Introduction
Hiring remains at the core of every business venture. Recruiters and hiring managers are always looking for quality talent who would adhere to the company’s work culture and align with the vision to give quality output. The three vital aspects that help in onboarding a quality talent with the perfect balance of required skill set are Behavioral Competencies, Aptitude and Domain Expertise. To strike a balance between the three and based on our experience of working with 2,000 clients, we have compiled a ready to use competency framework manual and interview guide for top 30 job roles which would in turn benefit organizations in making the right hires.
Mettl Competency Library
Competencies refer to job-relevant behavior, motivation and technical knowledge required to be successful on-the-job. Aligning HR processes to competencies helps evaluate performance, set clear job expectations and growth plans.
Mettl has created competency libraries across, Behavioral, Cognitive, Domain and Technology based competencies.
Finance
According to a survey by Institute of Management Accountants, the role of finance function in India based organizations is evolving in a way that it is now incorporating new responsibilities in addition to cost accounting. Financial services accounts for a fair share to the country’s revenue, making India one of the fastest growing economies. The sector contributes around 6% to the nation’s GDP, which is evident in the rise in number of employment. Banks and insurance companies are responsible for generating majority of the employment in this sector.
FINANCIAL ANALYST
Manage and coordinate all aspects of accounting, keep a track on economic conditions and compile data to suggest relevant changes.
COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
DOMAIN
Balance sheet reconciliation
Fixed asset Knowledge
Third Party account reconciliation
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Payable
BEHAVIORAL
Planning & Organization
Stress Management
Establish Trust
Drive for Results
Teamwork
Follow Work Procedures
COGNITIVE
Numerical Reasoning
Analytical Ability
Problem Solving
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What metrics would you consider while conveying organization’s health to investors?
What developments can you map in the economy of agriculture sector?
Which is the best way to analyze a company’s stock?
What factors would you consider before making investment?
ACCOUNTANT
Deals with day-to-day financial operations like audits or financial statement analysis. Meet clients to make recommendations regarding financial situations.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
If a company has three bank accounts for processing payments, what is the minimum number of ledgers it needs?
If a private company with break-even operations receive 1 crore investment, how would you develop investment strategy?
How do you minimize risk of errors in your report?
While preparing final accounts from trial balance, what are the adjust entries made?
FINANCIAL MANAGER
Review financial reports, monitor accounts, prepare financial forecasts and analyze market for business opportunities.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What changes will the financial statements witness if the company buys a new machinery?
How do you create, pitch and implement a new financial strategy?
What metrics do you track to measure the ROI?
How would you explain financial details to a client with no prior finance knowledge?
CREDIT RISK MANAGER
Develop and implement methods to reduce credit risk, predict risk exposure and supervise preparation of performance reports.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How would you determine if we should loan 5 crores to a company?
How would you handle a case where a long-time customer applied for a loan, but the risk is too high?
What factors do you consider while evaluating the value of a company?
Describe an instance where you failed in analyzing the impending risk. What was the impact on your organization?
Sales
As per a study undertaken by ASSOCAM, direct selling Industry in India has doubled since 2011 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 4.8% to reach Rs 15,930 crore in 2021. For many sales organizations, selling has evolved from traditional product pitches to a more customized, highly tailored, and/or customer-focused solution pitches. Since sales is a complex job, it might come across as difficult to fully understand every sales role in its entirety. From the person selling a shoe in a store to a person selling complex aircraft solutions – all are at the end of the day ‘salespeople.’
AREA SALES MANAGER
Deals with retailers and distributors, runs day-to-day operations of sales team, generates revenue and maintains customer relationships in respective geographical area.
COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
DOMAIN
Channel Sales
Sales Monitoring Tools
Sales Scenario
BEHAVIORAL
Accountability
Resilience
Self-Confidence
Self-Awareness
Learning Agility
Following Work Procedures
COGNITIVE
Attention to Details
Problem Solving
Numerical Ability
Verbal Ability
Critical Thinking
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How would you pitch new product to a client?
What measures do you take to scale the performance of your team?
How do you deal with a sales executive who missed his target two consecutive months?
Which is the most important part of mentoring someone? What improvement does it induce in the trainee?
KEY ACCOUNTS MANAGER
A B2B sales manager who defines individual approach of sales team to particular customers, manages a group of significant consumers to achieve sales target and maintains good relationships with important clients.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How do you manage multiple clients at the same time?
How would you retain a client thinking of ending a long-term business relationship?
If you were to increase the revenue by 30% next year, which sales opportunities would you consider?
What kind of information do you gather before reaching out to a client?
RETAIL SALES
This B2C role involves directly targeting consumers, attracting new clients, answering their queries and convincing them to buy services. Administer sales through in-person communication.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
List some ways in which you stay updated with target market?
Where do you think our sales needs improvement?
How would you sell yourself to our company?
Give us two ideas that would help increase our market share.
INSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE
Understand and interpret requirement, close new accounts by making phone calls and sending e-mails. Qualify potentials and close sales to meet personal target.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What process did your previous organization follow while generating leads?
What set of questions would you ask your customer to analyze their need?
Which of our product lines do you find most intriguing? Why?
How will you remove roadblocks in a customer’s buying decision?
FIELD SALES
Develop sales strategy, generate revenue by making new clients and manage sale of products and services.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How would you describe as successful cold call?
When do you stop pursuing a client?
What sales strategy would you come up with after reviewing our products?
What are the areas you need to work on to become better at your job?
BUSINESS ANALYST
Serves as a link between organization’s IT capabilities and business objectives by evaluating requirements and defining objectives to build overall business strategy. Analyze the company, identify problem areas and suggest methods to improve.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How do you determine how if a requirement is good or not?
What potential problems can a business’ revenue system have?
What areas should an effective cost-reduction method work?
How do you manage frequent changes in user requirement?
Marketing
Marketing is a process in which a service or a product is introduced and then promoted to potential customers. It is a means to establish brand awareness and engage customers to give a boost to sales. Technology has changed the Indian landscape by making it one of the largest online consumer markets. According to 'Marketing Analytics – An opportunity for India to Lead' report, the Indian marketing analytics industry is expected to grow from its present value of US$ 200 million to US$ 1.2 billion in 2020.
MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Generally, an entry-level position, the job involves curating and implementing day-to-day marketing activities and undertaking marketing research to summarize buyer persona and identify new revenue prospects.
COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
DOMAIN
Marketing Activities (ATL,BTL & TTL)
Effective Marketing Strategies
Content Management
BEHAVIORAL
Planning and Execution
Result Orientation
Business Orientation
Process Orientation
Negotiation and Influence
Collaboration
COGNITIVE
Attention to Details
Analytical Ability
Verbal Ability
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Present how will you approach potential customers with our product demo?
Create a strategy to market a new product.
Which is the most effective marketing channel and why?
What kind of customers would you target for our branding activity?
MARKETING RESEARCHER
Understand business objectives, collect and interpret primary or secondary data, prepare reports and make presentations. Enables organizations to explore target areas to devise a better marketing strategy.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How do you forecast the sale of a new product?
How would you approach building market in a new city?
Which data collection methods have you previously used?
What do you think of our current marketing strategy? What would you change?
MARKETING MANAGER
Great business leader responsible for planning marketing strategies for the whole organization and making sure the team follows the plan to create new clientele and retain existing ones.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How would you allocate a marketing budget of Rs 5 Lakhs?
What is the differentiating factor between us and our competitors?
How do you deliver negative feedback to a team member?
What is an ideal team building activity and how does it help?
DIGITAL MARKETING EXPERT
They oversee online marketing strategy of the organization including campaigns, design and continuous flow of content to increase website visitors and engage clients through social media channels.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What measures will you take to increase engagement of target audience on social media platforms?
How do you analyze and track success/failure of a campaign?
Which are the key areas where you can use keywords to optimize site ranking?
How do you characterize bad links?
CORP COMM MANAGER
Regarded as face of the company, they directly engage with media, curate material for advertising, press release, e-mail marketing and videos along with any other mode of external and internal communications to maintain a positive image of the company.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What challenges do you face while answering the queries of journalists?
What has been our best and worst PR initiative?
If you could change one thing about your worst campaign, what would it be?
What makes a corporate event successful?
Customer Care
The service that started in the mid-90s has now become a part and parcel of almost every organization. Even though the industry experienced a slow-down in the last few years, customer care has grown up to 16% annually as compared to 0.5% growth in the west. The growth of Indian outsourcing can be attributed to proficiency in the English language, skilled and patient workforce. According to a report in 2017, organizations located overseas spent $7.3 billion on call centre services in India along with domestic spent of $600 million, making India a consistent market leader in the field.
CUSTOMER CARE EXECUTIVE
Resolve customer queries and grievances through inbound or outbound calls along with generating sales lead. Act as a link between organization and consumers.
COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
DOMAIN
Basic Computer Skills
MS Office - MS word, MS Excel
BEHAVIORAL
Drive for Results
Collaboration
Planning & Organizing
Quality Focus
Customer Service Orientation
Process Adherence
COGNITIVE
Verbal Ability
Attention to Details
Analytical Ability
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What are the challenges associated with customer care?
What would do you if you know you won’t be able to meet the target?
How do you deal with a frustrated customer?
What do you do when you don’t know answer to a question?
CUSTOMER CARE MANAGER
Supervises the team of customer service executives and motivates them to give their best. Communicate with important clients through phone, e-mail or meetings.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Describe a crucial customer service policy you drafted and executed.
How would you encourage a team member who fails to meet his targets?
What is your approach of training a customer care executive?
Is competition between agents good or a bad practice?
Support and Administration
Support and administration are the backbone of every successful organization. Office administration positions are one of the most in-demand roles. Jobs in this particular function provide professional stability and opportunities to work in a constantly evolving diverse environment. These job roles abound in every industry ranging from corporate and non-profit to small and large size organizations.
IT SUPPORT ANALYST
Maintain office computer systems, configure hardware and software and solve any other technical problems.
COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
DOMAIN
Basic Computer Skills
MS Office
BEHAVIORAL
Self-Confidence
Proactive
Result Oriented
Resilience
Active Listening
Establish Trust
COGNITIVE
Problem Solving
Verbal Ability
Attention to Details
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What is the difference between incremental backup and differential backup?
How would you access the Recovery Control in Windows?
How will you troubleshoot the issue if a corporate network contact loses network connectivity?
What is firewire port? What are its uses?
Human Resource
Human Resource Management has emerged as one of the top hiring sectors according to TimesJobs RecruiteX Dec 2017 Edition. Consequently, investment in the HR function is witnessing a rise as new roles are being created. With talent crunch getting witnessed in industries like technology, engineering and skilled trades, the need for talented HR staff is as high as ever. To cope up with increasing recruitment challenges, an HR’s role has become pivotal in balancing the organization by filling in the gaps.
RECRUITER
Fulfill company’s staffing objectives by implementing recruiting plans and proactively identifying future hiring needs.
COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
DOMAIN
Relationship Building
Exposure to Social Media
Basic Computer Skills
BEHAVIORAL
Adaptability
Ethical Propensity
Execution Excellence
Planning and Organizing
Process Orientation
Collaboration
COGNITIVE
Verbal Ability
Attention to Details
Analytical Ability
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How do you stay updated with current recruiting trends?
What changes would you bring out if you were asked to double the number of hires next year?
What challenges do you face while sourcing and how do you tackle them?
What would you improve after analyzing our current success rate, time and cost per hire?
HR MANAGER
Manage overall HR department, design and implements HR policies, evaluate employee relation and serve as a link between management and staff.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Which employee benefits lead to highest motivation and retention?
How would you work on cost reduction while improving productivity?
If you are hired, what is the first policy you would draft and why?
How can we benefit from your previous recruitment policies?
Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET)
Graduate engineer trainees work for all the engineering professions and assist engineers. 2018 happened to be a more promising year in terms of the number of opportunities knocking at the doors of fresh graduates. According to a joint survey by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), United Nations Development Program, Peoplestrong and Wheebox, fresh engineering graduates are becoming more employable and the job readiness among them is also improving. The survey also revealed employability has increased from 34% to 46% since 2014, which means one out of two fresh graduates are employable now.
GRADUATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER
Involved in the design, development and testing of mechanical and electromechanical systems including tools, engines, heavy machinery or vehicles.
COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
DOMAIN
Computer Aided Design
Thermodynamics & Fluid Mechanics
Manufacturing Processes
Strength of Materials
Machine Design
Applied Mechanics
BEHAVIORAL
Adaptability
Discipline
Self-Confidence
Team Work
Curiosity
Learning Agility
COGNITIVE
Analytical Ability
Data Analysis
Numerical Ability
Verbal Ability
Abstract Reasoning
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Describe the first thing that you designed.
Why would someone like to buy your design?
How would you explain a car’s wheel and axle system to a layman?
What makes mechanical engineering unique?
GRADUATE CIVIL ENGINEER
Responsible for projects assigned by project managers, record and monitor project cost, ensure the project is safe, professionally manageable and does not transgress health and safety laws.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What intrigues you about building structures?
Which was your favorite subject in college and why?
If you are asked to work in a remote location for three months with minimal connectivity, would you go for it?
If a design flaw cases an accident, how would you communicate it to your manager?
GRADUATE CHEMICAL ENGINEER
Involved in the R&D phase of chemical processes, GETs conduct lab tests, adjust instruments, create graphs, record test results and analyze design changes. Their work is reviewed by supervisors before implementation.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What kind of organizations have you interned with? What did you learn?
If given a choice, which industry would you like to work with?
What does it take to become an efficient chemical engineer?
Was chemical engineer a choice/option? If you could change one thing about this field, what would it be?
GRADUATE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Assists in designing, developing and maintaining electrical control systems/components in the building industry including power generation, transportation, manufacturing or construction.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What did you specialize in during your graduation?
Which computer software in your field do you have hands-on?
How would you make a building more sustainable?
What challenges would you face while installing underwire cables?
GRADUATE ELECTRONICS ENGINEER
Innovate and test electronic equipment in different areas like broadcast and communication systems, navigation systems, computer hardware, portable devices, mobile phones and other everyday devices.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What is the longest you have taken to complete a project?
What challenges have you faced while testing a new device?
What changes would you bring about to enhance navigation systems?
What possible revolutionary advancement are mobiles waiting for?
Logistics
India’s supply chain sector has seen an influx of foreign and domestic capital in the last three years. Supply chain management has a direct impact on trade and retail of the nation, logistics being one the driving factors behind the economic growth. Since the country’s ports handle 95 percent trade by volume, the latest government initiative-Sagarmala project aims at modernizing the existing ports that will together manage almost 100 percent more trade volume by 2025.
PROCUREMENT EXECUTIVE
Great predictors of the client’s needs, they keep a check on existing stock, compare sales with competitors and study the economic climate.
COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
DOMAIN
Vendor Selection/Vendor Development
Supply chain - Best Practices
Supplier Management
Vendor Rating
BEHAVIORAL
Strategic Thinking
Teamwork
Quality Focus
Self-Confidence
Accountability
Innovative Thinking
COGNITIVE
Numeric Reasoning
Analytical Ability
Decision Making
Problem Solving
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How do you analyze raw purchase transaction information?
How will you justify a purchase of a customized product from a single source?
What process do you follow for driving a sourcing initiative?
What factors would you consider for savings if you must buy a car within four months?
PROJECT MANAGER
Responsible for successfully delivering a project and acts as a leader who plans, organizes and leads the team to achieve end results.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Describe an instance when you made a bad decision, its consequences and the steps you took to account for it?
How do you prioritize simultaneously urgent tasks?
How would you manage a project whose team is remotely available?
How many petrol pumps are there in Delhi? How did you arrive at the answer?
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Oversees day-to-day operations and regulatory issues as per company’s regulations to maintaining high quality production.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What is the most efficient way of negotiating contract with vendors?
What factors do you take into account while allocating budget?
How would you determine the authenticity of data gathered from multiple sources?
How do you ensure that the organization adheres to all standard laws and standards?
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER
Ensure transportation of goods to end customer from manufacturer and supplier, supervise production flow from purchase of raw material to delivery of the product.
Looking for this competency framework or a test for this job role?
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
In your experience, how do you finalize manufacturers, vendors or suppliers while keeping a quality check?
How do you create a productive supply chain plan to ensure availability of products?
What would you do if the inventory goes out of stock and the delivery date is close to a month?
What major transportation issues have you faced in the past and how did you tackle them?
About Us
At Mercer | Mettl our mission is to enable organizations to build winning teams by making credible people decisions across two key areas: Acquisition and Development. Since our inception in 2010, we have partnered with 4000+ corporates, 31 sector skill councils/government departments, and 15+ educational institutions across 80+ countries.
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