Judgement Test Question 14 – A manager alleges favouritism in development opportunities
Read the scenario and rate every action independently. Several actions can receive the same rating.
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Scenario
Several temporary acting-up roles in your area were allocated through informal conversations. A capable manager tells you they were never aware of the opportunities and believes the same people are repeatedly selected because they work closely with the director. There were no published criteria, although the chosen staff have relevant experience and the appointments have already started. The manager says they no longer see a route to progress in the directorate. You lead the area and need to respond fairly without treating an untested allegation as proven.
Rate the actions
For each action, choose Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective.
Action A
Defend the appointments because leaders need to select people they trust and advise the manager to improve their visibility.
Rate this action:
CounterproductiveIneffectiveFairly EffectiveEffective
Action B
Reassure the manager that they will be considered for the next opportunity if their performance remains strong.
Rate this action:
CounterproductiveIneffectiveFairly EffectiveEffective
Action C
Review how the appointments were made, speak with the manager about their evidence and introduce transparent criteria while correcting any current unfairness you identify.
Rate this action:
CounterproductiveIneffectiveFairly EffectiveEffective
Action D
Ask all managers to record their development interests and create a skills and opportunity plan before the next round of temporary roles.
Rate this action:
CounterproductiveIneffectiveFairly EffectiveEffective
Click to reveal the answer
- Action A: Counterproductive
- Action B: Ineffective
- Action C: Effective
- Action D: Fairly Effective
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