Elinor Burkett, a phenomenal writer/journalist in my opinion, has written extensively on the whole issue of flex time-and internecine scheduling conflicts between coworkers-admittedly from a pronouncedly biased, pro-single perspective.
I know that there are some people here who work in personnel and/or human resources, but I can't summon their names-or handles, rather-off the top of my head, which is why I'm pinging some people who hopefully will be able to offer you-and by extension, your husband-much better advice than I ever could.
Again, good luck!!!
:)
-good times, G.J.P. (Jr.)
I don't have a dog in this hunt
In the immortal words of my family back home: HOLY COW! And thank you.
I promised him that we'd get to bed early (and I'm talking sleep, LOL), so I have to get my kids to bed and discuss isses (that all of you have helped me with), but I just want to thank you, and I will check this thread later. Like around 4 a.m. when I wake up, LOL!
Thank you so much, everyone!
Prepare for Structured Behavioral Interview
These frequently asked questions and answers can help you prepare for a Structured Behavioral Interview.
What kinds of questions will I be asked?
You will be asked questions that focus on situations youÃÂve encountered in the past. When you answer, there are three pieces of information the interviewer will collect for each behavioral example:
ÃÂThe Situation or Task that you faced
ÃÂThe Actions that you took
ÃÂThe Results or changes caused by the action
Following is an example of a candidateÃÂs response that includes all parts of a behavioral example:
Question: Can you tell me about a time where you effectively handled a customer complaint?
Situation/Task: There was one time when a customer was upset because the ATM at our branch was down. The customer needed to check her account balance and the ATM was under repair.
Action: I saw that the customer was upset, so I asked her if I could help. After finding out that she was interested in checking her account balance, I walked her over to our phone kiosk and let her know that she could obtain her balance by calling our 1-800 number.
Result: The customer thanked me and two weeks later my manager received a letter of appreciation from her.
How is this approach different from traditional interviewing?
Traditional interviewing techniques tend to focus on general concepts. Our interviewing approach is more structured and focuses on examples of how youÃÂve performed in previous work-related situations. The following comparison illustrates of some of these differences:
Traditional Interviewing questions Where do you see yourself in five years?
What are your three strengths and weaknesses?
Why should we hire you for this job?
(Company name withheld) Interview questions:
Tell me about the last time you handled a customer Complaint.
Describe an example of when you became frustrated with a peer/team member.
When was the last time you gave feedback to an employee who was not performing up to standards? What did you do?
What do you think is important in being a good manager/team member?
Tell me about the last creative idea that you implemented in your work area.
What can I do to prepare myself for this interview?
Practice sharing examples in the format (STAR) listed above. The next time youÃÂre telling someone about an experience youÃÂve had or what happened on your favorite TV show, tell the story by sharing the three parts of a STAR: describe the situation or task, tell what action was taken, and describe the result. In addition, you might want to think about challenging, difficult, and rewarding experiences in your past work history and write them down. In addition, keep these tips in mind:
ÃÂDuring the interview, it is expected that you will need some time to think back to specific experiences. DonÃÂt feel pressured to answer the question quickly or feel uncomfortable asking the interviewer to repeat the question.
ÃÂIf you are unable to think of a specific experience in the past, let the interviewer know that you may need to come back to that question, or that you havenÃÂt had that situation happen to you. However, be sure you are able to give discuss enough experiences so the interviewer can assess your skills accurately.
There may be questions included in your interview that seek experiences that didnÃÂt work out the way you intended. This information gives the interviewer a balanced, realistic picture of your background and shows how you have learned from those experiences. It also reveals opportunities for development that can be addressed early in your career at (company name withheld).
Monster.com has a lot of interview tips and strategies. The important thing to remember is that you should show that you can effectively handle situations on your own --NOT passing them off to someone else -- with a positive outcome.