RBC Situational Judgement Scenarios 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A new colleague constantly makes small errors in their reports, causing your team to miss deadlines. You are not their manager. What is the most appropriate action?
- Start correcting their work silently without saying anything to them.
- Complain about them to other colleagues to build consensus.
- Offer to help them understand the process and share tips that have worked for you. (Correct answer)
- Escalate immediately to senior management and demand they be reassigned.
Correct answer: Offer to help them understand the process and share tips that have worked for you.
Supporting a struggling colleague by sharing knowledge addresses the root problem constructively and strengthens team performance.
Question 2: A client is applying for a mortgage and asks you to 'round up' their stated income slightly so they qualify for a larger loan. What is your response?
- Agree since it is only a small adjustment and you want to help the client.
- Explain that income must be accurately documented, as misrepresentation constitutes fraud and could harm the client. (Correct answer)
- Record the inflated figure but note it informally so you can fix it later.
- Tell the client to submit the application themselves online where no one will check.
Correct answer: Explain that income must be accurately documented, as misrepresentation constitutes fraud and could harm the client.
Falsifying income on a loan application is mortgage fraud; you must maintain data integrity and explain the legal risk to the client.
Question 3: You are managing multiple client cases simultaneously and realize you cannot complete all tasks by end of day. What is the best course of action?
- Work through all tasks without telling anyone, even if quality suffers.
- Prioritize the most time-sensitive and high-impact tasks, proactively communicate delays to affected parties, and request support if needed. (Correct answer)
- Leave the least urgent tasks without informing anyone and handle them next week.
- Ask a colleague to do your entire workload without coordinating with your manager.
Correct answer: Prioritize the most time-sensitive and high-impact tasks, proactively communicate delays to affected parties, and request support if needed.
Prioritizing critical tasks and communicating proactively about delays demonstrates responsibility and protects client relationships.
Question 4: During a video call with a high-value client, your internet connection drops and the call ends abruptly. How do you handle this?
- Wait for the client to reschedule since it was a technical issue outside your control.
- Send an email apologizing and wait for their response.
- Immediately call the client on their phone, apologize, and offer to continue the discussion or reschedule at their convenience. (Correct answer)
- Ask a colleague to contact the client on your behalf.
Correct answer: Immediately call the client on their phone, apologize, and offer to continue the discussion or reschedule at their convenience.
Proactively reaching out immediately after a disconnection demonstrates professionalism and respect for the client's time.
Question 5: A colleague asks you to cover for them by telling your manager they were in a meeting when they were actually away from the office for personal reasons. What do you do?
- Agree to cover for them since it is a small favor and they are a friend.
- Decline to lie to your manager, and suggest the colleague speak honestly with the manager themselves. (Correct answer)
- Tell your manager the truth about where the colleague was without consulting the colleague.
- Avoid the situation by saying nothing and hoping the manager does not ask.
Correct answer: Decline to lie to your manager, and suggest the colleague speak honestly with the manager themselves.
Integrity requires refusing to deceive your manager; the right course is to encourage honesty without unilaterally exposing your colleague.
Question 6: A client complains that a junior employee on your team was rude during their last visit. You were not present for the interaction. What is the best response?
- Apologize to the client, promise to investigate, and speak privately with the junior employee to hear their perspective before taking any action. (Correct answer)
- Immediately discipline the junior employee based on the client's account alone.
- Tell the client you cannot comment on other employees' behavior.
- Dismiss the complaint since you did not personally witness the interaction.
Correct answer: Apologize to the client, promise to investigate, and speak privately with the junior employee to hear their perspective before taking any action.
Acknowledging the client's concern, investigating fairly, and hearing both sides before acting reflects sound professional judgment.
Question 7: You notice that a process your branch has used for years appears to be outdated and less efficient than a new approach you learned about in training. What should you do?
- Change the process yourself immediately without informing anyone.
- Ignore it since you are too junior to suggest process improvements.
- Document your observations and proposed improvement, then raise it with your manager or through the appropriate feedback channel. (Correct answer)
- Complain to colleagues about the outdated process but take no formal action.
Correct answer: Document your observations and proposed improvement, then raise it with your manager or through the appropriate feedback channel.
Raising process improvement ideas through proper channels demonstrates initiative and supports RBC's culture of continuous improvement.
RBC Situational Judgement Scenarios 3
A new colleague constantly makes small errors in their reports, causing your team to miss deadlines.
You are not their manager.
What is the most appropriate action?