Captain and Leader Interview Questions

Not all questions may be asked of all candidates

All Candidates

What is something that went well with your subteam (or team for team captain candidates) this year?
What is something that did not go well with your subteam this year? What is something you would like to do to improve that situation (provide specific ideas)
What are the skills that you bring to the subteam?
Do you have any summer or fall projects you would like the team/subteam to work on?
If you are selected for this captain role, what do you hope your fellow teammates say about your impact on the team at the end of the year?
Please give an example of a time that you demonstrated initiative (preferably an example from robotics)
Please give an example of a time that you provided good leadership to the subteam (or team)
Please give an example of how you have demonstrated accountability to getting a task done well and on time.
Do you believe that you have consistently set a good example for teammates to follow? Please describe specific actions/behaviors that you have done that demonstrate this.
Rumors and gossip tend to be a common occurrence in a group like ours. As a captain, how would you deal with these?
What are your commitments outside of robotics?
Would you consider sharing the role with a co-captain? If so, how would you be successful?
If you are not selected to be a captain, would you be interested in formally being recognized as the leader of a task force, and if so, which one (existing or new)?

How effective is our current fall training? How would you like to see it change?
How well have we balanced the workload between subteam members, and how would you help manage the balance?
In the last half of the competition season, we usually run out of work for everyone except 1 or 2 programmers. Do you have suggestions on ways to keep all members busy?
Please give an example of a time when you included one or more less experienced team members in a more difficult task.
What are the roles and responsibilities for the programming team in regard to the robot/game? (What do you feel they are currently and should they change?)

How effective is our current fall training? How would you like to see it change?
How well have we balanced the workload between subteam members, and how would you help manage the balance?
Please give an example of a time when you included one or more less experienced team members in a more difficult task.
Do you think there are a correct number of members on the team? Should there be more or fewer members?

How effective is our current media training? How would you like to see it change?
How well have we balanced the workload between subteam members, and how would you help manage the balance?
Please give an example of a time when you included one or more less experienced team members in a more difficult task. How do you (plan to) keep all members of the team engaged?
What missing skills or tools do you feel are most needed for the media task force? Do you have ideas of how to gain those skills or tools for the team?
How much do you feel the media task force should be involved in the robot design process, and how much should media members know about the robot’s capabilities?

As a general rule, do you believe the Team Captain should participate in a primary subteam to help work on assigned tasks, or should spread themselves across all sub-teams to help when/where needed, but not be responsible for specific jobs? Why?
What do you believe will be the most challenging 2 or 3 things you will need to deal with as team captain, and how do you plan to address those changes?

Strategy captain is a role that often requires you to work alone, but then at other times with the whole team. Often there is nothing to do, at other times such as alliance selection, your job may be very critical. How do you feel about being in this unique role?
What do you think is key to being a great strategy captain?
If the team captain does not want to be on the field for alliance selection, is this a job you are comfortable doing?