Social Service Manager Mock Interview
Master 30 Social Service Manager interview questions covering program oversight, crisis intervention, and community partnerships.
Question 11 of 30
Have you had to discipline an employee or fire an employee? How did you handle that situation?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
What NOT to Say
Example Answer
Community Answers
Shelley Story is a coach and higher education administrator with 25 years of experience. She has designed multi-day, on-site interview processes and has conducted thousands of interviews and mock interviews with college students and recent grads.
The interviewer may ask this question if you'd be in a position to assess employees' performance and determine whether it's appropriate to terminate their employment. The interviewer wants to know how you handle challenging and possibly emotionally charged situations in which you are the decision-maker.
Shelley Story is a coach and higher education administrator with 25 years of experience. She has designed multi-day, on-site interview processes and has conducted thousands of interviews and mock interviews with college students and recent grads.
Don't say that you have never had to fire anyone; the question also asks about disciplining an employee. If you have no supervisory experience, you should say so, but you can also recall a time you corrected someone else's behavior, even if you were not their supervisor. Your answer should show that you can confront a colleague directly and respectfully while holding them accountable for not meeting expectations.
Shelley Story is a coach and higher education administrator with 25 years of experience. She has designed multi-day, on-site interview processes and has conducted thousands of interviews and mock interviews with college students and recent grads.
"Yes, I have had to discipline and terminate employees. I feel strongly that no employee should ever be surprised in a performance review, so I make sure to provide feedback, whether positive or negative, as soon as possible after the behavior takes place. If an employee is consistently not meeting expectations, I would put them on a performance plan where we set very specific short-term criteria they must meet to remain in good standing. I would meet with the employee frequently to give them the best chance to get back on track."
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