Sutherland: Interview Preparation For Trainee People Manager - Service Delivery Management Role
Sutherland is a global customer experience and digital transformation company that designs, builds, and runs end-to-end operations for leading brands across industries, including telecommunications, technology, banking, retail, healthcare, and more. Known for combining process excellence with human-centered design and technology, Sutherland helps clients modernize customer journeys, enable scalable operations, and deliver measurable outcomes. Within this context, frontline leadership roles are critical to maintaining high service standards while translating business goals into day-to-day operational excellence.
This comprehensive guide provides essential insights into the Trainee People Manager - Service Delivery Management at Sutherland Global, covering required skills, responsibilities, interview questions, and preparation strategies to help aspiring candidates succeed.
1. About the Trainee People Manager - Service Delivery Management Role
The Trainee People Manager - Service Delivery Management leads a team delivering semi-technical support and customer service for Broadband and Mobility customers from Sutherland’s Mumbai office. The role focuses on driving performance through coaching, 1:1 reviews, and monthly scorecard discussions, while balancing efficiency and empathy.
You will monitor and improve core KPIs - First Call Resolution (FCR), Net Promoter Score (NPS), Average Handling Time (AHT), and transfer rates- by analyzing MIS dashboards, QA insights, and customer feedback to identify and eliminate root causes. Workforce planning fundamentals such as effective rostering and shrinkage control ensure optimal coverage in a night/graveyard, rotational-shift environment.
2. Required Skills and Qualifications
Candidates should combine people leadership, customer-centric thinking, and data literacy. A strong foundation in communication, coaching, and basic telecom troubleshooting, alongside the ability to interpret MIS and QA reports, is essential to manage performance and elevate customer experience in a fast-paced, shift-based environment.
Educational Qualifications
- MBA graduate or equivalent (mandatory).
Key Competencies
- Team Leadership & Engagement: Proven ability to create, nurture, and lead a positive and engaging team environment that motivates agents and drives high performance.
- Performance Management: Strong skills in conducting regular performance reviews, providing constructive feedback, and mentoring team members to improve productivity and customer service quality.
- Customer Experience Focus: A dedicated focus on enhancing customer satisfaction by driving improvements in key metrics such as First Call Resolution (FCR) and Net Promoter Score (NPS).
- Problem-Solving & Analytical Thinking: Ability to analyze MIS dashboards, QA reports, and customer feedback to identify root causes of issues and implement effective solutions.
- Communication & Escalation Management: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to interact professionally with agents, clients, and senior management, and to handle escalations effectively.
Technical Skills
- Semi-Technical Troubleshooting: Basic understanding of broadband and mobility product troubleshooting to effectively coach and mentor agents.
- Data Analysis & Reporting: Proficiency in interpreting MIS dashboards and quality assurance reports to monitor team performance and identify areas for improvement.
- Workforce Management: Knowledge of effective rostering and shrinkage management to optimize team availability and maintain productivity.
- KPI Management: Experience in managing and improving key performance indicators such as Average Handling Time (AHT), Transfer Rate, FCR, and NPS.
3. Day-to-Day Responsibilities
The role blends people leadership, operational control, and customer experience stewardship. Expect to coach agents, review scorecards, and optimize rosters while analyzing MIS/QA insights to address recurring issues. You will balance speed and quality, manage escalations, and communicate progress and risks to stakeholders- within a night/graveyard rotational-shift setting from the Mumbai office.
- Team Leadership & Culture Development: Create and nurture a positive, engaging team environment that motivates agents and fosters high performance in broadband and mobility product support.
- Performance Management & Coaching: Conduct regular 1:1 performance reviews and monthly scorecard discussions; mentor agents on semi-technical troubleshooting and customer handling techniques to improve service quality.
- Customer Experience Optimization: Drive improvements in key performance indicators including First Call Resolution (FCR), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and Average Handling Time (AHT) while maintaining service quality and empathy.
- Workforce Management: Manage effective rostering and shrinkage to optimize team availability, ensure adequate coverage, and maintain productivity across rotational shifts including nights and weekends.
- Data Analysis & Performance Reporting: Analyze MIS dashboards, QA reports, and customer feedback to identify root causes of technical and service issues; implement data-driven solutions for continuous improvement.
- Stakeholder Communication & Escalation Management: Communicate clearly with agents, clients, and senior management; effectively handle agent challenges and customer escalations to ensure resolution.
- Process Efficiency & Quality Balance: Balance efficiency metrics with quality service delivery, ensuring optimal handling times while maintaining high customer satisfaction standards.
- Technical Knowledge Application: Apply understanding of broadband and mobility troubleshooting to guide team in resolving semi-technical customer issues effectively.
4. Key Competencies for Success
Success hinges on leadership that elevates performance without compromising empathy, coupled with analytical rigor and operational discipline. The following competencies distinguish high performers and drive sustained customer and business outcomes.
- Coaching Mindset: Builds agent capability through frequent feedback, targeted upskilling, and recognition.
- Data Fluency: Converts MIS/QA trends into actionable plans that lift FCR and NPS while controlling AHT.
- Calm Escalation Handling: Manages high-stakes situations with clarity and composure, safeguarding CX.
- Operational Foresight: Plans for shrinkage, volume spikes, and schedule constraints to protect service levels.
- Stakeholder Alignment: Communicates risks, results, and next steps effectively with leadership and clients.
5. Common Interview Questions
This section provides a selection of common interview questions to help candidates prepare effectively for their Trainee People Manager - Service Delivery Management interview at Sutherland Global.
Connect your background to people leadership, customer experience, and working in a data-driven, fast-paced environment.
Highlight coaching, measurable impact on KPIs, and building an engaging team culture.
Share a style rooted in coaching, accountability, and empathy with examples of performance improvements.
Discuss recognition rituals, wellness check-ins, fair scheduling, and transparent goals.
Explain diagnosis, clear expectations, coaching plan, and outcome measured on KPIs.
Show how you protect CX while managing AHT/FCR, using coaching and smart process tweaks.
Use the situation-action-result framework and quantify improvements.
Mention workload planning, breaks, escalation support, and recognition.
Define it as delivering solutions that resolve first time, respectfully and efficiently.
Align your experience, shift flexibility, and readiness for on-site leadership with role expectations.
Use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) with metrics like FCR, NPS, AHT to demonstrate impact.
Mention CPE/router faults, Wi‑Fi interference, line issues, DNS settings, and outage scenarios.
Outline a logical flow: verification, power-cycle, link checks, authentication, DNS, and escalation.
Define FCR, then cite root-cause analysis, knowledge base updates, and targeted coaching.
Talk time, hold time, after-call work; ways to reduce without hurting quality.
Empathy, clear resolution setting, first-time fix, and follow-through on promises.
FCR, NPS, AHT, transfer rates, repeat contacts, defect codes, and top call drivers.
Identify themes, create coaching huddles, refresh SOPs, and track uplift by metric.
Transfer for policy/authorization limits or tiered support; otherwise coach for knowledge gaps.
Planned/unplanned time off affecting capacity; plan rosters, cross-train, monitor adherence.
Focus on SIM/provisioning/network coverage/device settings vs. fixed-line/Wi‑Fi/CPE issues.
Anchor answers in KPI impact-state the lever, the action you’d take, and the expected metric shift.
Validate data, isolate queues/regions, audit calls, launch quick huddles, update KB, and track daily.
Resolution quality or expectation-setting gaps; coach empathy, ownership, and proactive follow-up.
Activate backup roster, triage call types, prioritize high-impact fixes, and communicate ETAs.
Deep-dive RCA, SOP/KB fix, targeted training, and monitor repeat rate trendline post-change.
1:1s to diagnose causes, tailor growth tasks, recognition, and reduce blockers.
Map legitimate vs. avoidable transfers, fill knowledge gaps, create decision trees, and coach.
Immediate refresher, supervisor oversight, checklist adoption, and compliance sampling.
Baseline, key drivers, 30-60-90 actions, owners, and KPI targets with reporting cadence.
Acknowledge, gather facts, assign specialist, set clear timelines, and close the loop.
Rebalance shifts, cross-train, control shrinkage, and enable real-time adherence guardrails.
Always state your diagnostic steps, actions, and expected KPI movement-keep it time-bound and owner-led.
Share team size, scope, KPIs (FCR/NPS/AHT/transfer), and the improvements achieved.
Connect past troubleshooting or process exposure to broadband/mobility contexts.
Explain a cadence: data review, insights, coaching plan, and outcome measurement.
Mention call flow simplification, KB improvements, or after-call work streamlining.
Outline root cause, corrective steps, communication, and customer feedback.
Discuss recognition, growth paths, listening mechanisms, and fair scheduling.
Confirm readiness and mention strategies for team well-being and coverage.
Listen and learn (30), stabilize and coach (60), optimize and scale (90).
Use volume patterns, skills mapping, adherence insights, and transparent rules.
Clarify fit and logistics, affirm on-site availability, and discuss compensation expectations.
Mirror the JD language on KPIs and working conditions to show alignment and readiness.
6. Common Topics and Areas of Focus for Interview Preparation
To excel in your Trainee People Manager - Service Delivery Management role at Sutherland Global, it’s essential to focus on the following areas. These topics highlight the key responsibilities and expectations, preparing you to discuss your skills and experiences in a way that aligns with Sutherland Global objectives.
- KPI Mastery (FCR, NPS, AHT, Transfers): Study definitions, measurement nuances, drivers, and proven levers to improve each metric.
- Coaching & Performance Management: Prepare frameworks for 1:1s, scorecards, feedback loops, and action plans tied to measurable outcomes.
- Semi-Technical Troubleshooting Basics: Review broadband and mobility fundamentals-CPE, Wi‑Fi, DNS, provisioning, coverage, device settings.
- Workforce Management Essentials: Understand rostering, shrinkage, adherence, and handling night/graveyard shift operations.
- Quality & Customer Experience: Connect QA findings to SOP updates, knowledge base improvements, and impact on first-time resolution and satisfaction.
7. Perks and Benefits of Working at Sutherland Global
Sutherland Global offers a comprehensive package of benefits to support the well-being, professional growth, and satisfaction of its employees. Here are some of the key perks you can expect
- Leadership Exposure: Hands-on responsibility for team coaching, KPI ownership, and stakeholder communication.
- Career Growth: Clear pathways to expand scope in service delivery management and operations leadership.
- Continuous Learning: Ongoing performance reviews, feedback loops, and on-the-job upskilling in technical and soft skills.
- Impact at Scale: Opportunity to improve customer outcomes across broadband and mobility programs.
- Structured Operations Environment: Experience in data-driven decision-making using MIS and QA frameworks.
8. Conclusion
This role demands a blend of people leadership, analytical rigor, and customer-first thinking. By mastering KPI drivers (FCR, NPS, AHT, transfer rate), strengthening coaching routines, and applying data insights from MIS/QA, you can elevate team performance and customer experience. Demonstrate readiness for night/graveyard shifts, strong communication with stakeholders, and practical semi-technical troubleshooting for broadband and mobility. With disciplined rostering and escalation management, you’ll create a resilient, high-performing team and deliver measurable results-positioning yourself for growth in service delivery management at Sutherland Global.
Tips for Interview Success:
- Quantify Impact: Prepare 2-3 STAR stories showing lifts in FCR/NPS or reductions in AHT with specific percentages.
- Show Coaching Depth: Bring an example scorecard, a coaching plan, and how you tracked follow-through.
- Demonstrate Troubleshooting Logic: Outline a clear diagnostic flow for a broadband or mobility issue.
- Own the Shift Reality: Explain how you plan rosters, manage shrinkage, and keep morale high in night operations.