, chances are great that you would be working with employees at clients who don't see eye to eye on things and you will quickly become the mediator between them with your expertise. Prior to interview, think about the conflict resolution skills that you possess and highlight those with an example of a time that you used them. At the end of the day, ensure that your interviewer walks away from your conversation knowing that you can be trusted with their clients in this respect.

"To me, conflict in the workplace is best settled when both parties understand and acknowledge the perspective of others and come to a mutual agreement to plan for differences. It is foolish to think that every relationsihp within a business setting is going to be 100% perfect, so these agreements are necessary. I did this recently with two nurses that were working side by side in an Emergency Department setting. From the start of them working on the same shift together, conflic began immediately and hard feeling only festered from there. As a facilitator between them, I promoted open dand respectful ialogue abetween them about what bothered each person in their relationship. It became clear that each had their own unique upbringing in the healthcare world and differing perspectives on ideal care for patients, even when each of their philosophies fell under the expectations of the department. By promotiing this, I was amazed to hear the two nurses work out a plan for handling each others differences without being prompted by me."

How would you solicit feedback from people during the change management process and why is obtaining feedback important?

"Front line employees are the catalysts for change with just about any organization and I make a point to seek their feedback during the implementation of change processes. Last year, I was working with a large regional retailer that was rolling out new branding and customer service processes. In the weeks following the rollout of the changes, I spend a few days on the road visiting stores and talking to customer service associates. I ensured that the conversations were confidential and frank, making sure that employees knew that any feedback was good feedback. With some of the things I learned, we were able to put forth a couple of important post-implementation change activities. If hired for this position, this would be an important follow-up step with any client that I work with."

Reinforcement is an important factor during the change management process that is often overlooked. Communication is key and while you as the champion of change need to communicate in an effective manner, your collection and analysis of feedback from others is also very important. Explain to your interview why obtaining feedback from others is important and discuss ways that you have done this in the past. Express that this would always be an important process as you work with the clients of Mars & Co.

"In my work consulting through change management processes, it is important to solicit feedback from employees both prior to starting a project and during implementation of a project. I have found that soliciting feedback through conversation and/or surveys helps lead to get employees to believe in and feel a part of change management processes. Front-line employees know the processes and how change will impact their processes."

Rate your communication skills from 1-10 with proper examples backing your given rating.

"I rate my communication skills as a 9/10 as I will, on occasion, have times when I am not as clear as I would like to be. My supervisor and co-workers will attest to my clear and concise communication skills. Because I am an open leader, my team will let me know if I need to clarify anything."

On a scale of 1-10, how skilled are you in communication? Why did you choose that particular rating for yourself?

"I will rate myself an 8.5 because I consider myself a strong communicator. It is the foundation of all success in business. I am always striving to be a better communicator, so I leave the rest of the scale as an aspirational measure."

If you are hired for this position here at Mars & Co, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?

"As you can see from my resume, most of my career experience is in the food industry. If fortunate enough to be hired for this position, the biggest area for learning for me would be the finance side of other industries like technology, telecommunications and healthcare. From day one, I would begin by thoroughly research the clients here at Mars & Co and speaking with as many industry experts that I know through business networking. While learning the ins and outs of other industries is the biggest learning curve for me, I see it as a great opportunity for me to become more proficient and effective in the work that I'd be doing for you."

For this question, you can showcase your research that you've done on both Mars & Co and the role you are interviewing for by being upfront and honest about what you feel would be the biggest learning curve for you if hired for the position and giving your plan for how you would approach this hurdle. In your answer, make sure that you highlight your skills and abilities in making a molehill out of a mountain on your way to success in this role.

"While this may sound funny to you at first, I think the biggest challenge for me from the start will be adapting to the great corporate lifestyle and culture here at Mars & Co. When I saw this position being open for applicants and I did my research, I was extremely excited to hear about the flexibility and openness to the ideas of your staff members. I've been working for six years in an environment that is very opposite of an open culture for new ideas and for me personally, it will feel foreign for me to bring new ideas to the team here and have them be accepted."

If you were to join Mars & Co in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?

"In my current role, I've been asked on numerous occasions to lead finance projects for my organization and I always do so with open arms and an open mind. On a recent project, I pulled together a team that included members of sales, production and upper management. to make this project successful, it was up to me to know each team member's area of expertise and delegate tasks based on their knowledge. A great part of the teams success was due to my ability to lead in a manner that promoted communication among individuals who never had the chance to work together and I accomplished this through fun ice breaking activities with the team and regular email communications outside of our in-person meetings."

The ability to lead others in project work or any other aspect of a business comes down to the fine details and traits of being a great leader. The experience you have can come from many different areas and can include project management, supervising/managing or even mentoring others. When you answer this question, be sure to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively, bring unity, lead by example and empower/teach others and talk about how you will use these skills if hired at Mars & Co.

"As you can see from my background, I have extensive experience as a Sales Manager and Director and I know that the skills I honed in these roles will transfer nicely to this position. I have always found that leading teams is best accomplished by leading by example and walking the talk that I put out to my staff. I feel that I've also developed great skills in mentoring and coaching my staff and I've been commended on these skills by both sales leadership peers and my team. In this role, I would bring this same approach when working with clients."

In your own point of view, what is the most important factor in influencing change for an organization?

"In my experience, the biggest thing that I've seen derail change management for large organizations is a lack of support. When I say support, it is really buy-in and true belief from senior level leadership. Because of this, my initial steps in meeting with any client would be to meet 1:1 with all key stakeholders to gather their ideas and to ensure that they are buying into the change process. Only when that is achieved will I feel comfortable in moving forward with work with that client."

As a professional in change management processes, your interviewer is looking to get some personal insight into how you will work closely with the clients of Mars & Co in this question. However you answer this question, be sure to speak with conviction as to why you feel your answer is the most important aspect to the change management process. However you answer, make sure not to discount other factors that influence change.

"While certainly a high level answer here, people are definitely the most important factor in the change management process for an organization. Change starts with people leading the charge and finishes with every person on board with new processes and ways of life. Because of this, my focus during a change management process is the people that will be designing the change and implementing the change in the end."

In the change management process, talk about the importance of providing a clear vision to staff of an organization. How do you think this is best done?

"As I've worked with organizations on their change management processes, I've always felt it was important that communications were clear from the start of a change process. When people are left in the dark, they naturally can't understand why changes are being implemented and they become defensive and resistant to change. Last year, I worked with a manufacturing company that was implementing new equipment that would reduce their staffing needs and change the jobs of many individuals. To roll this out to employees, I helped the leadership team prepare a detailed video and presentation that outlined the entire vision of the project. What really hit home with the staff was the dire need to take this direction based on competitors cost of goods and the fear of being driven out of the market."

The change management process is often most difficult for front-line staff at an organization. A big reason for resistance to change is that people aren't seeing the big picture, or reasons, for the change and what positive outcomes will happen with the change. Explain to your interviewer why you feel that providing a vision is important and talk about the need for it to come from leadership within the organization. Then, give any examples of providing a vision that you've been a part of during your career.

"Humans are curious and change is only accepted when people understand why change is happening and what the end result will be with the change. For one particular employer that I spent time with, a good portion of five years was spent acquiring smaller businesses and expansion in both product line and region size was happening rapidly. Upon working with our senior leadership, I helped develop a vision document and accompanying slide show to show the future state of the organization ten years down the road. When staff saw the aggressive growth plans of the organization and the potential great things we all could accomplish, buy-in became much more clear from everyone."

A key component to success here at Mars & Co is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?

"I am a firm believer that success in any role I've played in my career was due in part to the relationships that I've built in those roles. Whenever I have the chance to work with a new colleague or a new customer, my approach is to create an initial connection with them to build trust. After that point, my interpersonal skills take over through active listening. I use my listening skills to learn about the motivating factors and needs of the person that I will be working with and this helps mold that respect and trust between us even more. I think this approach would be very critical in working with new clients on a regular basis here at Mars & Co and I'd love the opportunity to bring these skills to the table for you."

The fast paced world of business consulting requires the ability to build relationship after relationship with all of the clients that you will potentially be working with. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to gain insight into how you build relationships with new people from the first time you interact with them. In your answer, talk about how you gain and build trust with new people and explain how the little things in your initial interactions go a long way toward building long lasting working relationships.

Market research is very important to our clients here at Mars & Co. Talk about a time that you used market research to conduct an effective analysis.

"Earlier this year, I consulted with an online retailer that was looking to expand its product line into new health and beauty products that were all natural. To get as quick of a turnaround as possible on a limited budget, I started an online survey research campaign. After a meeting with leadership of the retailer, we targeted women in specific age categories and used specific social media and email channels to obtain survey responses. Within a month, the retailer had great data to work off of to launch products that would hit the market and take off quickly."

When a company is looking to launch a new product or dig into their consumers, market research is required and this position with Mars & Co will likely require you to be a market research expert with their clients. Your interviewer will be looking to hear that you understand when market research is a necessary step in the analysis process and that you know how run an effective research campaign. In your example, walk through the steps you took to gain insightful knowledge on consumers.

"During my time conducting market research, I have utilized many channels to conduct effective research. I've conducted focus group, utilized social media and have conducted phone surveys. One that comes to mind is a couple of years ago when I conducted focus groups for a new beverage that a large company wanted to release. I had a team of people finding people to participate in the groups. I started the focus group out with a blind taste testing to get initial feedback on the drink against its potential competition in the market. Then, I unveiled the product packaging and labeling to get feedback from the consumers. In the end, our client received great feedback that helped them tweak some things prior to the product launch."

Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?

"Probably the aspect that I love the most about my current job is being the lead for training new hires into our department. Because of my years of experience and my innate ability to effectively orientate new employees, my director asked me to take this duty about four years ago. My approach with any new hire is to customize their training based on their knowledge and experience so the training is effective for them. What works for one person may not work for another and I always need to be fluid with this. I also prioritize the need to make orientation and training a hands on experience for the new hire because classroom learning can only take a person so far in the learning process."

The role that you are interviewing for with Mars & Co will likely involve providing education to clients in your area of expertise. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are comfortable and effective in providing education by having you talk about a time that you have done so. In the example that you provide, try to point out some key items to making business education successful like developing a plan/goals, respecting differing viewpoints/opinions, making it hands on and making it fun.

"As you can see from my resume, I've spent the last seven years working in the corporate tax field. While in this job, I worked very independently for a private organization, so I've been out of the training and education side for a while now. During my first job out of college as a CPA though, I was very adept at providing education to the clients that I worked with on a daily basis. What I learned in that experience was the importance of putting material out there in a manner that the person being trained understood. As well, talking to clients and understanding my client's wants and needs were very important for me to be able to best educate them. I really believe that these skills would enable me to hit the ground running with Mars & Co and your clients would benefit greatly."

At Mars & Co, our clients are looking for us to come in and provide sound leadership in their strategic planning and growth planning processes. What leadership style would you bring to our clients?

"Having worked with and led large teams in the development of formal growth plans for organization, I see my role as a consultant and my leadership with clients as being team-based and collaborative. My job is to lead transformational change within the organization because we will ultimately be trying something new with them and implementing change into the future. From my style of leadership comes improvement through a team based effort and I really think the clients here at Mars & Co would benefit greatly from my style."

As a consultant at Mars & Co, an expectation from clients is for you to bring a sound leadership style to their team and a working knowledge of effective growth and strategic planning processes. While trying to avoid formal labels, talk about your leadership style as a consultant and explain why your style would most benefit clients. Try to focus on keywords that your leadership style brings, like collaboration and support.

"As a consultant, I'd definitely employ a very democratic approach with your clients. They will be looking for me to provide the blueprint and the road map for success for them and then I would look to delegate and leave responsibility for implementing on them. My approach would be educational, resourceful and would preach teamwork among the entire project team. When I've utilized this approach in the past, it was very well received and helped lead to the success of several large projects."

What would you say is the key factor for an organization to consider when building an action plan for growth?

"In my experience in going back and measuring the successes of past organizations that I have been a part of a growth plan for, the top determining factor in success was having and following a five year plan for growth. The development of a solid five year plan entails setting goals, establishing the resources needed to meet the goals and pinpoints any potential hurdles on the way to the goals. An integral part of the plan also includes timelines for adding resources along the way to ensure that milestones are met on time."

Creating an action plan for growth can entail many steps and processes. As the clients at Mars & Co will look to you to be an expert on the entire process, your interviewer is simply looking to take a dive into your mind to hear what you feel is the most important factor. No matter how you answer this question, be sure to speak passionately about why this factor is important and how you will help their clients understand this and put it to use.

"To me, companies that seize opportunities in their market are best suited for growth into the future. For a lot of companies, seeing opportunity is a huge area for improvement and its a passionate area of mine where I could bring expertise the clients of Mars & Co. As a consultant, the process of seeking out opportunity would involve detailed SWOT analyses, market research and surveying of staff. These processes will help clients see their best opportunities for growth, then further plans can be made to turn plans into reality."

As a consultant here at Mars & Co, helping our clients set growth strategies through both short-term and long-term goals is important. Give an example of a time that you set both short and long-term goals for a growth strategy.

"A couple of years ago, I helped a healthcare organization on the west coast develop a growth plan that entailed building one new hospital and three new clinic locations over the course of five years. As the liaison for the entire plan, I knew that goal was aggressive, yet very achievable, if the right short term goals were set. In working with high level leadership and then with specific department leaders, goals and timelines were set for obtaining funding, building permits, staffing plans and ribbon cutting from the start. Even to this day, I stay in contact with the leaders on a consultative basis to ensure that any hiccups in the short-term goals help meet the long-term goals. In the end, the success of a long-term goal is always reliant on many smaller short-term goals."

An effective growth strategy has a long-term plan, but the success of the long-term plan is reliant on short-term, tiered goals that help build towards the long-term goals of the plan. In your answer, explain that you know the importance of goal setting and the fact that short-term goals are important in the process. Then, discuss a time where you developed and met goals when helping an organization move toward strategic success.

"During my time in manufacturing, I've quickly learned the importance of both short-term and long-term goals in achieving growth goals over time. Hitting short-term goals leads to success in the long-term and I utilize both long and short-term goals when developing growth strategies. This is best shown with my current organization when we developed a fiscal growth strategy to increase overall revenue by 25% over the course of three years. We looked in many directions to help this, but our main focuses were in increased production and reduced waste. By casting such a wide net here, short term goals for each aspect of the project were vital to the end result of increasing by revenue by over 35% in that time frame. What a success!"

In what ways would our clients here at Mars & Co benefit from your knowledge and services?

"As you can see from my resume, I have extensive experience in risk management in the healthcare industry. Having worked with some major players in the industry, your healthcare clients would benefit the most from the experience and solutions I could help provide them. Not to leave other industries out, I think my experience in the healthcare realm will also translate nicely to your clients in other areas of the private sector."

This question is your chance to talk about the unique skills and knowledge that you would bring to Mars & Co and that is exactly what your interviewer is looking to hear. In your answer, keep your focus centered on how clients of the organization will benefit from the things that you bring to their table because Mars & Co is client focused in all that they do. To be effective with this answer, be sure to do your research on the clients at Mars & Co and think about how your experience will be beneficial for them.

"Having worked in accounting and tax law in a few different industries during my career to this point, I also have the unique experience of creating new organizational policies and procedures in my current role. In hearing more about this role, I think this experience would be very beneficial for your clients as I would be helping advise them in their practices and creating new policy would be crucial in that process."

For our clients here at Mars & Co that are working through a change management project, accountability is of utmost importance for the entire organization. How would you help ensure accountability from the leadership team?

"Having walked many organizations through some major change processes, one of my top priorities is always communication and transparency to staff. And you really hit the nail on the head with this question that both of these things lead to accountability for the organization. To help facilitate this process, my conversations with leadership would entail details on how to effectively communicate with staff and I'm a firm believer that this should happen from both the highest levels of leadership as well as from direct supervisors and managers of employees. I have experience developing communication strategies and actual presentations for leadership in this realm."

As a consultant to organizations in the midst of a change management process, accountability should be a priority for the leadership team and one of your tasks as the consultant is to help foster this with the entire staff. With accountability comes transparency, so be sure to focus on this aspect in your answer. Talk about why you feel that accountability and transparency are important and how you would make sure that the leaders you work with keep these things at the top of mind during their process.

"In my experience, accountability for an organization during a change process is a tricky line to walk. First, employees want to know what is happening and the reasoning behind it. Second, customers, stakeholder and the general public may desire information as well. Then, you have to factor in what information can be shared for legal and/or competitive reasons and walk the organization through best communicating the changes to everybody. I have a great deal of experience in walking through this process of holding an organization accountable and would love to help the clients of Mars & Co do just this."

Our clients here at Mars & Co expect top notch work from our consultants. How do you ensure that your work is error free when conducting research and/or data analysis?

"For me, ensuring accurate data and error free work starts in the data collection process. I always make sure that they type of data collected is well defined to avoid unnecessary data in the analysis. Then, quality work comes down to organizing data in the best fashion possible and cleansing the data regularly. I know some analysts overlook these second two steps a lot of times, but the fact remains that these two steps are often the biggest hurdles to providing quality measurements to those that need it most."

While certainly an open ended question for you to talk about your detailed and thorough work, your interviewer is simply looking to hear that you have a plan for ensuring quality work each and every day you are on the job. Talk about the importance for providing accurate and reliable data and walk through any steps that you take to ensure that your work is error free. In the consulting world, the reputation of Mars & Co will rely on the accuracy of your work.

"Organization is the main key to ensuring accurate and mistake free data analysis. My organization starts with setting a data collection strategy and asking the right questions to ensure that the data I am collecting is the right data. Oftentimes, analysts live and die by the idea that executing and getting things done as quickly as possible is the only way of data analysis. This couldn't be farther from the truth and as the old saying goes, proper planning prevents poor performance."

Sometimes with our clients here at Mars & Co, we have to think outside the box when helping them develop a strategic plan. Do you have an example of a time where you thought outside of the box in developing a strategic plan?

"As the leader of the strategic growth committee of my employer right out of college, I felt that it was important to solicit feedback from employees as we looked to create and implement our first ever strategic plan. I created an idea box where employees were prompted to write down any ideas anonymously for what they though would be helpful in creating an outward looking success strategy. I communicated to employees through email, team meetings and a company newsletter. After three months, our committee went through every suggestion in the box and brainstormed which ideas could be implemented into our strategy. In the end, we felt that we received many great thoughts and ideas that we likely wouldn't have come up with on our own."

In today's day and age, conventional thinking can only get organizations so far as they develop strategic plans for the future. With competition, demand and needs for success keeping people focused on day to day routine in their work, it is oftentimes necessary to think outside of the box when looking to develop a strategic plan. Talk about a time that you used a unique and unconventional tactic in the development of a strategic plan. Why do you consider that method thinking outside of the box?

"I personally believe that way too many organizations only look internally when developing a strategic plan when they should also be soliciting feedback from customers, stakeholders and/or the general public as well. Last year when working with a regional grocery retailer, I utilized public focus groups to really delve into the minds of consumers to aid in creating a strategic plan. While wanting to get as much relevant information as possible from the focus groups, a great deal of thought was put into the questions that were asked of the focus group."

Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?

"If hired for this position, one of the first things that you'll learn about me is that I am very driven to succeed in all that I do on the job. For me, personal drive definitely centers around goals and my desire to achieve them. I have the focus to set goals myself and to work towards goals that are set by my organization, my leaders or my customers and I would bring this ability with each client that I work with here at Mars & Co."

Success in business consulting is most often measured in the achievement of goals for clients and for this question, your interviewer will ideally be looking to hear that you are driven by goals and that you have the ability to set them as well. In your answer, give your interviewer the sense that you are goal oriented by giving an example or two of a time where you set and worked towards a goal as part of a team effort. Explain your part in the achievement of the goals and your ability to stay focused on the end result.

"I would definitely say that I am goal oriented in the work that I do on a daily basis. In project management, I work off of both time related goals and production related goals and these really drive my daily tasks and my delegation of responsibilities to other team members. If given the opportunity to come work for Mars & Co, my clients would greatly benefit from my ability to both set and achieve goals with them."

In the organizational design work that you have done in the past, how have you involved senior leadership with the organization's that you've worked with?

"On a recent organizational redesign for a retail outfit, I worked closely with the CEO, CFO and other senior leaders right from the start of the project. During the planning stages, I teed up several staff communications that came out from the CEO as it was very important that staff were made aware of the pending changes from the highest level of the organization. The leadership team gave valuable input during the planning stage that really helped me to guide the course for them for the entirety of the project. I am comfortable and familiar with working with all levels of an organization and I feel that the clients here at Mars & Co will greatly benefit from that if I'm hired for this position."

As a consultant with Mars & Co, walking a client through an organizational design change must involve buy-in and involvement from the highest level of the organization. Talk about your previous experiences in working with and including senior leaders in the planning and decision making processes surrounding the redesign of an organization. Be able to speak confidently and knowledgeably as to why it is so important to include them as well. Speak to their importance during the design process, transition planning, transition implementation and follow up after implementation.

"Major change processes like an organizational design change often involve many emotions for the employees of an organization. To help manage emotions, I've always considered the best remedy to be up front, honest communication from the leaders of the organization. Throughout my entire body of work in the consulting role with a company, I ensure that leaders give regular updates to staff. If needed, I help draft communications and write speeches for town hall meetings and don't hesitate to assist leaders with these items."

How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline

"As an experience professional in project management, I pride myself on my ability to consistently monitor the progress of the project and spot where we may be falling behind on items. At those times, I work closely with the person or individuals assigned to that task to ensure that the job gets back on track. At times, this has involved me intervening and taking care of things that I can or reaching out to other resources for help. Milestones and deadlines are the key to the successful completion of a project and one missed item can create a bad domino effect that pushes a project back. For me, not letting that first fallen domino touch the next is the key to staying on track."

In the world of project management, it is rare that a project goes from the planning stages through to implementation without a hiccup or two along the way. As the manager of the project, you are ultimately responsible for keeping the project on task and your interviewer is looking to hear how you will do that for the clients at Mars & Co. One important thing to consider highlighting is your ability to monitor and track progress regularly so the train doesn't get too derailed off the tracks. As well, you can talk about your ability to think on your feet, problem solve and coach others to bring tasks back up to date.

A career move to a consultant with Mars & Co may find you working on new challenges that you haven't faced during your career. What's been the most challenging project you've led up to this point in your career?

"Looking back at the 12 years of project management experience that I have, the most challenging project I led was about five years ago. The challenge started from the beginning when I was tasked with improving waste efficiency at one of my organizations warehouses. At the time, I was not very well versed in warehouse operations, so I took the time to research and talk to experts within my organization to start the brainstorming process. The high level leader that tasked me with the project didn't really do a great job of defining any end goals for me and those are really important in planning for a project. So I scheduled several follow up meetings with him to define more specific goals for the project. In the end, I assembled a great team of experts that ended up reducing costly waste by almost 80% in our operation."

No matter what challenge you choose to discuss during your answer to this question, keep in mind that your interviewer is mostly looking to hear how you handled yourself during a time when you were pushed to your limits. In your answer, discuss the importance of being resourceful and team oriented and talk about how these things helped lead to success in the project. Also, be sure that your interviewer walks away from the interview knowing that you are willing and able to tackle any challenge in front of you.

"I'd have to say that the most challenging project I have faced during my career was a project that assembled team members from different departments within a manufacturing plant operation. During the planning and kickoff process where we all met together, I got the sense that things would run smoothly and cohesively and was I ever wrong. As I monitored progress, I quickly noticed that we were getting off schedule on initial deadlines. In communicating out to team members, it became evident that internal communication at this plant was a struggle. As some team members told me in person that there was a lot of internal strife between some of the departments, I decided to call a project meeting to discuss my expectations for communications while also holding a team building exercise. I made it a priority to clear the air right away that bickering and childish behavior would not be tolerated and that we were all working toward a common goal that benefited everyone. Following that, the team building activity really helped make some eyes open up to who people were really working with. By taking the bull by the horns and putting people in an uncomfortable situation, a difficult situation turned into a team that accomplished a major task with ease and teamwork."

If hired for this position at Mars & Co, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?

"If I'm fortunate enough to come consult with Mars & Co, my ideal project would be working with the leadership staff of a high profile employer on a corporate restructuring project that makes them more efficient and more profitable in a short amount of time. As you can see from my experience, I really thrive when working with high level leaders like CEO's and Presidents on what I would consider my greatest area of expertise."

To fully understand the reasoning behind this question, your interviewer is looking to get a sense for what type of work you prefer to do, what your strong points are and where to best position you with clients if hired for the position. Prior to your interview, be sure that you research the clients of Mars & Co and the typical projects that are led with them. Make sure your desires align in some aspect of the business and speak openly and honestly about your most desirable project.

"Being passionate about manufacturing and technology, my ideal project would put me face to face working with a team of engineers and production staff to help implement the creation of a life changing product in the medical field. This area of manufacturing involves high cost materials and the need to produce items accurately and efficiently. My project management skills would thrive in this atmosphere."

Tell me about a time when you used good judgement and logic to solve a problem.

"Just yesterday I had a customer who was upset because our sales associate would not refund a service that the customer had already used in full. She was outside of the 14 days return policy as well. I am the manager, so I stepped in to alleviate the situation. By showing the customer that I could meet her in the middle, she was able to calm down and reason with me. I did not refund her the full price; however, I offered her a $25 in service credit. I know this will cost my company mere dollars and, in the end, I had a happy customer again."

The interviewer wants to hear about a particular situation where you used good judgment to solve a work-related problem. Be sure to showcase your logic and reasoning abilities. Share a brief overview of the problem, discuss the pro/cons of each decision you could have made, and tell the interviewer why the solution you chose was the best.

"I had a customer who was unhappy with his purchase (the service in question cost over $20k). He then was unhappy with the way in which the arbitration process was heading, and although my team all said just to let him be and have him work with our Director of Operations to resolve the issue, I knew that I could lose a customer over a one time issue. I mediated the call, allowed him to air his grievances, and assured him that we would work together to solve the issue."

Mars & Co Interview Questions

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1. Strong time management is important at Mars & Co. How do you manage your time, even on the busiest days?
2. What kind of people do you enjoy working with?
3. What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?
4. Talk about a success story that you have in implementing an organization design change with an organization. How will your skills used here benefit the clients of Mars & Co?
5. Talk about a time you had to use conflict resolution skills in a business setting. What was the situation and the outcome and how did you positively influence that outcome?
6. How would you solicit feedback from people during the change management process and why is obtaining feedback important?
7. Rate your communication skills from 1-10 with proper examples backing your given rating.
8. If you are hired for this position here at Mars & Co, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?
9. If you were to join Mars & Co in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?
10. In your own point of view, what is the most important factor in influencing change for an organization?
11. In the change management process, talk about the importance of providing a clear vision to staff of an organization. How do you think this is best done?
12. A key component to success here at Mars & Co is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?
13. Market research is very important to our clients here at Mars & Co. Talk about a time that you used market research to conduct an effective analysis.
14. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?
15. At Mars & Co, our clients are looking for us to come in and provide sound leadership in their strategic planning and growth planning processes. What leadership style would you bring to our clients?
16. What would you say is the key factor for an organization to consider when building an action plan for growth?
17. As a consultant here at Mars & Co, helping our clients set growth strategies through both short-term and long-term goals is important. Give an example of a time that you set both short and long-term goals for a growth strategy.
18. In what ways would our clients here at Mars & Co benefit from your knowledge and services?
19. For our clients here at Mars & Co that are working through a change management project, accountability is of utmost importance for the entire organization. How would you help ensure accountability from the leadership team?
20. Our clients here at Mars & Co expect top notch work from our consultants. How do you ensure that your work is error free when conducting research and/or data analysis?
21. Sometimes with our clients here at Mars & Co, we have to think outside the box when helping them develop a strategic plan. Do you have an example of a time where you thought outside of the box in developing a strategic plan?
22. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?
23. In the organizational design work that you have done in the past, how have you involved senior leadership with the organization's that you've worked with?
24. How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline
25. A career move to a consultant with Mars & Co may find you working on new challenges that you haven't faced during your career. What's been the most challenging project you've led up to this point in your career?
26. If hired for this position at Mars & Co, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?
27. Tell me about a time when you used good judgement and logic to solve a problem.

Mars & Co Interview Questions

1. Strong time management is important at Mars & Co. How do you manage your time, even on the busiest days?

2. What kind of people do you enjoy working with?

3. What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?

4. Talk about a success story that you have in implementing an organization design change with an organization. How will your skills used here benefit the clients of Mars & Co?

5. Talk about a time you had to use conflict resolution skills in a business setting. What was the situation and the outcome and how did you positively influence that outcome?

6. How would you solicit feedback from people during the change management process and why is obtaining feedback important?

7. Rate your communication skills from 1-10 with proper examples backing your given rating.

8. If you are hired for this position here at Mars & Co, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?

9. If you were to join Mars & Co in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?

10. In your own point of view, what is the most important factor in influencing change for an organization?

11. In the change management process, talk about the importance of providing a clear vision to staff of an organization. How do you think this is best done?

12. A key component to success here at Mars & Co is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?

13. Market research is very important to our clients here at Mars & Co. Talk about a time that you used market research to conduct an effective analysis.

14. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?

15. At Mars & Co, our clients are looking for us to come in and provide sound leadership in their strategic planning and growth planning processes. What leadership style would you bring to our clients?

16. What would you say is the key factor for an organization to consider when building an action plan for growth?

17. As a consultant here at Mars & Co, helping our clients set growth strategies through both short-term and long-term goals is important. Give an example of a time that you set both short and long-term goals for a growth strategy.

18. In what ways would our clients here at Mars & Co benefit from your knowledge and services?

19. For our clients here at Mars & Co that are working through a change management project, accountability is of utmost importance for the entire organization. How would you help ensure accountability from the leadership team?

20. Our clients here at Mars & Co expect top notch work from our consultants. How do you ensure that your work is error free when conducting research and/or data analysis?

21. Sometimes with our clients here at Mars & Co, we have to think outside the box when helping them develop a strategic plan. Do you have an example of a time where you thought outside of the box in developing a strategic plan?

22. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?

23. In the organizational design work that you have done in the past, how have you involved senior leadership with the organization's that you've worked with?

24. How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline

25. A career move to a consultant with Mars & Co may find you working on new challenges that you haven't faced during your career. What's been the most challenging project you've led up to this point in your career?

26. If hired for this position at Mars & Co, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?

27. Tell me about a time when you used good judgement and logic to solve a problem.