Etray1 Solution PDF

SECTION 1: Example Exercise Outcomes
SECTION 2: Competencies and Behavioural Indicators
E-Tray Exercise 1
Bannon & Loew Consulting - Solutions
Instructions
Please read the instructions on this page, then turn over the page to begin the exercise.
There are 10 e-mails requiring your response, each appear just as you would use in an office
environment. Some of these items may appear to describe isolated issues, while others link
to one or more of the other items. Some of the e-mails could require information found on
certain documents, these have been provided in the documents section, or they might refer
to attachments which are provided alongside the corresponding e-mail.
Your task is to respond to as many of the emails as you can within the time limit of 60
minutes. You must read the background information which gives you useful information
about the role you are being asked to assume and the company you are working for. When
replying to the emails try to imagine yourself in a work environment. You will not receive
replies to any of your emails during the exercise, so reply to the best of your ability.
The exercise begins on the next page.
For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 1 of 39

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Background Information
Bannon & Loew Consulting is a firm of business strategists, originally founded by brothers Robert
and Gregory Bannon in Chicago under the moniker “Bannon & Bannon”. Following the rising
success of the consultancy during the 80s, Cynthia Loew partnered with the firm in 1989
resulting in Bannon & Loew Consulting as the company is now known. The firm currently has
three locations, each overseen by one of the partners. Gregory Bannon is the acting senior
executive of the Chicago office, with Robert Bannon running the New York office and Cynthia
Loew based in London. Each office has Financial, Operations and Risk consultancy divisions that
work independently, with the option of establishing a symbiotic relationship if required for a
particular client. The Chicago, New York and London locations also have Human Resources,
Marketing, Information Technology and Administrative departments, which are required for
internal purposes only and do not contribute to the client consultation process itself.
Consultancy
The consultancy side of the business is the largest part of the company structure and consists of
separate divisions: Financial Management, Operations Management and Risk Management
consulting. Each consulting division deals with clients relevant to its respective unit, collaborating
on occasion if a project produces significant overlap with one or more of the other consultancy
sectors.
Financial Management Consulting – Typically concerned with the effective management of

funds, capital raising, debt and deal financing. Financial management meets client objectives
through acquisition and allocation of capital, assessment of profit margins, identification of
causality regarding revenue, assigning short term resources and producing budgeting
frameworks. This allows a business to run as economically as possible, balancing investments,
future ventures, debt, cash, debtors and creditors.
Projects usually entail:

- Establishing financial frameworks to guide clients towards goal acquisition, while
maintaining economic boundaries.
- Alleviating client concerns through assessment of resources and provision of actionable
reports.
Operations Management Consulting – This area of consulting is concerned with assessing the
internal structure of a company and implementing strategies to utilise production potential.
Although operations consultancy is traditionally applied to product based companies or
manufacturing plants, the core elements of its principal can largely be applied to service-based
businesses and various organisational structures.

- Identifying areas of improvement within existing procedures and providing agendas for
strategic development.
- Examining workflow and aiding clients to enhance companywide efficiency.

Risk Management Consulting – Generally focuses on the assessment of insurable and un-
insurable risks to a company, whether in relation to undertaking new projects, unforeseen
expenditures, due diligence, written contacts or allocation of capital and revenue growth. Risk
assessment consultants identify potential threats to corporate achievement and aim to
circumvent matters that could jeopardise objectives.

- Diagnosing potential threats to business development and ensuring the client has full
awareness of prospective setbacks.
- Implementation of insurance policies to safeguard the client against undesirable
circumstances.
Situation
Following a recent office dispute leading to the sudden departure of a staff member from the
London office, you have been asked to transfer from your current position at the Chicago site to
replace a much-needed consultant within the Financial Management division of the London
office. Due to the urgency of projects being handled at the somewhat understaffed UK base, a
meeting among the Senior Consultants concluded that this will be the best way to utilise current
resources. It is likely that your services will be required in London over the next couple of weeks,
while a suitable candidate is selected to take up the position in the long term. Although you have
been working for Bannon & Loew Consulting for the past six months and are familiar with the
company’s client work, you have always been located in Chicago and are unfamiliar with the
London set-up. You have been informed that staff should be available upon arrival to bring you
up to speed on the current situation and status of the impending projects, however it is required
that you handle the transition as efficiently as possible in order to actively assist the staff in
meeting deadlines.

E-mails: E-mail 1
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From: Anne Matheson
To: _____
Subject: Welcome to London
Sent: 17:32 Sunday 6th October
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Hello _____,
Just a quick e-mail to thank you for joining us during this hectic time, Cynthia is thrilled that you
were willing to assist on the current projects given Ron’s recent departure. I’ve included some
information about the people you will be working with over the next couple of weeks, in the hope
that it will help you to settle into our finance department and ease the transition period.
As you know we are going to require efficiency and initiative in order to complete the tasks at hand,
so it would be greatly valued if you could use your professional judgement when responding to your
new colleagues. I’m not sure which company model you have been following in the Chicago branch,
but our office adheres to the “Perpetual Improvement Wheel” which you can access in your
documents. If you are ever unsure of the procedures we would like you to follow while working with
us, or the standards we work to, we recommend that you have a look through it.
If you have any queries, or are unsure of who could provide valid input on certain matters, feel free
to refer to the organogram and familiarise yourself with the personnel structure. I have also
attached some useful background information on the London team.
Kind regards,
Anne Matheson
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Employee Profiles London
Bannon & Loew Consulting - London Office
Financial Management Consultancy
Director – Alison Lambert
Alison is highly respected among the London staff, as she has been working with us over the last 30
years. Originally employed as a Consultant, she has risen up the corporate ranks becoming CIMA
qualified and completing an MBA on her way.

Senior Consultant – Mark Robinson
Mark has been working with us for 7 years and has hopes of becoming Director in the future. He too
is CIMA qualified and is currently working towards completion of an MBA. Mark always has a
diplomatic approach towards any disputes, whether internal or client related, and seeks to provide
the most effective solution in every instance.
Consultants
Julia Rafferty – Julia has recently been employed here and shows great promise. Although her
conscientiousness is often a real asset, she may have the tendency to get a little bogged down in
specifics and appears somewhat prone to worrying. Nonetheless, she is an excellent contribution to
the workforce.
Simon O’Neil – Originally from Scotland, Simon moved to London about 3 years ago and joined the
Bannon & Loew Consulting workforce. He is a keen member of staff with great attention to detail,
however he is probably the most likely to become confrontational if the accuracy of his work is
questioned and does not respond well to pressure.
George Kalimisarkis – George is a real character and is very popular among the staff, he has worked
with us for 9 years and appears to be quite content with his position. Although he has a wealth of
experience, as well as being CIMA qualified, George opted to remain at consultant level when
offered the senior position a few years back. He often jokes that he will never retire, and at the age
72, we are starting to believe him!
Junior Consultants
Lee Hussein – Recent graduate Lee joined the company last year and is proving to be a tremendous
employee, always quick to take initiative and is extremely organised in his work. Lee tends to keep to
himself, remaining focussed on the tasks at hand and always meets deadlines.
Peter Harlow – An ambitious young man, eager to establish himself within the company despite
being employed within the last 9 months. Peter has a brilliant mind for business, but tends to
overstep his boundaries on occasion, a characteristic which has been noted a few times by his
seniors.
Jessica Campbell – A fairly balanced employee, Jessica usually fulfils that which is required of her but
always seems unwilling to go the extra mile in regard to her work. Originally considered to be a real
up and comer, she has failed to meet expectations during her time in our employ.
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Scoring Criteria: E-mail 1
Competency: Comprehension and Communication.
Urgency: Low (Does not require a quick response)
Importance: High (Contains vital information)

Positive Indicators +1
The candidate responds to Anne Matheson.
In their response, the candidate thanks Anne Matheson for providing the information and
welcoming them to the workforce.
In their response, the candidate assures Anne Matheson that they will work to the
standards of the London office.
Negative Indicators -1
The candidate is either disrespectful, impolite, or addresses Anne Matheson
inappropriately when responding.
The candidate does not thank Anne Matheson for providing helpful information.
The candidate fails to respond to Anne Matheson in a courteous manner.
How would you rate your performance on this competency based on your positive to
negative indicator ratio?
Low Below Average Average Above Average High

1 2 3 4 5

E-mails: E-mail 2
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From: Julia Rafferty

To: Ron Henderson
Subject: Baxter LLC
Sent: 14:47 Thursday 3rd October
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Ron,
As you know there are some issues regarding the Baxter LLC account; they are concerned about the
strategies we are planning to implement and don’t seem convinced that we can make a worthwhile
improvement to the current figures. I think it is important that we meet with their directors and go
over our assessment with them, so that they understand it better and feel more confident moving
forward. The only problem is fitting the meeting in, I know that you already have some things
booked into your calendar but I really feel it’s important they speak to a Consultant. Baxter LLC are
big clients and we don’t want to lose them. I would appreciate your feedback as soon as possible,
preferably no later than Tuesday. Feel free to bring anyone up to speed who you feel could provide
valuable feedback concerning this matter.
Also, I have reviewed your financial assessment of PNC Holdings that you asked me to check and I
can see nothing wrong – it looks good to go.
Thanks,
Julia
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Competency: Seizing Opportunities and Meeting Objectives
Urgency: Medium (Next day deadline)
Importance: Medium (Potential issue with valuable client)
The candidate arranges a meeting on an appropriate date, avoiding scheduling conflicts.
The candidate recognises the importance of this e-mail and securing the clients business,
demonstrating this clearly in their response.
CC in either Simon O’Neil or George Kalimisarkis as they are the other finance
consultants working on the project and may provide valuable input regarding this matter.
The candidate asks Julia Rafferty who else has been working on the Baxter LLC
assessment and therefore who might be able to provide input.
The candidate agrees that a meeting should take place, in order to address any of the
client’s concerns and maintain company standards.

The candidate does not respond at all, resulting in missing the deadline.
The candidate fails to provide an adequate response, resulting in missing the deadline.
The candidate arranges a meeting that causes a clash in schedules.
The candidate does not appreciate the importance of maintaining client satisfaction and
assumes Julia Rafferty is overreacting.

1 2 3 4 5

E-mails: E-mail 3
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From: Mark Robinson

To: _____
Subject: Holiday Entitlement – Jessica Campbell
Sent: 10:09 Monday 7th October
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Hi ____,
Firstly, welcome to the London office, I hope you are settling in and that the team have been helpful,
filling you in on any important matters.
Secondly, I apologise for delving straight into business, but there is a matter concerning one of the
Junior Consultants’ having booked holiday time, during what looks set to be a very busy time for the
company. It was originally something I had asked Ron to deal with, as he signed it off in the first
place, but as you know he is no longer working with us. I’ve spoken with Jessica and the leave was
booked for her wedding, also when requesting the holiday she did give the notice required. I am
happy for you to deal with it in any manner you see fit, whether it involves cancelling Jessica’s
holiday or if you can provide an alternative solution, either way I would be eager to hear your
solution seeing as you have a fresh pair of eyes regarding this matter.
If you could let me know your thoughts by the end of the day, that would be most appreciated.
Also, thanks for your contribution to the London office at this time.
Kind regards,
Mark Robinson
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Competency: Problem Solving and Strategy Formation.
Urgency: High (End of day deadline)
Importance: Medium (Maintaining necessary resources and being sensitive to staff)
The candidate provides a useful suggestion, or feasible alternative to cancelling Jessica
Campbell’s holiday.
The candidate refers to the Organogram and CCs in Matthew Hill, who is the director of
HR and may be able to provide useful input regarding this matter.
The candidate honours the company holiday policy and decides not to alter Jessica
Campbell’s leave.

The candidate suggests that no action is required, in the hopes that the company are not
as busy as they expect during Jessica Campbell’s absence.
The candidate does not make a decision one way or another, nor do they provide any
alternative solutions
The candidate fails to respond to Mark Robinson.

1 2 3 4 5

E-mails: E-mail 4
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From: Alison Lambert

To: _____
Subject: Employee Disputes
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_____,
As I am sure you are aware, the department has had some issues regarding staff disputes as of late,
which became most apparent in the case of Ron Henderson’s abrupt departure. Given the large
number of projects the branch has been working on recently, with deadlines looming, we cannot
afford to have an unsettled workforce. I have been informed that one of the Junior Consultants,
Peter Harlow, may have been involved in Ron Henderson’s resignation. Similarly, it has been brought
to my attention that some of the remaining members of the Financial Management team,
particularly Simon O’Neil, may also be experiencing difficulties with Peter. Naturally we want to get
to the bottom of this and ensure that the department is running smoothly as soon as possible.
As you are new to the London office, I am particularly interested to know if you pick up on anything
at all concerning these matters. If you do come across anything, please either contact myself or
Mark Robinson.
Much appreciated,
Alison Lambert
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Competency: Comprehension and Communication.
Urgency: High (Sent from the Director of Financial Management and requires a response to
demonstrate understanding)
Importance: High (Regards a pressing matter)
In their response, the candidate assures Alison Lambert that they will do as she has
instructed and remain vigilant to these matters.
The candidate recognises that if left unresolved, this issue could have a negative impact
on the current workforce and Financial Management division.
The candidate recognises the importance of maintaining staff relationships during this time
and demonstrates this in their response.

The candidate is either disrespectful, impolite, or addresses Alison Lambert
inappropriately when responding.
The candidate’s response does not demonstrate an understanding of the issue’s
importance.
The candidate fails to respond, despite the e-mail being sent from the department
Director.

1 2 3 4 5

E-mails: E-mail 5
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From: Simon O’Neil

To: ____,
Subject: Overseeing Junior Consultants
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Hello ____,
Welcome to the team! I’m not sure if you have been made aware of this but at the London office we
have a mentoring programme to aid our Junior Consultants in their development here by providing
individual feedback sessions every month. It consists of a 1:1 meeting between a consultant and a
junior; the pairing rotates each month so that the juniors get an equal number of reviews from each
consultant. Usually I would be happy to sit in on the session but I’ve had a bit of a clash with him
recently and was wondering if you would be willing to look over Peter Harlow’s record and
administer his evaluation this month?
I would greatly appreciate it, but understand if you are unable. Either way please let me know by
Wednesday.
All the best,
Simon O’Neil
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Competency: Decision Making and Professional Judgement.
Urgency: Low (Wednesday deadline)
Importance: High (Relates to matters raised in an E-mail from Alison Lambert)
The candidate recognises the link between this e-mail and the previous message from
Alison Lambert titled “Employee Disputes”.
The candidate CCs Alison Lambert or Mark Robinson into their response; as instructed in
the earlier e-mail from Alison Lambert.
The candidate requests useful information, such as notes from Peter’s previous
evaluations.
The candidate uses a delaying tactic, allowing them to inform either Alison Lambert or
Mark Robinson, before moving forward.
The candidate makes a decision one way or another.

The candidate does not provide an adequate response.
The candidate inappropriately alerts members of staff to this matter, who were not
mentioned in the original e-mail from Alison Lambert.
The candidate fails to see any connection between this e-mail and the matter raised
previously by Alison Lambert.
The candidate fails to make a decision regarding this matter.

1 2 3 4 5

E-mails: E-mail 6
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From: George Kalimisarkis

To: ______
Subject: Prospective Business Meeting
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_____,
I received a phone call earlier from Reidis Ltd, they are a marketing agency interested in utilising
their current resources and streamlining the internal structure of the business. Although it sounds
like something that Operations would be able to deal with, the lead came through to us and we have
rather hit it off (perhaps because we had a long chat about sailing!). Following a phone conversation
they had with Lee Hussein, Reidis Ltd would be interested in coming to meet with us sometime next
week, would you be able to go ahead with this?
Any thoughts you have regarding this matter would be greatly appreciated, it would be preferable if
you could contact me by the end of the day tomorrow so that I can go ahead and arrange any
necessary meetings.
Kind Regards,
George
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Competency: Seizing Opportunities and Meeting Objectives.
Urgency: Medium (End of day tomorrow deadline)
Importance: Medium (Potential new business, but already very busy)
The candidate recognises that George Kalimisarkis has identified a good opportunity to
acquire new business.
The candidate recognises the connection with the Baxter LLC e-mail and the lack of
resources.
The candidate recognises that it is a valuable opportunity and CCs in Roger Townsend or
Anthony Parsons (Operations Management) to collaborate on the project, as the Finance
division do not have enough resources at present to pursue the project alone.

The candidate does not make a clear decision.
The candidate suggests that they should not involve the Operations team.
The candidate fails to respond, resulting in the loss of a business opportunity.
The candidate fails to see the connection with the Baxter LLC e-mail and agrees to a
meeting without addressing the issue of availability.

1 2 3 4 5

E-mails: E-mail 7
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From: Peter Harlow

To: _____
Subject: Co-worker Inefficiency
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Hello ____,
I was told that you’ll be stepping in to help out while the higher ups find a replacement for Ron
Henderson. He was responsible for overseeing some of the Junior Consultants, so I assume that I
should contact you regarding any of my concerns, as you’re continuing with his duties. It has become
increasingly apparent that Lee Hussein, a fellow Junior Consultant, is somewhat incapable of
performing his duties to an adequate standard. He often completes tasks to a level that is barely
satisfactory and I am concerned that this will deter our clients from returning to us for future
projects. He was a disaster when attempting to encourage business from Reidis Ltd when they
called last week regarding their current company structure. I doubt that they would even consider us
again for future projects after his performance.
I think it is important that you are aware of this issue as he is currently working on some pretty high
profile cases, and I wasn’t sure if I should take over from him for the time being? I would be more
than happy to step in and help out the company if you think it for the best.
If you could let me know your decision by the end of the day tomorrow so that I can step in ASAP,
that would be great.
Best,
Peter Harlow
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Competency: Decision Making and Professional Judgement
Urgency: Medium (End of day tomorrow deadline)
Importance: High (Links to the previous e-mails titled “Employee Disputes” “Overseeing Junior
Consultants” and “Prospective Business Meeting”)

The candidate responds in a manner that is likely to facilitate a resolution.
The candidate makes a decision one way or another.
The candidate asks Peter Harlow if he can attend a meeting, in order to assess his
concerns in private.
The candidate recognises the link to George Kalimisarkis’ previous e-mail “Prospective
Business Meeting”, demonstrating this in their response.
The candidate recognises the link to Alison Lambert’s e-mail titled “Employee Disputes”
and informs either Alison Lambert or Mark Robinson as requested, by copying them in or
replying to Alison’s original e-mail.
The candidate does not take any action, or fails to respond altogether.
The candidate inappropriately alerts other staff members to this delicate situation, or
provides a response likely to exacerbate the matter.
The candidate ignores previous information relating to this e-mail and supports Peter
Harlow’s request to assume Lee Hussein’s caseload.
The candidate does not see a connection between this e-mail and the previous message
from George Kalimisarkis titled “Prospective Business Meeting”.
The candidate does not see any connection to the previous e-mail titled “Employee
Disputes”.

1 2 3 4 5

E-mails: E-mail 8
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From: Julia Rafferty

To: _____
Subject: NorthQuest Holdings
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______,
I’m in a bit of a predicament regarding the “NorthQuest Holdings” project and was wondering if you
don’t mind giving your opinion on something? I need to get the figures over to them by close of play
but as it stands; the streamlining has only resulted in a 4.7% reduction to their overheads and ideally
they were hoping for 6%. Would you be happy to sign off on the figures as is, or would it be best to
look into it further? Both Simon and George are tied up for the rest of the day so I would really
appreciate your input.
Thanks very much!
Julia
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Streamlining-Proposal-Rev4
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Competency: Abstract Thinking and Innovation
Urgency: High (End of day deadline)
Importance: Medium (Hitting deadlines)
The candidate provides an alternative solution, which did not involve delaying the project.
The candidate suggests that the figures should be given more attention and requested a
breakdown of the streamlining, in the hopes of achieving further cost reduction.
The candidate signed off on the current figures, despite being 1.3% short of their goal.
The candidate inappropriately requested that George Kalimisarkis or Simon O’Neil be
contacted, or appeared unwilling to provide input regarding this matter.

1 2 3 4 5

E-mails: E-mail 9
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From: Mark Robinson

To: ______
Subject: Ron Henderson - Missing Information
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______,
I hope you are enjoying your time here with us in London and that things haven’t been too stressful,
unfortunately I’m having some trouble locating part of Ron Henderson’s financial assessment of PNC
Holdings yearly turnover. As you know we are unable to contact Ron at this time and we desperately
need that information. I know that this project is unfamiliar to you and I am aware that you have a
lot of pressing matters to attend to, but we are stretched pretty thin at the moment and it would be
really helpful if you could have a look through his workings and see if you find anything of use.
If you feel that you are truly unable to help with this matter, please let me know by the 8th so that I
can arrange for someone to start afresh.
All the best,
Mark
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Competency: Problem Solving and Strategy Formation
Urgency: Medium (Deadline tomorrow)
Importance: Medium (Direct request from your senior)
The candidate suggested that Tom Reynolds, director of IT might be able to locate a copy
of this information from the company server, or contacted him themselves.
The candidate recognises the link to the e-mail from Julia Rafferty titled “NorthQuest
Holdings” and suggests that Mark speaks to her about obtaining the financial assessment.
The candidate provides helpful input, identifying any aspects that could lead to solving this
issue.
The candidate does not respond, resulting in failure to implement a plan of action.
In their response, the candidate does not adequately address the issue.
During their response, the candidate did not demonstrate an appreciation for the
importance of the situation.


1 2 3 4 5

E-mails: E-mail 10
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From: Simon O’Neil

To: ______
Subject: Unwanted Publicity
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Hi ____,
We’ve got a bit of a bit of a problem concerning the privacy of one of our clients. I’m not sure how
well you’ve been briefed on the Baxter LLC project, but they didn’t want word to get out that they
were using a financial management consultancy. They were concerned that either the press or their
competitors would put a negative spin on it and they are experiencing financial trouble. It looks like
someone must have found out because we’ve been contacted by someone trying to confirm that
Baxter LLC is currently a client of ours. Unfortunately, I think we can expect this to be public
knowledge within the next few days which is less than ideal, so I’d appreciate your input as to how
we handle this fiasco. Preferably sooner rather than later, I reckon we need to resolve this before
Baxter LLC’s shareholder meeting on the 9th October.
Sorry to drop this on you,
Thanks,
Simon
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Competency: Abstract Thinking and Innovation
Urgency: Medium (Couple of days’ time)
Importance: High (Concerns an issue with an important client)
The candidate recognises the importance of the matter, demonstrating this in their
response.
The candidate reasons beyond the consultancy side of the business, or contacts Kathy
Mead director of marketing, in the hope of presenting the information carefully.
The candidate recognises the link between this matter and the e-mail titled “Baxter LLC”,
alerting Julia Rafferty to the issue as she will soon be arranging a meeting with Baxter
LLC.
The candidate asks Simon O’Neil or a suitable Director to respond that Bannon & Loew
have strict client confidentiality and cannot reveal if Baxter LLC are a client or not.

The candidate does not respond at all.
In their response, the candidate makes no attempt to provide useful input, suggestions or
methods to resolve the issue.
The candidate fails to provide an adequate response, missing the deadline.
The candidate tries to send out a message that Baxter LLC are not in any difficulty,
without trying to establish the validity of any such speculation.

1 2 3 4 5

Scoring Criteria: General Applicable to the candidate’s overall performance.
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The candidate responds to the majority of messages in their inbox.
The candidate is polite when responding to e-mails, addressing co-workers appropriately.
The candidate utilises their time well throughout the exercise, prioritising e-mails
effectively.
The candidate addresses, or attempts to address the majority of issues mentioned during
the exercise.
The candidate demonstrates excellent spelling, grammar and language skills.
The candidate’s responses display a thorough understanding of the instructions provided.
The candidate demonstrates initiative throughout the exercise, referring to the additional
documents provided when producing a response.
The candidate does not appear to have referred to any of the additional information in the
documents section.
In their responses, the candidate is often impolite, disrespectful or acts in an inappropriate
manner.
The candidate prioritises e-mails inappropriately.
The candidate regularly fails to respond to e-mails.
The candidate appears to have misunderstood, or paid little attention to the instructions
provided.
The candidate demonstrates poor spelling, grammatical or language skills.
The candidate’s responses often display ambivalence, or are ambiguous in nature.
negative indicator ratio

1 2 3 4 5

The following scores are self-rated based on the candidate’s responses to the emails in this e-
tray exercise. This e-tray exercise has been scored according to a competency-based assessor's
scoring guide. This method of scoring allows flexibility and whole-exercise evaluation, but for
comparisons with other candidates a benchmarking exercise should be carried out, especially if
multiple assessors have been involved in marking.
Abstract Thinking and Innovation:
Comprehension and Communication:
Decision Making and Professional Judgement:
Problem Solving and Strategy Formation:
Seizing Opportunities and Meeting Objectives:
General Performance:
Overall Performance:
Scoring Key
1 Low level of competency

2 Fairly Low level of competency
3 Average level of competency
4 Fairly high level of competency
5 High level of competency
Competencies
The key competencies measured for this e-tray exercise are described below. Typically each e-
tray exercise will measure between five and eight competencies. Each company will have its own
set of competencies they look for in each role, but there are often similarities or even
commonalities between different companies' competency frameworks. Here, we have chosen
five general competencies which are considered typical for a graduate or early management
level role.
Abstract Thinking and Innovation: The candidate's ability to use creativity in a constructive
manner, reasoning beyond obvious solutions and developing original ideas.
Comprehension and Communication: Assesses the candidate's ability to understand the situation
and its importance, with reference to the candidate's quality of written communication.
Decision Making and Professional Judgement: The ability to make effective and appropriate
decisions, ensuring that the most beneficial course of action is taken.
Problem Solving and Strategy Formation: Assessors the candidate's ability to resolve
discrepancies and formulate high level plans of action.
Seizing Opportunities and Meeting Objectives: Focuses on whether the candidate recognises
important business opportunities, while maintaining company standards and client objectives.

Summary of documents: Document number and Title
Doc Document Title

1 Organogram
2 Perpetual Improvement Wheel
3 Perpetual Improvement Wheel: Case Study
4 Contact List
5 Holiday and Leave Policy
6 Sickness Absence Policy
7 Calendar

Item 1 - Organogram

Item 2 – Perpetual Improvement Wheel

Item 3 – Perpetual Improvement Wheel: Case Study
Case Study
Context: A mid-market private equity firm hit extremely hard by the global financial
crisis found itself heavily relying on debt to stay afloat, leading to an ever
increasing debt spiral. Almost all of the firm's profits went to the repayment of
interest, without paying off the debt itself. Any sudden downturn in profits could
lead to a default, and therefore the demise of the company. To prevent a
catastrophic default, the firm employed the services of Bannon and Loew
consulting. Using the Bannon & Loew Perpetual Improvement Wheel © , Bannon
and Loew consultants took the following course of action:
Goal Setting: A team of executives and Bannon and Loew consultants agreed that
the firm needed to decrease the firm's debt by 20% or more, allowing the firm to
begin paying off its debt, while still maintaining its interest payments.
Diagnostic: After evaluating the firm's portfolio companies, our consultants

identified a number of failing retail companies which were believed to be
underutilised and undervalued, but currently generating a loss for the firm.
Action plan: Our consultants suggested that they use their contacts to broker a
meeting with major retail company's in order to sell off the failing, underutilised
companies. Our consultants knew specific firms which would be particularly
interested in the portfolio companies and may be willing to purchase at a higher
price than its current market price.
Action: Our consultants arranged meeting with major retailers to discuss the
purchase of these portfolio companies. This meeting was facilitated by our
consultants, who provided objective and impartial advice to both sides of the table.
Similarly, the data collected from the diagnostic stage was shared with both parties
to highlight the feasibility of the arrangement.
Result: The major retailed purchased the portfolio companies at a mutually

beneficial price. The proceeds of this deal were used to repay a significant portion
of their debt. This combined with the increase in profits gains from dropping the
failing companies allowed the firm to decrease their debt by 24%, and begin using
profits to begin paying off remaining debt, while still meeting interest payments.
Using a combination of technocratic competency, commercial savvy and effective

networking, Bannon and Loew consulting helped rescue our client from the brink
and returned them to profitability. Just one of our many success stories over the
years, and no doubt we will have many more to tell in the future.

Item 4 – Contact List
Name Position Department Email address

Consulting (Financial
Alison Lambert Director alison.lambert@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Mark Robinson Senior Consultant mark.robinson@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Julia Rafferty Consultant Julia.rafferty@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Simon O’neil Consultant simononeil@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
George kalimisarkis Consultant georgekalimisarkis@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Lee Hussein Junior Consultant lee.hussein@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Peter Harlow Junior Consultant Peter.harlow@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Jessica Campbell Junior Consultant Jessica.campbell@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Name Position Department Email address

Cynthia Loew Senior partner N/A cynthia.loew@bandlc.co.uk
Sectary to the
Anne Matheson N/A anne.matheson@bandlc.co.uk
senior partner
Consulting (Operations
Roger Townsend Director rogertownsend@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Anthony parsons Senior Consultant anothony.parsons@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Lucy Jenkins Consultant lucy.jenkins@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Afolable Adwantin Consultant afolable.adwantin@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Daniel Epstein Consultant daniel.epstein@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Consulting (Risk
Alan Stevens Director alanstevens@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Consulting (Risk
Nathan Hume Senior Consultant Nathan.hume@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Consulting (Risk
Harry Martin Consultant Nathan.hume@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Consulting (Risk
Edward Mears Consultant edward.mears@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Consulting (Risk
Anousska Hanssen Consultant anousska.hassen@bandlc.co.uk
Management)
Kathy Mead Director Marketing kathy.mead@bandlc.co.uk
Mathew Hill Director HR mathew.hill@bandlc.co.uk
Tom Reynolds Director IT tom.reynolds@bandlc.co.uk
Sayid Naveer Director Administration sayid.naveer@bandlc.co.uk

Item 5 – Holiday and Leave Policy
Holiday and Leave Policy
1.0 Introduction
This policy forms a suite of policies that describe a range of leave arrangements available to
London based Bannon & Loew Consulting staff. The following Leave policy has been designed to
ensure that all types of leave are managed fairly and consistently.
2.0 Scope of this policy
This policy is appropriate to all staff directly employed by Bannon & Loew Consulting, London
branch. This does not however, include freelance associates, temp workers or any other contracted
worker from outside the organisation. Leave for Bannon & Loew Consulting staff from other sites
working temporarily at the London site will be managed on an individual basis.
3.0 Annual leave year
The annual leave year will run from December 31st to January 1st.
4.0 Entitlement
4.1 The basic full time annual leave entitlements, exclusive of public holidays, is as follows:
Junior Consultant -- 24 days
Consultant -- 27 days
Senior consultant -- 30 days
Director and above -- Negotiable
(for non-consulting roles)
1st year of appointment -- 24 days
After 3 years of service -- 27 days
After 5 years of service -- 30 days
After 10 years of service – Negotiable
4.2 The annual leave for part time staff will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
4.3 for non-consulting roles, reckonable years of service only include full year of service, as
measured from the employee's initial start date.
4.4 If staff members have elected to purchase additional leave as part of their flexible rewards
package, this will be included on top of the basic full time or pro-rata entitlement.
4.5 At director level or after 10 years of service, annual leave entitlement will be negotiated on an
individual basis with the staff member's immediate superior and the human resources department.
The minimum number of day annual leave at this level will be 30, with no official upper limit.
4.6 All staff must give twice as much notice as the requested annual leave length, i.e. for two
weeks of annual leave; 4 weeks' notice must be given
5.0 Public holidays
5.1 Public holidays of the year are:
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
New Year's Day

Good Friday
Easter Monday
May Day
Spring Bank Holiday
August Bank Holiday
5.2 Employees working full-time will be entitled to all public holidays in the leave year.
5.3 Employees working part-time will be entitled to public holidays at a rate proportionate to their
number of hours worked per week. These public holidays will be specified in the initial contract of
employment.
5.4 Employees wishing to exchange a public holiday for an additional day of annual leave will be
considered on an individual basis.
6.0 Carryover of annual leave
6.1 Bannon & Loew Consulting expects that all staff are given the opportunity to take all of their
annual leave during that annual leave year for the health and wellbeing of its staff.
6.2 Staff may carry over up to 7 days of annual leave from one annual leave year to the
subsequent annual leave year. Only in exceptional circumstances can more than 7 days of annual
leave be transferred to the subsequent year.
6.3 Before agreeing to leave being carried over, the staff member must raise the issue with their
immediate superior and provide at least 1 months’ notice before the end of the leave year.
7.0 Entitlement on Leaving
7.1 Employees that leave Bannon & Loew Consulting will be entitled to their remaining annual
leave as payment in lieu or use the remaining annual leave during the notice period.
7.2 leaving employees that have opted to exchange a public holiday for an additional day of annual
leave may also request this as payment in lieu.
8.0 Sickness occurring during annual leave or public holiday
8.1 If an employee falls sick during annual leave then, provided they notify their manager on the
first day of sickness, the period will be classified as sick leave rather than annual leave, allowing
staff to take additional annual leave another time.
8.2 Employees cannot claim an additional day off if sick on a public holiday.
9.0 Additional/unpaid leave
9.1 Additional unpaid leave should be considered on an individual basis. In general, staff should
make every attempt to use annual leave to book time off, and unpaid leave should, in non-
exceptional circumstances, not be granted to employees with annual leave days spare. However,
there may be exceptional circumstances in which unpaid leave may be granted.
9.2 Examples in which unpaid leave may be granted include, but are not are not necessarily limited
to:
Nursing sick children/relatives
Handling funeral arrangements
Doctor appointments
9.3 Both employees and line managers must inform payroll of any changes on monthly pay in the
event of allocating unpaid leave

9.4 Periods of sabbatical or study leave will be decided on an individual basis, with particular
respect to the employee's length of service and continuing professional development plan. These
may be paid or unpaid depending on individual factors.
9.5 Employees are not automatically granted paid time off in lieu for overtime, but it may be given
with prior agreement from the employee's immediate manager.
10.0 Annual leave during periods of suspension
10.1 Any individual who is suspended with pay under the company's disciplinary procedure may
take annual leave, but must first seek the agreement of the investigating manager.
10.2 Individuals suspended without pay are not permitted to take annual leave until the conclusion
of their investigation. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, if the employee is dismissed then
remaining annual leave will be paid in lieu. If the employee is reinstated, remaining annual leave
will become unfreeze and available for booking. Reinstated employees may be provided with
additional annual leave carry over into the next annual leave year, depending on the length of the
suspension.
11.0 Refusal of annual leave
11.1 Bannon & Loew Consulting has the right to refuse a request for annual leave for any reason
deemed reasonable by the employees line manager. However, Bannon & Loew Consulting does
not have the right to refuse an employee annual leave in general, and must make every attempt to
enable its employers to fully use their annual leave.
11.2 In the event that an employee line manager has to cancel annual leave which an employee
has booked, this must be done with as much notice as the amount of leave requested i.e. two
weeks' notice if the leave request was two weeks. Managers are advised to avoid cancelling annual
leave in all but the most exceptional circumstances.
12.0 Maternity/paternity leave and annual leave
Holiday will accrue during paid and unpaid maternity or paternity leave.
13.0 Review of this policy
This policy came into effect on January 1st, 2012 and will be up for review at the end of 2015, with
implementation of the amended policy from the start of 2016.

Item 6 – Sickness Absence Policy
Sickness Absence Policy

1.0 Introduction
This policy has been designed to outline a range of policies and procedures for reporting, recording
and managing employee sickness absence at the London branch of Bannon & Loew Consulting in a
fair and consistent way.
2.0 Scope of this policy
This policy is appropriate to all staff directly employed by Bannon & Loew Consulting, London branch.
This does not however, include freelance associates, temp workers or any other contracted worker
from outside the organisation. Leave for Bannon & Loew Consulting staff from other sites working
temporarily at the London site will be managed on an individual basis.
3.0 Reporting sickness procedure
3.1 A staff member that is sick and cannot attend work should contact their direct manager by
telephone within 30 minutes of the time they would normally start work. Staff should avoid asking
someone else to contact their manager of their behalf, unless they are unable to contact their manager
personally.
3.2 When reporting sickness absence, staff will be asked to give as much of the following information
as possible:
The nature of the illness and/or the cause.

The anticipated length of absence
If the absence is expected to be for more than 7 days or more, steps they will be taking to seek medical
assistance.
Details of outstanding work or urgent work which will require attention during the absence
Contact details to enable the company to contact them if necessary.
3.3 If an employee becomes too ill to work to continue working, they must speak to their manager who
will give permission for the individual to leave work and/or seek medical advice if appropriate. Note
should be made of the partial absence of the employee and may be taken into account when looking at
patterns of absence.
4.0 Short term sickness procedure
4.1 For periods of sickness absence of fewer than 7 days, a doctor's note is not required
4.2 For periods of absence of 7 or more days, a doctor's note will be required to validate sickness.
4.3 If a member of staff takes 6 periods of absence within a 12 month period, a sickness absence
review meeting will be held. The purpose of this meeting is as follow:
To review the member of staffs attendance during the relevant period

To give the member of staff the opportunity to discuss any problems or raise concerns.
To decide whether further action is required from an occupational health professional.
To arrange support or work adjustments.
To inform the member of staff that if their attendance does not improve within the time period being
monitored a second sickness absence review meeting will be held.

4.4 The purpose of a second sickness absence review meeting is as follows:
To review the member of staffs attendance during the relevant period

To review the steps that has been taken to support the staff member in achieving the required level of
attendance.
To discuss the findings and recommendations of the occupational health professional handling this
case.
To set targets to improve levels of absence over the relevant time period.
To issue the member of staff with a final caution.
To inform the member of staff that if their attendance does not improve within the time period being
monitored a final sickness absence review meeting will be held.
4.5 The purpose of the final sickness absence review meeting is as follows:
To review the member of staffs attendance during the relevant period.

To review the steps that has been taken to support the staff member in achieving the required level of
attendance.
To discuss the occupational health advice that has been provided.
To inform the member of staff whether they will be dismissed on grounds of capability, or whether a
final caution will be extended to allow more time to sustain improvement.
4.6 If the final caution is extended, to set a minimum target for improvement and a period over which
absence will be monitored.
5.0 Long term sickness procedure
5.1 Managers should seek the advice of the HR team in cases of long term sickness absence of 4
weeks or more.
5.2 Managers should maintain regular contact with the member of staff in order to prevent feelings of
isolation and to remain informed of the likely duration of the sickness absence. The member of staff
has a responsibility to update their manager regularly on their likely date of return to work.
5.3 Once advice has been received from an occupational health professional, a meeting will be held
between the organisation, the absent employee and the occupational health professional. If the
employee is deemed unfit to continue working, despite reasonable adjustment to work, job redesign,
redeployment or amendments to job description, serious consideration should be given to ending the
staff member's employment under grounds of incapacity or early retirement. If the employee is deemed
fit to return to work, necessary adjustments to the work environment or role must be undertaken prior to
the staff members return to work.
5.4 Staff that have been dismissed under grounds of incapacity have the right to appeal this decision,
and an appeal meeting will be arranged with the human resources department, the employee's former
manager, the former employee and the investigating occupational health professional.
5.5 The decision of the appeal panel will be final.
6.0 Medical appointments
Absence due to medical or dental appointments is not recorded as sick leave unless the appointment
requires a whole day's absence. As much notice must be given of the appointment to the staff
members line manager as soon as they are able.

7.0 Disability related sickness
Disability-related sickness absence will be managed in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and
related codes of practice and guidance. It is recognised that absence from work may be required
for a range of reasons and managers should take this into consideration when recording sickness
absence.
8.0 Pregnancy related sickness
Pregnancy related sickness absence should be recorded separately and should not be taken into
account when evaluating attendance targets. Pregnancy related sickness absence during the four
weeks prior to her due date will be required to start materiality leave and will be entitled to
maternity pay, but not sick pay.
9.0 Absence due to injuries caused by accidents
9.1 If an employee's absence is due to an accident, normal sick pay provisions would apply.
Where the employee may receive compensation from a third party, reimbursement of sick pay will
be repayable to Bannon & Loew Consulting.
9.2 In the case of absence expecting to last 4 week or longer, injured staff members must receive
a fit note from their doctor and/or occupational health professional stating that they are healthy
enough to return to work.
10.0 Review of this policy
This policy came into effect on January 1st, 2012 and will be up for review at the end of 2015, with
implementation new the new/amended policy from the start of 2016.

Item 7 – Calendar

End of practice e-tray exercise


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SECTION 1: Example Exercise Outcomes

SECTION 2: Competencies and Behavioural Indicators

The exercise begins on the next page.

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 1 of 39

Financial Management Consulting – Typically concerned with the effective management of

Projects usually entail:

Projects usually entail:

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 2 of 39

Projects usually entail:

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 3 of 39

Employee Profiles London

Bannon & Loew Consulting - London Office

Financial Management Consultancy

Director – Alison Lambert

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 4 of 39

Competency: Comprehension and Communication.

Urgency: Low (Does not require a quick response)

Importance: High (Contains vital information)

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 5 of 39

Low Below Average Average Above Average High

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 6 of 39

From: Julia Rafferty

Scoring Criteria: E-mail 2

Competency: Seizing Opportunities and Meeting Objectives

Urgency: Medium (Next day deadline)

Importance: Medium (Potential issue with valuable client)

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 7 of 39

Low Below Average Average Above Average High

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 8 of 39

From: Mark Robinson

Scoring Criteria: E-mail 3

Competency: Problem Solving and Strategy Formation.

Urgency: High (End of day deadline)

Importance: Medium (Maintaining necessary resources and being sensitive to staff)

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 9 of 39

Low Below Average Average Above Average High

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 10 of 39

From: Alison Lambert

Competency: Comprehension and Communication.

Importance: High (Regards a pressing matter)

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 11 of 39

Low Below Average Average Above Average High

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 12 of 39

From: Simon O’Neil

All the best,

Competency: Decision Making and Professional Judgement.

Urgency: Low (Wednesday deadline)

Importance: High (Relates to matters raised in an E-mail from Alison Lambert)

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 13 of 39

Low Below Average Average Above Average High

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 14 of 39

From: George Kalimisarkis

Scoring Criteria: E-mail 6

Competency: Seizing Opportunities and Meeting Objectives.

Urgency: Medium (End of day tomorrow deadline)

Importance: Medium (Potential new business, but already very busy)

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 15 of 39

Low Below Average Average Above Average High

For personal use only. Unauthorised copying or Page 16 of 39

From: Peter Harlow

Scoring Criteria: E-mail 7

Competency: Decision Making and Professional Judgement

Urgency: Medium (End of day tomorrow deadline)