Interview

Tell me a time you had an employee that needed to be motivated or was under performing, what did you do?

A couple months ago, one of my loaders was not hitting the standard for loading packages per hour. She always seemed to need help, and was constantly backed up in her trailer. One day I pulled her aside and discussed with her how she needs to improve and how other loaders were having to work extra to pick up for her not hitting the standard. Over the next couple days, she improved a little, but was still under performing. There are policies that could justify me documenting her, which could eventually lead to termination, but Instead of documenting her, I told myself that one of my responsibilities as a manager is to teach what I know to my employees to put them in the best situations for success. So each day I would show her simple ways to improve performance, such as filling the rollers, and how to build better walls. As a result the number of packages per hour that she was scanning increased and she is now one of the top loaders in in the station.

Describe a face to face meeting where you needed to influence an opinionated person who disagreed with your perspective

A couple weeks ago another load side manager and I were trying to decide who was going to be our next switcher. He wanted to have my top loader, who is easily one of the best employees in the building, be the next switcher. As first I was opposed to this idea, due to his knowledge of working on a load side. We discussed the fact that our current switcher needed help on the yard, and that another switcher would benefit the building as a whole. However, he was an important factor on my side. I knew that he could be helpful on the yard helping switch, so I made a deal with the manager that I would keep the loader, and send him out to help switch, when there was a lot of switches to be made. Since we made this deal, the employee helps me keep my load side running smoothly, as well as helps make switches in a timely manner.

Explain a time where you proactively sought to build a relationship with someone in your organization with whom you don't normally work with

A few months ago, I began talking to the contractors that take the trailers from the load side that I run. Especially the driver that takes the Charlotte trailers, which is the first hot cut for the station. This run is important for not only our outbound service, but for our preload staff as well. If I cut these trailers late, then the preload will receive their trailers late. Previously I switched, so I already knew most of the drivers pretty well. The Charlotte driver needs to be dispatched at 9:00 everyday, but even if the trailer was shut, he was not leaving until 10 to 15 minutes later. I could not figure out why we kept having late dispatches, so I decided to go straight to the contractor. He informed me that he has to go to the office to find out which trailers he needed after the trailer is shut he has to hook up and then go back to the office for his paper work. Instantly I planned an easy fix. I told him that every night , I would have his two trailers on doors 12 and 13 and that I would have his lead trailer shut by 8:55 at the latest, so he could go ahead and line up his trailers. And once the rear trailer is shut, I would go get his paper work, while he hooks up his second trailer. This has lead to faster and on time dispatch times. Befitting both our service and the arrival time for the preload

Describe a time when you utilized multiple methods of data collection and analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of an organizational change

A few months ago, I had knee surgery, and I was taken off of the load side that I usually run, and I was put in an area where I didn't have to move around as much. Once my knee was healed, I returned to the load area. Upon returning many new loaders were in this area and the loaders I had previously worked with were no longer there. Due to a huge shift in experience, cut times were not being made and scan compliance was not where it needed to be. To improve efficiency of this load side, I decided to make a permanent fix, the problems needed to be fixed from a base level. I made a list of 5 main objectives: improve scan compliance, scan rates per hour, load factor, installing what I know into the loaders, hitting the cut times. On the first day back I discussed what our goals were, so the package handlers understood why we needed to have a since of urgency, and I covered the goals with them. Over the next few days, I worked with each loader, teaching them the proper labels to scan, techniques that I have learned to load faster, how to clean up around their trailers, taught them load points, why it is important to fit as many packages as possible on the trailers, and what to do while their assigned trailer is slow to help out the team overall. After a week or two, the load side was back to where it needed to be and has had the highest scan compliance in the building every week since then.

A time when a coworker asked me to help them, how did I go about helping them.

A few weeks ago, another load side manager asked for help on improving scanning in her area. The scan compliance in her area was the lowest in the building, and she couldn't figure out how to improve it. So throughout the night, while my side was slow on throughput, I would go to her side and work with her loaders. Simply having conversations, while I watched to see if they were scanning the correct labels on the packages.What I found out is that they were scanning the wrong labels on certain accounts, and after correcting them, the scan compliance in her area rose dramatically, leading to an increase in the stations scan compliance.

Tell me about a time when you realized you needed more data in order to make a solid recommendation or draw a sound conclusion.

A while ago, one of the load sides was not hitting the goal for scan compliance. Specifically for a certain load point. The managers on that side could not figure out who was missing the scans, and were considering documenting all the loaders in that area. However, this certain load point spans across 6 different trailers, and can anywhere from 4 to 6 people loading them throughout the night. Personally I did not feel that it would be fair to document all of the loaders, when it could just be one or two loaders missing scans. I discussed a plan of rotating each loader into a door with only one or two load points, to see if they are the ones missing the scans. Eventually this plan was put into action and the loaders missing scans were revealed and talked to. This greatly improved scan compliance in that area and the building.

Even if we have a fundamental understanding of financial terms and concepts, we can find ourselves over our head when the discussion becomes too in depth, tell me about a time when this happened to you

About 4 years ago I began talking about getting involved in stocks to my grandmother. She then mentioned to me about her broker and asked if I would like to meet him. Shortly after we met and I asked him questions about different financial options such as retirement accounts and stocks. He began talking about all these different options that I had never heard of before. I asked him to explain some of the options so that I could better understand them and then make a decision whether or not I would open up an account through his company. He then explained to me the different options and broke them down for me. As a result of his help I now have a better understanding of saving and retirement accounts as well as stocks.

What in your experience has prepared you to effectively lead this organization, why will FedEx be more successful with you in this position

About 6.5 years ago I began working for FedEx, and since day 1, I wanted to be the best at what I was doing. At first I wanted to be the highest loader, after that I wanted to be the best splitter, yard switcher, trainer, and when I became an ops manager, of course I wanted to be the best. But after a few months at this position, we entered peak season, and it was rough. I had a lot of failures during the beginning, but instead of shutting down and blaming others, I took a step back, and decoded what I needed to do to fix the problem and what I learned was, the mind set of saying I am the best, or it was me that made it better, needs to be forgotten. This company revolves around team work. Which is something that I have established in every area I have had to run as a manager. I have learned how to listen to others opinions and ideas, and how to incorporate them with my own, to improve productivity. Along with teamwork, another key tool for success, is adaptability. Each day is different and when planning for each sort, I've learned that things are not always going to go as planned. Being able to adjust, while staying calm and grounded during difficult situations has helped me get to where I am today. Showing my emotions during the sort, especially in front of employees would only create a negative mood. And lastly, I have a drive to be great at what I am doing. Like I said earlier, I can't be the best by myself. This is a team effort, and to be a great manager, you have to build your team. Which is what I have done at my current station. I have personally trained each employee on my side. I teach every employee, what I know and install in them knowledge that they can use to further themselves in this company or wherever they decide to go. By working so closely with my employees, the load side that I currently run, has had the highest scan compliance in the building for the past 7 months. Everyday I approach the sort with a mindset of not only hitting the goals, but crushing them and leaving my mark on the company as an asset, rather than a liability

if selected, what actions would you consider taking to facilitate FedEx Grounds commitment to inclusion and diversity

Basically work with everyone. There are many different types of people that are employed at FedEx. Some people can walk through the door and do whatever their task with no problem while enjoying it. On the other hand you have some employees,m who want to succeed, but are having a hard time. We recently employed someone who was out of shape. After his first day, he looked discouraged. Before he left, I pulled him to the side and thanked him for coming in and helping. And asked him how his first day was. He told me it was rough and hard on him and was concerned he wouldn't be good at his job. I encouraged him to stick with it, and that over time it will become easier. It is going to take some time for your back and body to get use to this kind of work, especially if you're inactive. The next day he came back and I showed him some ways to work smarter, rather than harder, which will allow someone to maintain more energy throughout the sort. Over the next few days, he began to improve slightly. Talking to him everyday before, during, and after the sort, he brought to my attention something that he felt was holing him back. If I had a resolution I taught him ways that could help him push through the obstacle. Last night he was in a trailer that received a high amount of volume, and began to look discouraged, I quickly noticed and began to load with him. I didn't want him to shut everyone out, so I reminded him that if anyone on our side, could help we would. Later that night while he was leaving he left with smile and thanked me for the help.

Tell me about a job you least liked doing and why?/ Tell me about a time you had a job you did not like and why

Before every sort, all the managers get together to discuss scanning. Previously all we were told was either good job, or we missed it. There was never a true break down of what went wrong, or who was missing scans. To fix this problem the area manager asked me to look through the reports to see where scans were being missed, and which accounts were being missed. At I didn't think that it would help scanning. However, once I was able to see which loaders were not scanning packages, I was able to talk to them and work with them on scanning the correct label on the packages. This lead to an increase in the stations scan compliance.

We all had discussions with people where we just see things differently.... last time had a conversation with someone who had a different viewpoint than you on a certain issue

During the one of our sorts, the sort manager came to me and told me to send volume from one load point to another to consolidate volume. I did not think it was a good idea, but I listened to his reason behind wanting to make that move. I acknowledged his idea, but told him that it would cause the trailer to blow out, due to am account being unloaded that mainly goes to one of those load points. At first he disagreed with me and told me to make the move, but before I did I took him to the trailer and showed him how much the amount of volume to that trailer was increasing. After seeing the volume he decided to hold off on making the move, and we came to an agreement to go with this plan after the account was finished.

How do you deal with an upset customer?

I am a firm believer, that in business situations that the customer comes first. I've learned from my own personal experience that when someone is upset, they may make certain comments that might upset me, but they aren't always directed towards me personally. This helps me stay calm and listen to what they are saying to figure out what it is that they need. If I can do anything to help them personally, I will, and if it is a situation that I can not handle directly, I will find someone who can, and wait with them until the other person arrives, that way they don't feel abandoned and as if I am making them wait, so I don't have to deal with their situation.

Give an example of something you have done recently to ensure that all of your employees are focused on meeting or exceeding customer needs

For a while I was not covering loader rates with my employees, and I was not consistently talking to them about scan compliance. The load side that I run was doing well, but the employees had no way of knowing this on a daily basis. One day I noticed that everyone seemed energetic. And the load numbers were beginning to decline. To fix this The next day during presort meeting I thanked them for all that they were doing for not only me, but the company. I acknowledged each of them for something good that they were doing and I made them a deal. I told them that if we keep hitting out scan compliance, and everyone on our side averaged out to be over the goal of packages scanned per hour, that I would buy them Gatorade every Friday. Since then I thank them every night for their help. and if I forget to tell my employees there load rates, they come to me asking what their load rate was the previous day and how many boxes they missed. This has also created a feeling of accomplishment for my employees. As well as motivates them to keep performing above goal

Some people work best by focusing on one task for long periods of time while others prefer to just go back and forth from task to task throughout they day, which of these best describe your work style provided examples to support your answers

I prefer to handle multiple task though out the day and during the sort, as managers, we are forced to do this. Cut times have to be made, we have to ensure that package handlers are loading correctly and efficiently, training needs to be completed, areas need to be cleaned, all while adapting to the challenges of that day. The load side that I run has the first hot cuts of the night, at 9:00 to Charlotte. Our station is the only station that has a direct run to Charlotte, so every box going there needs to be on the trailer before the cut time, to make sure there are no failures. To ensure that all objectives are hit, I approach each day with a different strategy to provide the best game plan. During the presort meeting I cover what we can improve on to hit our goals, provide examples of how certain things can help the team overall and assign each package handler a task. Whether it be staying in one trailer if that trailer gets high volume, bouncing between slower volume trailers, or cleaning floors consistently throughout the night. I also let the package handlers know that the original plan could be altered throughout the night depending on amount of volume or if we need to make cuts. By assigning task and showing the package handlers what it is that I expect, the overall team work, productivity, and demeanor increase daily. This also helps the floors stay clean, and we make the 9:00 cut time with all necessary packages on the trailers.

What industry periodicals/materials do you read to give you insight into the business and an idea of where our company/industry is going down the road? Magazine

In terms of reading materials pertaining to FedEx ground directly, I am only limited to what appears on the FedEx grid homepage, and top stories on the news. But Recently I have been reading a book called Rich Dad, Poor Dad. What I have learned from this book is not to work just for money, but rather the experience. Each day is different, and we are faced with new obstacles every day. And experience in multiple situations is what will and has lead me to be able to get through these situations. Pertaining to using this information to discuss an issue with someone, I helped one of my friends decide to take a job working in a field that he is passionate about, and went to school for, even if it meant taking a pay cut.

Sometimes we spend a good deal of time and energy coaching an employee competency area only to realize the person may not be able to meet the expectations of the area, tell me about a time when you experienced this situation

It is important to develop each person to their full potential. I have never believed that someone was unable to meet their assigned goals and expectations. It's my job as a manger to train and develop my employees to reach our goals. One of my recent splitters had a very difficult time learning the split. She learned most of the split, but could not seem to learn where certain Virginias went, which we get a lot of on my side. I tried explaining little tricks to help her remember certain cities and zip codes, but nothing worked. So I decided to try some new tactics. When I greeted her, or passed her walking I would randomly throw out a city or zip code that she kept missing. At first she forgot, but by the third day she was getting the hang of it and was missing less of those cities. She's still develop as a splitter, but as long as she continues to try and show improvement, then I will work with her to reach her full potential. After the success of using this method with her I will continue to use the same training methods on future splitters if I notice a certain city being missed to ensure that they are continuously learning and this method motivates them not miss boxes.

Describe a time.... difficult situation involving external business partner

One of the most important cut times at my station are the Charlotte hots. They are the first cuts in the station, and it is not only important for the packages going to Charlotte, but also for our preload managers. For the fact that if I dispatch the Charlotte driver late, then he comes back late for the preload shift. These trailers are supposed to dispatch at 9:00 every night, however, sometimes we may not shut the doors on the trailers until 9:00. Once the trailers have been shut, it can take 10 to 15 minutes for the driver to hook everything up and finally dispatch, causing late dispatches every night. To figure out what was taking him so long, I simply asked the driver what his process was once he arrived. I learned that he walks to the office every day to find out where his trailers are, then back out to hook up, and once more back to the office to receive his final paper work. To cut down the wasted time he spent walking back and forth, I told him that every day I would have his trailers on doors 12 and 13, and I would bring him his paper work once the trailers were shut. That way he didn't have to walk to the office and he could be ready to pull the trailers as soon as the doors were shut. As a result of our agreement, dispatch times on these trailers has been reduced around 10 to 15 minutes every night, helping not only the outbound service, but the preload arrival times as well.

Tell me about a time when you were responsible communicating an important objective to key players in your organization, discuss how you conveyed these objectives and monitored the achievement and results

Recently I have become interested in smalls compliance. I usually don't even think about it, but it is monitored and I figured that if I can help make it more productive our station will look that much better. So one day Chris told me the smalls compliance was only 93.4 and gave me a print out of the scanning in smalls as well as the percentages. I asked what our goal was and he told me 100 percent, which is what we should always strive for anyways. So that day I went to each individual that would be in smalls and showed them the sheet and informed them of how to improve it so we can hit our metrics. Throughout the night I observed them to make sure everything was going well and we weren't missing any scans as well as popping in every once in a while to help while I talked and joked with them to help lighten the mood. And for some of them I would bag beside them challenging them to a race to see who could bag faster. Towards the end of the night there were only a few smalls boxes left and I saw one of the baggers just put in in a bin. So I went over to them and reminded them that we had to bag everything that had been scanned by the smalls scanner. Just as an added bonus I told them that if we hit 100% on smalls compliance I would bring them all drinks. The constant reminding, helping out and reward system helped as we went from a 93.4 the previous day to a 99.6. Since then we have moved people around and the smalls crew is going through some changes so smalls compliance has not been as high as I would like, but we are training two new people in smalls and I believe that we can consistently stay in the 99 percentile at minimum.

Tell me about the most challenging presentation you successfully delivered

Senior year in college ----- had to present a budget plan to the HR department at my school----- before beginning the project I was placed in a group. Previous to this project I had never worked with the other students, or even talked to them. While brainstorming ideas of how we would set the budget, every group member wanted to split it a different way. Trying to bring the group together, I started trying to

Think of a customer of yours; what have you done to better understand their business or function, what have you done to meet their expectations

Since I graduated high school, I've helped train my friends to help them get into shape or help them toward a desired goal. One day a friend of my friend asked if I could help him get a little bigger and tone up. I told him to meet me for lunch that weekend so we could talk discuss it. We sat in the restaurant for hours. The first two hours we simply talked. For someone to listen and trust me I feel that it is necessary to create a strong relationship in order to give them that extra drive to push harder for someone they like as well as for me to work harder in order to help someone close to me succeed. After a while it was as if I were talking to an old friend. At that point we began discussing what his goals were. I only asked simple questions as he told me everything that he wanted. He has a similar body type to me, so I knew kind of what to expect at certain milestones. Which I expressed to him, letting him know that at first you'll see results quickly and then they will come slowly over time. The one thing that seemed to keep him down is that he had quit working out multiple times before and was afraid that he'd do it again. I simply told him that you may have quit many times before, but you are here now asking me for help and that is all that matters now. I also gave him a way to stay motivated and continue working out. A rewards system in which let's say after 3 months of working out you can buy new shoes or a new shirt. Due to our busy schedules we could not meet every day, but I told him to text me or call me every time he had a question or hit a new milestone. As well as I would text him randomly asking how his workout for the day was. Now he lives in Wilmington, NC and is pretty good shape. On the weekends we call each other and talk about his training and what he's doing new or he asks me for new workout ideas.

Some stake holders want to be informed about all activities while others are only concerned about milestones. Tell me about a time when you used different approaches of informing people based on their preferences.

When

Describe the methods that you use when learning something new.

When learning something new I first get an understanding of what and why I am doing something. Once I have the information needed to complete my new objective I ask for advice and if possible I observe others to see how they complete the task and finally I use repetition of what I have learned. Repetition, repetition, repetition, it's how we've learned our entire lives, from learning to walk, talk, and in school. I have used these methods when I became a splitter. When I first got on the split I had a lot of new information thrown at me all at once, but I took it as a challenge and I wanted to be the best at it. As I spent more and more time on the split I begun treating it as if it were a game, and every time I would throw a miss load, I would go and see exactly what it was, so I could prevent the mistake from happening again in the future. Learning the split also gave me the ability to help others know where certain cities and states go, so if they see a Texas box on the ground they could take it to the Texas trailer instead of having to scan it. As well as I could test people every once in a while by bringing them a box and asking where it goes. If they get it right, I'll tell them good job and give them a high five which gives a little boost to the mood. This helps me remain educated on where everything goes, as well as teach employees load points.