Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for a customer
While working as a Yard Marshal, A flex driver didn’t want to take a handful of parcels because they felt they were too big for their vehicle. At this time, we were processing the RTS, so it was the last opportunity for the parcels to be delivered on that given day. I needed to best ensure that as many parcels as possible got into the drivers vehicle without hindering their safety on road. I used my tetris training and experience to manipulate the parcels around the vehicle on their behalf, and create the opportunity to fit the remaining parcels. As an outcome, my actions would have positively affected our DPPH metric (driver pay per hour), because this meant that i didn’t need to cube out the parcels, preventing them from going out with a different driver. So although the driver was a bit frustrated taking a couple extra parcels, it was definitely worth the initiative i took.
Tell me about a time when you took on something significant outside your area of responsibility.
One shift, our supervisor had to leave early, and I was asked to take over their responsibilities. I wanted to make sure the team still met all of our shift objectives and maintained a high standard of work. I took ownership of the team’s workflow by regularly walking the floor, checking on bag replenishment levels and monitoring other duties, moving associates round when it was necessary. I kept communication clear and made sure everyone knew our priorities. As a result, we finished bag replenishment ahead of schedule, which allowed my manager to focus on TPH which is a metric of focus. Offering VTOs out to the associates, allowing him to get it below the required threshold.
Tell me about a time when a team member was struggling at work and you stepped in to help out.
During one particular day, i was asked to run the sameday c process as our shift supervisor was coming in a bit later. I noticed that a newer associate in one of the stowing isles kept scanning the parcels incorrectly. I knew this because i kept hearing alert sounds coming from their device. I wanted to support the associate to best ensure that they not only become a better stower but also prevent them from hindering our FSAF (first scan accuracy failure) metric. I took it upon myself to go over and offer some coaching for the associate. I found out that the main issue was that the associate was leaving oversized parcels in the hamper, which meant that he wasted lots of time reaching deep into the hamper to pull parcels out. On this day the associate had 5 FSAF and as a result of my coaching, the associate only had 1 fault for the same duties on the following day.
Give me an example of a time when you were able to deliver an important project under a tight deadline.
I was picked to manage the RTS role. We had significant volume left over from the previous cycles in the morning. After sequencing, it must all be processed accordingly within roughly a 30 minute timeframe where drivers start showing up. I soon realised that it was too much to handle as a 1 man job, so had to act quickly to ensure it gets processed. I asked two fellow associates to support me. This allowed us to get the volume of over 300 parcels processed and out the door by the time drivers started showing up. From this, i learnt that no matter how good of an independent worker you are, there will be occasions where you HAVE to coordinate a team. By asking those associates to help me, it meant slowing down other jobs to prioritise a more important concern.
Give me an example of a calculated risk that you have taken where speed was critical.
It was a day i was asked to cover running the Same-Day C Process, a lorry arrived late, which created a very time sensitive situation. By the time stowing was finished, we had a couple parcels missing as pre depart. Due to the time sensitive situation, i wrote down where the missing parcels should be located and picked two associates to search for them while i got the rest to start picking. This meant that we could start getting the volume ready while also ensuring our Sort compliance was up to scratch. Rather than spending time tracking the missing parcels. As a result, all the routes were out in time for dispatch and the associates managed to find the missing parcels.
Tell me about a time when you were trying to understand a complex problem on your team and you had to dig into the details to figure it out.
During one of my shifts, a flex driver during our sameday c process had the error message ‘route not ready yet’ when trying to scan the route sheet. I wasn’t familiar with this message and hadn’t seen it before, assumed it would be a driver issue as it so often is until a second driver had the same issue. I took it upon myself to use problem solve on my device to quickly learn that the routes werent in the ‘staged’ status yet. I went on my laptop and used SCC to identify the associates that hadn’t yet completed the routes so they could finish their workflow. As a result, i got the associates to stage the routes accordingly and the drivers were able to take the routes and leave according to schedule, which ultimately would’ve supported our OTD metric.
Tell me about a time when you strongly disagreed with your manager or peer on something you considered very important to the business.
During one shift, i was assigned the role of debrief. We were low on headcount this day and behind on key objectives such as our main one, bag replenishment. Despite the low headcount, i wanted to help the team ensure that we met these targets and got bags completed by the end of shift. I proposed to my manager that I could perhaps cover both debrief and yard duties during a quieter period since I’m yard trained and have a reliable amount of experience. My manager declined my proposal, explaining that it was compromising safety which had to remain top priority. Although i believed i was up for the task, i respected the decision and stuck to my duties. Unfortunately, bags didn’t get done on time that night, however the operation stayed safe and complaint with the process.
Tell me about a time when you had to balance the needs of the customer with the needs of the business.
While working as a Yard Marshal, A flex driver didn’t want to take a handful of parcels because they felt they were too big for their vehicle. At this time, we were processing the RTS, so it was the last opportunity for the parcels to be delivered on that given day. I needed to best ensure that as many parcels as possible got into the drivers vehicle without hindering their safety on road. I used my tetris training and experience to manipulate the parcels around the vehicle on their behalf, and create the opportunity to fit the remaining parcels. As an outcome, my actions would have positively affected our DPPH metric (driver pay per hour), because this meant that i didn’t need to cube out the parcels, preventing them from going out with a different driver. So although the driver was a bit frustrated taking a couple extra parcels, it was definitely worth the initiative i took.
Describe a difficult interaction you had with a customer.
I once had a flex driver ask if they could go and grab a coffee after they finished loading their car with parcels. This particular driver was at the front of the queue which would’ve held up the rest of the drivers, ultimately putting our On Time Dispatch metric at risk. I knew the driver wasn’t going to like it but i had to be firm and told him no its too late, and that i needed them out the yard so that the next wave of drivers could come. He should’ve requested it as soon as he got out of his car and not after he had finished. Ultimately, the driver got back into his car and we were able to dispatch the lane on time which didn’t hinder our OTD.
Describe a time when you didn’t think you were going to meet a commitment you promised.
During one shift, our supervisor had to leave early, so i was asked to take over their responsibilities for the rest of the shift. It was my duty to ensure key shift objectives were met by the end of the shift. We were low on headcount on this particular day which meant that it was always going to be a challenge. I made the decision to take an associate off of problem solve to ensure that bag replenishment was completed as it is our main objective for the shift, if we had enough time after replenishment was completed then we can go back and finish it. As a result, bag replenishment got completed and its a decision id always make again because problem solve isn’t the main shift focus.
Give me an example of a tough or critical piece of feedback you received.
During one period, I was consistently managing the problem-solve role on my shift. Leadership raised a concern about repacked parcels that had led to customer complaints during a sosac meeting, in private, my supervisor showed me a list of the associates it affected and i was on there. This really stood out to me because i thought i was doing well. From there, i ensured i was a lot more strict on my performance, and how i judged and reviewed each damaged parcel i had. Really putting focus on following standard process. After each repack i asked myself ‘would i be happy to receive this as a customer’ If it was a no, id simply prepare the parcel for FC Return. Within a month, my name dropped completely off of the list following customer compliance and i become one of the lowest across the entire station. Expressing the importance of using feedback as motivation and always looking to learn and improve.
Describe a time when you improved morale and productivity on your team.
During one particular day, i was asked to run the sameday c process as our shift supervisor was coming in a bit later. I noticed that a newer associate in one of the stowing isles kept scanning the parcels incorrectly. I knew this because i kept hearing alert sounds coming from their device. I wanted to support the associate to best ensure that they not only become a better stower but also prevent them from hindering our FSAF (first scan accuracy failure) metric. I took it upon myself to go over and offer some coaching for the associate. I found out that the main issue was that the associate was leaving oversized parcels in the hamper, which meant that he wasted lots of time reaching deep into the hamper to pull parcels out. On this day the associate had 5 FSAF and as a result of my coaching, the associate only had 1 fault for the same duties on the following day.
Tell me about a time when you had significant, unanticipated obstacles to overcome in achieving a key goal.
I was picked to manage the RTS role. We had significant volume left over from the previous cycles in the morning. After sequencing, it must all be processed accordingly within roughly a 30 minute timeframe where drivers start showing up. I soon realised that it was too much to handle as a 1 man job, so had to act quickly to ensure it gets processed. I asked two fellow associates to support me. This allowed us to get the volume of over 300 parcels processed and out the door by the time drivers started showing up. From this, i learnt that no matter how good of an independent worker you are, there will be occasions where you HAVE to coordinate a team. By asking those associates to help me, it meant slowing down other jobs to prioritise a more important concern.
Tell me about a time when you not only met a goal but considerably exceeded expectations
Running RTS process, i had many parcels that had been unattempted. I needed to prioritise the parcels affecting our OODT metric as much as possible to ensure they were attempted on that given day. After completing the process, i organised the routes according to importance by marketing a star sign on the route sheet so the yard marshals understood which routes took priority. As a result, the routes that had the most parcels affecting OOTD went out first, ensuring that if drivers decided to show up, then it wouldn’t be so punishing.
Describe a situation where you made an important business decision without consulting your manager.
It was a day i was asked to cover running the Same-Day C Process, a lorry arrived late, which created a very time sensitive situation. By the time stowing was finished, we had a couple parcels missing as pre depart. Due to the time sensitive situation, i wrote down where the missing parcels should be located and picked two associates to search for them while i got the rest to start picking. This meant that we could start getting the volume ready while also ensuring our Sort compliance was up to scratch. Rather than spending time tracking the missing parcels. As a result, all the routes were out in time for dispatch and the associates managed to find the missing parcels.
Give me an example of when you had to make an important decision and had to decide between moving forward or gathering more information.
Working as a gatekeeper, had drivers that were going to miss their blocks, ultimately meaning that the routes wouldn’t have a chance to go out. We needed to make sure these went out, so i waited right by the flex entrance so that i could ask the drivers to check in so that the system marks them as ‘on duty’ allowing them to take the block although technically being too late. As a result, the final two drivers were able to check in on time meaning the routes could be collected and taken out on road. The parcels got delivered and didn’t have to be reprocessed again.
Tell me about a situation that required you to dig deep to get to the root cause.
During one of my shifts, a flex driver during our sameday c process had the error message ‘route not ready yet’ when trying to scan the route sheet. I wasn’t familiar with this message and hadn’t seen it before, assumed it would be a driver issue as it so often is until a second driver had the same issue. I took it upon myself to use problem solve on my device to quickly learn that the routes werent in the ‘staged’ status yet. I went on my laptop and used SCC to identify the associates that hadn’t yet completed the routes so they could finish their workflow. As a result, i got the associates to stage the routes accordingly and the drivers were able to take the routes and leave according to schedule, which ultimately would’ve supported our OTD metric.
Often, we must make decisions as a group. Give me an example of a time you committed to a group decision even though you disagreed.
During one shift, i was assigned the role of debrief. We were low on headcount this day and behind on key objectives such as our main one, bag replenishment. Despite the low headcount, i wanted to help the team ensure that we met these targets and got bags completed by the end of shift. I proposed to my manager that I could perhaps cover both debrief and yard duties during a quieter period since I’m yard trained and have a reliable amount of experience. My manager declined my proposal, explaining that it was compromising safety which had to remain top priority. Although i believed i was up for the task, i respected the decision and stuck to my duties. Unfortunately, bags didn’t get done on time that night, however the operation stayed safe and complaint with the process.
Got any Questions for us?
How would success be measured for someone in this position, what would they have to do to thrive within the role.
What is the next stage if i am a successful candidate?
In this role, do you know if i would be responsible and take ownership of any specific metrics?
Sometimes customers make unreasonable requests. Tell me about a time when you’ve had to push back or say no to a customer request. (Describe a difficult interaction you had with a customer.)
I once had a flex driver ask if they could go and grab a coffee after they finished loading their car with parcels. This particular driver was at the front of the queue which would’ve held up the rest of the drivers, ultimately putting our On Time Dispatch metric at risk. I knew the driver wasn’t going to like it but i had to be firm and told him no its too late, and that i needed them out the yard so that the next wave of drivers could come. He should’ve requested it as soon as he got out of his car and not after he had finished. Ultimately, the driver got back into his car and we were able to dispatch the lane on time which didn’t hinder our OTD.
Give me an example of a mission or goal you didn’t think was achievable
Running RTS process, i had many parcels that had been unattempted. I needed to prioritise the parcels affecting our OODT metric as much as possible to ensure they were attempted on that given day. After completing the process, i organised the routes according to importance by marketing a star sign on the route sheet so the yard marshals understood which routes took priority. As a result, the routes that had the most parcels affecting OOTD went out first, ensuring that if drivers decided to show up, then it wouldn’t be so punishing.
Describe a time when you took an unpopular stance in a meeting with peers and your leader
During one particular shift. We were very low on headcount. I wanted to find a way of best ensuring all of out shift deadlines get met although we were up against it. I suggested to my manager and supervisor that we take advantage of everyones strengths and put them on tasks theyre good at. To best ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Leadership unfortunately disagreed with my proposal, because it wasn’t promoting a rotational balance and could upset certain members. So ultimately, my idea wasn’t put forward however i learnt that although its important to put objectives first, associate wellbeing is also something that should be considered.
We don’t always make the right judgment all the time. Tell me about a time when you made an error in judgment.
During one shift, when i was in charge of the debrief role. It started to get very overwhelming with many drivers coming in all at one time. This made it challenging to process all the drivers parcels accordingly while also balancing discussion about issues that they had. To make things easier for myself, i decided to put FC returns parcels into a bag that was next to me as i didn’t have much time to stow them in that particular moment. Although i thought it was a good idea, i ended up letting myself down by forgetting about them and as a result, they got mixed up with the rest of the parcels ready for induct. This unfortunately negatively impacted our PLDC (package level departure compliance) metric in which i was called out for, as the parcels weren’t stowed to the FC return pallets after being received back at debrief.
Tell me about a time when you did not effectively manage your projects and something did not get completed on time
Performing problem solve duties. It was a shift where we were behind schedule and needed to complete a range of tasks. I decided to support with bag replenishment as i felt i could get problem solve done in time. However, suddenly a large bag of damages came into the station which instantly put the odds against me. I instantly dived into action to give me the best opportunity of finishing on time. Unfortunately, due to my poor planning on the day, problem solve didn’t fortunately get completed by the end of shift. I ended up staying as overtime to ensure that i provided a good handover to the nightshift team. From this, i learnt to always expect the worst to happen and the importance of planning accordingly.
