In-Tray Exercise

In this type of business simulation exercise, you will be given the contents of a young manager's in-tray. The in-tray will contain items like company memos, telephone and fax messages, reports, and correspondence. Within a very limited time, you will have to sort through all the information and make decisions on each item that needs addressing. The point of this exercise is to see how well you can handle several complex tasks in a very short period of time.

After the exercise, prudent employers may ask how you arrived at your decisions to get a better grasp of how you handled the situation.

In-tray vs Interview

In-tray

simulation exercise
written assignments
work alone; sometimes followed by group discussion
test competencies

Interview

common selection tool
one to one, panel (two-way, face to face)
explore education and work background

Aims

The point of doing an in-tray is for the employer to gauge how well suited you are to a managerial role in a real-world working situation. Skills tested include:

organising
structuring
planning (problem analysis)
ranking
delegating
finding an adequate approach (problem solving and creativity)

It also gives you a chance to demonstrate qualities and skills you could not show during the interview stage.

Possible contents of an in-tray

plenty of reading materials (e.g. 20 - 30 items)
telephone messages
memos
policy document
letter of complaint
personal information

Your tasks (example only)

Here is a list of things you will typically be expected to do with your in-tray. Note this is only an example:

study memos individually
group memos according to nature
assign priorities
identify issues
make decision based on information given
plan actions
answer questions
draft letter / memos (Chinese and English)

Abilities recruiters look for

Key things employers look for from you during an in-tray include your ability to:

analyse situations
foresee potential problems
generate practical solutions
plan implementation procedures
identify issues and prioritise sensibly
be conscious of resource constraints
consider implications on business
negotiate to maximise advantages for the company
manage time and people well
communicate clearly in writing (Chinese and English)
handle paperwork efficiently
work well under pressure

Some tips

don't analyse the topics in excessive detail
give a brief indication of the main points
grasp the essentials of an issue rather than all its subtleties
allocate priorities to the different problems
indicate the reasons for your decisions

To prepare - Additional Resources