Workplace Readiness Skills 05-08 Practice w/Explanations

Front

You are working at a graphic design firm. Your team is working on an important project and your team leader asks you to stay late to meet a deadline. Since you normally get off at 5 p.m. from work, you previously agreed to take a neighbor to an important appointment at 6:30 p.m. What should you do?

Back

Make other arrangements for your neighbor and stay to finish the project deadline.

Answer explanation

This is a tough one and in a perfect world you shouldn't have to stay late. But for the purposes of passing this test - staying to finish while making other arrangements for your neighbor is the best way to make sure both your neighbor and work are taken care of. The compromise isn't a bad idea, but there is a good chance you would not make it home in time to help your neighbor. I personally don't like this question either.

Tags

WRS-05

Front

Even though Carla wants to view the updates on her social media accounts, she stays on task and waits for her scheduled break. Carla is demonstrating:

Back

work ethic

Answer explanation

Work ethic is basically a belief in the value of hard work and doing your job well. By staying on task and not checking social media when she should be working, Carla is showing that she values her work, and therefore has work ethic.

Tags

WRS-05

Front

Sylvia regularly stays after work to complete tasks. She demonstrates: tactfulness, work ethic, self-representation, short-term goal setting

Back

work ethic

Answer explanation

While staying after work to complete tasks will hopefully not be something you have to do, doing so is an example of work ethic, or the value of hard work and a job well done. By completing tasks, even though she has to stay late, Sylvia is showing she cares about doing her job well. In the real world you can demonstrate work ethic without staying late, but that's not what the question is asking.

Tags

WRS-05

Front

Your supervisor asks you to come in on Saturday to finish your marketing presentation because the client is coming in earlier than originally expected, on Monday morning. You already have weekend plans. What is the expectation?

Back

Reschedule your plans

Answer explanation

Look, I hate this question/situation too. But clearly your supervisor EXPECTS you to reschedule your plans so you can get the presentation done. So for the purposes of passing this test, that is the answer you should pick.

Tags

WRS-05

Front

Why is Hector consistently passed over for promotion?

Back

He does not have a good work ethic.

Answer explanation

The scenario mentions that Hector does not help others with their work and doesn't do anything extra. He seems to not have a good work ethic - a value of hard work and a job well done. While he does his own work, he's refusing to work any harder. It may not be fair, but that's often why people don't get promoted.

Tags

WRS-05

Front

As an employee, employers assess your work ethic based on your: appearance, attitude, fairness to others, unused personal leave

Back

attitude

Answer explanation

Work ethic refers to a value of hard work and doing your job well. Your values, what you view as important, are best measured/assessed through your attitude. In other words, people will look to see if you act like doing a good job is important to you.

Tags

WRS-05

Front

You have been working on a game design project with your manager who has been repeatedly using inappropriate language, which makes you uncomfortable. You have already asked him to stop doing so. What should you do?

Back

Remain calm and report the problem up the chain of command.

Answer explanation

Joining in with inappropriate behavior could get you in trouble down the road, while causing a confrontation or threatening to quit is likely to back-fire and end in you getting fired since they are your manager. The best choice would be to remain calm and report the problem up the chain of command - which are the people in charge of your manager (your boss's bosses).

Tags

WRS-06

Front

An angry coworker complains about the way you do your job. Your BEST response is to:

Back

remain calm and focused on a solution

Answer explanation

Walking away may be a good idea in the short-term, but at some point you will need to focus on and find a solution - a way for your and your coworker to be able to work together. Of course you should stay calm no matter what to avoid getting yourself in trouble.

Tags

WRS-06

Front

Which strategy for dealing with conflict requires input from both sides to work through differences to find a win-win solution? (Avoidance, Denial, Competition)

Back

Negotiation

Answer explanation

This is a pretty simple definition question. Negotiation is basically finding a compromise, coming to an agreement, making a deal, working together to find a solution, etc.

Tags

WRS-06

Front

When resolving conflict, the main goal is to:

Back

find middle ground or a win-win solution.

Answer explanation

The solution to a conflict or problem is to find a way to make everyone happy, or at least satisfied. It's not always possible, but you should always try to look for a middle ground or in-win solution.

Tags

WRS-06