FinderKGet started

Saying no with reasons

Declining a request clearly and politely, giving the reason and, where possible, an alternative.

Good work shows: States the no clearly; gives the real reason; offers an alternative where possible.

Saying no with reasons is one of the judgement skills on FinderK.

The job simulations and Skill Paths below include work that is checked for this skill. You do the work in an original fictional company and get feedback on it.

Job simulations

Approve the co-branded packaging

Brand manager, licensing at Maple and Moss Foods

About 70 minutes. Included in Plus.

A licensing partner wants its co-branded cereal bar pack approved before a printer's slot. The logo is too small, the partner's logo too big, the bar is short of fibre for its high fibre claim and short of granola for its made with claim. Review it, decide, and hold the claims when the launch date is used as pressure.

Skills: Review artwork against brand rules and a licence; Separate must fix items from advice; Check claims against evidence and a claims register; Give a partner clear, usable feedback under time pressure; Hold brand and legal standards against commercial pressure

Price the cold store renewal

Commercial property underwriter at Harrowby Mutual Insurance

About 75 minutes. Included in Plus.

A loyal cold store client wants to renew at last year's price with its sprinkler discount, but the survey found burning foam panels in the roof and the backup sprinkler pump has failed. Rate it by the guide, refer it, and hold firm terms with a broker who says a rival is waiting.

Skills: Rate a property risk by the underwriting guide; Recognise when a risk must be referred and why; Set conditions that address the main hazards; Hold terms with a broker while keeping the relationship; Explain a price change by the features of the risk

Review the partial refund change

Software engineer at Gatehouse Tickets

About 60 minutes. Included in Plus.

A colleague's change will issue partial refunds to thousands of festival customers, and all its tests pass because they check the code against itself. Work out the right refunds from the finance policy, review the change, and hold the line on a money bug when the release date is used as pressure.

Skills: Check code against the rule it implements, not its own tests; Work out expected money values exactly from a policy; Write review comments an author can act on; Hold a safety decision under release pressure

The missed bins after the breakdown

Customer services officer at Northbrook Borough Council

About 55 minutes. Included in Plus.

Fourteen missed bin reports after a breakdown and a short staffed route. Decide who gets a crew back under the policy, reply honestly to residents, and answer a councillor without promising special treatment.

Skills: Apply a published service policy case by case; Protect vulnerable residents through escalation; Reply to residents honestly without blame; Answer an elected member within the rules

The Monday helpdesk at Calloway House

Facilities helpdesk coordinator at Brightstone Property Services

About 50 minutes. Included in Plus.

Twelve requests after a wet weekend: a trapped person, a leak onto a desk, a stuck fire exit, cold offices and a few things that are not yours to fix. Triage them, get approval where you need it, and tell tenants the truth about who pays.

Skills: Prioritise building faults by risk and service level; Decide responsibility using lease clauses; Act on safety first and get approval for spending; Say no to a tenant politely and with the clause

The training budget for the first quarter

Learning and development coordinator at Corran Foods

About 70 minutes. Included in Plus.

Fourteen training requests and a budget that covers about half. Allocate it by the policy, check the compliance dates yourself, say no to a director's favourite course with a real alternative, and re-plan when Finance cuts the budget.

Skills: Allocate a budget by a published order of priority; Check requests against records before funding; Say no to a senior manager with a real alternative; Re-plan quickly when the budget changes

Skill Paths

Related careers

All skills

Create your free FinderK account