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How Do You Manage Expectations – Interview Question · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: How do you manage expectations or how do you manage the expectations of your manager?
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Are both interview questions you should expect to be asked in pretty much any interview you attend.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: And it is such a critical question to answer well, and it helps, of course, to give a memorable answer, so you stand out from the competition.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: If you manage expectations well, then you will be firstly easier to work with, second, colleagues will like you more because you won't let them down.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Third, you are perceived as more professional, a better team player, and better at your job.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: These are all qualities that any interviewer will want in anyone they hire into a professional or managerial role.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to take you through what the interviewer is looking for in an answer and what to include in your answer and why.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: And then towards the end of the podcast, I take you through example answers for this interview question.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: And my name is Jess Coles, and as a candidate, I've been hired through tough recruitment programs into corporates and household names.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: I've also sat as a hiring manager in over a thousand interviews, hiring graduates all the way through to CEOs.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I've been a board director of a recruitment company with 150 million in sales.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Our How to Get a Hire program teaches you everything you need to win your next role against tough competition.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: So let's help you answer this interview question brilliantly.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to start with understanding exactly what the interviewer is really asking when they ask, How do you manage expectations?
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: When we understand exactly what we're being asked, we can give a much better and more relevant answer.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: As you know, managing expectations within the workplace is a fundamental skill that makes a big difference to how you're viewed both in terms of likability and in terms of professionalism.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: We have all been let down by colleagues saying that they're going to deliver a bit of work by a certain time and then the deadline is missed or the work is of poor quality, leaving us scrambling to complete our work or to manage expectations of those counting on us.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: If a colleague had kept us informed and managed our expectations, then we could have taken steps to help them or to get the work done in some other way.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: No one likes being let down, particularly when it increases the pressure on us.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: So the interviewer by asking how do you manage expectations is wanting to understand firstly how well will you keep your manager informed about the work you're doing, the problems you encounter and any help needed.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, how will you work with the team and the others around you and how will you manage their expectations so they can do their jobs well.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Thirdly, when you need to change expectations, the interviewer wants to know how you will go about doing this.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: And fourth, the interviewer wants to get a sense if you are proactive or reactive when managing expectations, i.e., how far do you think and plan ahead?
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: And fifth, finally, how realistic are you and how good is your judgment when managing expectations?
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: If you do all of these things well, then the hiring manager will want you in their team.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't give a good answer, then the hiring manager will have doubts and will be looking at hiring a competition.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: As always, when answering any interview question, try to give a good and relevant example that demonstrates how you have managed expectations.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Anyone can make statements in an interview.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Having good examples that stand up to follow-up questions from the interviewer goes a long way to prove that you can do what you say.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: So when you're answering the interview question, how do you manage expectations?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: I suggest that you include in your answer some of the following points.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, I make sure I am clear on what I can do and I take the time to explain why to the other person.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Second, I try to be as realistic as possible in setting expectations, which helps the other person plan properly.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Third, I often try to understand the why as well as the what when I'm asked to do something, as I find this helps me deliver better quality work, which in turn helps the other person.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, I usually build in some contingency, as I have found from experience that unexpected things always pop up.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: The contingency usually allows me to deliver to the original expectations.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, if events mean that I am not able to deliver as I originally set out, I will inform the person as quickly as possible and set new expectations.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: 6.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: If the project or bit of work is complex, I will take the time to go around to see the person or pick up the phone and give them regular updates on progress so there is no surprises.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: 7th, I'm also comfortable to say no if I'm unable to do a piece of work.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: I will make the time to explain why I'm saying no so the other person understands my position too.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: 8.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: When appropriate, I try to follow up setting expectations with a quick email so we both have a record of the expectations set.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: When putting together your answers to how do you manage expectations, make sure you use your words and your examples.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: I suggest that you note down a couple of bullet points of what you want to include in your answer rather than trying to learn and answer word for word.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: This will help you come across more naturally when delivering your answer in the actual interview.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: And when answering how do you manage expectations or how do you manage the expectations of your manager, I suggest that you limit how long you take to answer this interview question to around 30 to 60 seconds.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: It is better to be concise and answer the question in a structured and easy to follow way rather than ramble and try and get everything possible into your answer.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: If the interviewer wants to know more, they can ask follow-up questions.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: Here are a couple of example answers to this question.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: A professional level candidate might answer When I'm asked to do a piece of work, I think about how long the piece of work will take, what will be needed to complete the work and all the other commitments that I have already made before I give an indication of what and when I can deliver.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: I try to factor in some extra time to cover those unexpected things that pop up, and if events mean that I'm unable to deliver, I reset expectations at the earliest moment so the other person can adjust their plans and no one is surprised.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: I have had various projects to deliver over the last six months, including mapping out to tight deadlines the key decision makers in our top 20 target companies for our new product.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: My manager and many of the other stakeholders commented on how well I kept everyone informed throughout the project.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: I've been given lots more interesting projects as a result of that work.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: A junior manager level candidate might include in their answer something about managing expectations both ways, such as an important part of my job is to ensure that my manager and stakeholders' expectations and those of my team are managed realistically.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Setting and updating expectations proactively helps everyone work together.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: In my last appraisal, my manager was very complimentary about how well I manage expectations and deliver great work to deadlines and to budget.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: So they have a number of tips and examples to answer really well both how do you manage expectations and how do you manage the expectations of your manager.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you build your answer in your words and practice it so it comes across naturally during the interview itself.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Good luck in getting hired.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: And if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks very much for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.