Interviewing applicants for entry-level and individual contributor positions is difficult enough. But interviewing for managers and prospective leaders within your company need even more rigor to guarantee you make the best decision. Which means asking the proper interview questions for managers. Founderactivity have pulled up the best list of interview questions for managers to help you hire the best candidate.
People respond well to those that are sure of what they want.
– Anna Wintour
You must delve into their experiences managing people and interacting with their team and senior staff. In addition, to just asking behavioral-based questions on hard skills in interviews. Or behavioral-based questions on behavioral assessments of hard skills.
What to Know Before Your Management Interview
In order to hire a manager, you must move past the standard interview questions and ask additional situational or competency-based inquiries about teamwork and communication. This will enable you to choose the managers who will serve as the greatest hiring for your business. Let’s start with a few things you should be aware of before attending a management interview. Before moving on to the typical interview questions.
You Should Be Ready to Tell Stories
Utilize your professional expertise to your advantage as you get ready for a management interview. Even if you have never had a management position before, you have shown leadership via your training of others, project management, colleague motivation, idea contribution, strategic thinking, and holding people responsible. Take some time to consider your professional history and make a list of notable instances when you showed leadership. Your stories should disclose one or more of the following as they are based on these:
- A time when you inspired and motivated people (and how you approach influencing and encouraging others in general)
- An occasion when you both contributed to the success of a team and when that happened
- An instance in which your capacity for problem-solving and/or delegation positively affected a team, initiative or a coworker.
Make Sure You Highlight the Right Skills
Think on the talents needed for the position you are applying for. And pay close attention to any examples of you utilizing or growing such skills in your past experiences. Define the issue, describe your process for coming up with a solution, and then describe how you put the answer into practice to organize your tales. Once you have gathered a few stories, you can quickly alter them to respond to various interview questions in a way that highlights your management and leadership skills.
Keep in mind that time management, problem-solving, prioritizing, and organizing are key components of management across the majority of tasks and responsibilities. In your narrative, be careful to highlight such abilities.
You will still need soft skills, like emotional intelligence or interpersonal skills, to manage and encourage your team to get there. Even if a corporation is very focused on having managers push the productivity of their workers to “reach the numbers.” In the workplace, empathy and sensitivity are increasingly valued qualities. Show that you can handle them.
Confidence Is Good, But Don’t Over-Rehearse
Your confidence will increase as a result of your thorough preparation, which will also help the interviewers perceive you as a leader. However, be sure not to over-practice how you will convey your story. You should not appear excessively polished during your interview. A hiring team is searching for managers and leaders who are personable and can think on their feet. “The organization wants to understand your philosophy and leadership style—not [be provided with] responses learnt by rote,” says the hiring team. Additionally, memorized speeches could come out as fake.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Are Likely to Come Up
Managers need to focus on their interpersonal skills as well as their knowledge of resources, concepts and the reasons why they are important in the workplace. Review them and be ready to discuss diversity, equity and inclusiveness in an interview.
Related : How to answer Open-Ended Questions
Interview Questions for Managers
The success of your team and company depend on choosing the right manager. To select the best candidate, manager interview questions are essential. These questions should assess the candidate’s ability to lead and motivate a team, as well as their knowledge of the company’s goals and objectives. With the right manager in place, your team will be poised for success. The top 40 interview questions are listed below.
1. Tell me about yourself
Despite not being a question in the strictest sense, “Tell me about yourself” elicits the same kind of answer as the inquiries on this list. Additionally, it is a tactful approach to open the interview.
You could get some responses to this inquiry that begin with details about the candidate’s personal life. They should eventually move on to discussing how they first developed an interest in management and how they began working toward that aim.
You might need to follow up with a more targeted query if you do not acquire any pertinent information regarding the position for which they are interviewing.
2. Why are you looking for a new job?
You can tell whether a candidate for a management position would fit in well with your company culture based on how the applicant responds to this interview question.
Pay attention to responses that indicate a desire for more demanding positions and chances to pursue professional aspirations and passions.
The applicant might not be the best pick for your firm if they are quitting their present work due to problems that affect all businesses.
3. What do you know about our business?
The candidate should demonstrate some past understanding of your company in their response to this question. They could have done some investigation to get the data they want. They could have first-hand knowledge through being a client, consumer or even rival.
In any case, a thorough response shows that the prospective management recruit is interested in your company’s prospects and wants to work there.
They have not done their homework and should not be high on your shortlist of potential candidates if all they know about your organization is that they want a job.
4. Why do you want to work with us?
The best follow-up question to “What do you know about our business? ” since it speaks directly to the applicant’s reasons for applying for the position.
Asking this question — and the answer the individual delivers — gives you insight into the benefits they feel they will obtain by working for your organization.
It is a positive indicator if they respond by mentioning your excellent customer service or company plan. It’s not good if they say they are interested since your company pays the highest salary of all your rivals.
Ask one or more follow-up questions if the candidate’s response is evasive to get to the heart of the situation.
5. What does being a manager mean to you?
This manager interview query enables you to learn more about the applicant’s perspective on their managerial responsibilities.
They might not completely comprehend what your company requires from a manager if they only regard it as a “give-orders-and-demand-results” job.
A successful team requires both the ability to lead and follow when appropriate. It should go without saying that a manager’s responsibilities include being willing to volunteer in whatever position to advance the company.
You can tell if the managerial candidate is the right fit for your business by looking for an answer that embodies this team ideal.
6. What is your management style?
Do not just describe your communication style in your response; instead, explain how it functions by using examples from the actual world. Recruiters are attempting to understand how you engage with workers. To demonstrate how your management style promotes success, use some of your most memorable experiences as a team leader or manager.
Show that you are aware of and understand how management styles might vary based on the workplace and express your willingness to adapt your management style as necessary.
7. How do you see a manager’s role on a team?
You have the chance to show off your understanding of professional limits by answering this question. Give a quick explanation of what “management” means to you before leveraging your prior experience to show potential employers how you keep a professional distance from individuals you supervise while yet maintaining excellent relations with them.
Managers who operate too autonomously run the danger of alienating their staff, while those who are overly affable risk undermining their own authority. Explain how you manage to balance these two strategies.
8. How do you motivate a team?
When asking this interview question for managers, recruiters are seeking candidates that have a grasp of how various personalities and working styles make up a team because one method will not work for everybody when attempting to drive various team members.
Give specific examples of your team-building process and how you evaluate each member’s strengths. Describe how you encourage staff to accomplish corporate goals by using positive reinforcement and recognition.
9. Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult employee.
Any manager’s duties will inevitably include dealing with uncooperative or underperforming workers. The purpose of this question is to find out how you deal with conflict and how well you solve difficulties. Showcase a variety of abilities, such as problem-solving, communication, and listening.
To ensure that your response is thorough, structure your example using the STAR technique (situation, task, action, outcome). Do not simply report the issue; but detail what you did to address it, including the effects it had on the individual and the larger team.
If you do not have a lot of professional experience in this area, you may use the example of managing a tough coworker in a part-time job or a team member who performs poorly on a sports team or in group exercises at school.
10. How would your colleagues describe you?
Try not be excessively humble, but watch out for coming across as haughty. Talk about your advantages. If you are an excellent listener, support this with an example. Tell the interviewer about a moment when you supported a coworker if you are supportive. Do not be hesitant to use encouraging sayings or praises that others have paid you.
If this is your first job out of college, include instances from your previous employment, volunteer work, or weekend or seasonal occupations.
11. Describe how you delegate tasks to team members.
Managers frequently have a busy schedule to manage. Employers use this question to learn more about your responsibility management and team utilization.
Describe how delegating increases your managerial productivity and how you use the time it frees up. Describe how you assign duties based on the strengths of the team members and how you utilize your organizational skills to make sure that jobs are divided equally to maintain efficiency and fairness. Give an example of a moment when you successfully assigned responsibilities to team members to support your answer.
12. What did you do in your most recent job?
As a company owner, you are aware of the qualifications you demand from potential hires. This manager interview query focuses on the core of the problem.
The prospect might not be the greatest hire at this time if their response deviates significantly from what you are searching for.
13. What is one essential skill you have learned from your most recent job?
Consider if the candidate’s response will benefit your business when you hear it. Ask follow-up questions about their other abilities if you are not confident of their response to see if they can fill a need in your company.
If the applicant is unable to recall any lessons learnt from their most previous work, it should also flag a red signal.
Learning should never end. And even apparently little things like developing superior organizational skills demonstrate that the individual is constantly seeking for opportunities to advance.
14. If hired, what would you do in the first 30-90 days?
You should use this question to gauge how well the applicant comprehends the duties of a manager.
The chosen applicant will outline what is required to begin and which areas of the business they will need to get familiar with. They may even offer a particular example of where they would start (such as by updating and monitoring the business’ email marketing).
Even if you, the interviewer, and the applicant, if hired, may end up doing things differently, being prepared to respond to this question shows that the potential manager is interested in working for your company and is knowledgeable about its operations.
15. What other jobs are you considering?
Candidates should, by the most part, be seeking for work in related industries. It makes no difference if they are considering alternative businesses or even different specializations within a particular skill set.
If someone applied for both the manager position in your company and non-managerial roles, that may be cause for concern.
16. What are your salary expectations?
The interviewee should not respond with a particular number at this stage of the process. Instead, you want to hear that the person is committed to locating the position that best suits their qualifications.
Talking money should occur at the conclusion of the in-person interview, or even in a subsequent session if necessary.
This type of “trick question” might reveal a lot about the candidate’s suitability for your business.
17. What can you offer to our business?
Check the candidate’s response to this manager interview question to determine whether it aligns with the position’s objectives and the job description you’ve created.
You should find out what the applicant has done in previous positions and how they plan to apply those same talents and qualities to your business.
18. What is one skill you would like to improve?
There’s always space for development, and by asking this question, you may find out whether the applicant’s abilities and working style fit with those of your team and your company.
It also enables you to observe how the applicant actually demonstrates the skills they listed on their resume.
19. Why do you think you would perform well on this job?
This question’s response provides you with information about the candidate’s qualifications and is crucial for helping you make a well-informed choice.
You may learn more about a candidate’s special talents, skills, and degree of experience by asking why they believe they will succeed as a manager in your company.
With this information, you can make the best decision for the individual that most closely meets the particular requirements of your business.
The good thing about this question is that it frequently gets a response that, although similar to the answer to the question about the interviewee’s “greatest managerial skill,” is distinct enough to provide you a more full picture of that person.
20. What kind of work environment are you used to?
It is by no means simple to maintain success while leading a team. High-pressure circumstances are common in organizations and may bring out both the best and worst in your team members.
The probability that a new manager will stay long enough to understand how to operate in such a hectic atmosphere might be decreased by those same high-pressure conditions.
You may determine if a candidate is qualified to lead your team by finding out what type of work environment they are accustomed to.
Ask follow-up questions, such as, “Tell me about a time when you had to cope with a high-pressure scenario,” if you do not get a useful response the first time around. What happened?
21. What is your favorite part of being a manager?
The knowledge of the candidates for the role is revealed by including this as one of your manager interview questions. Do they speak in jargon used in management and business? Or do they understand the subtleties involved in leading a team?
Do their responses mention why they wish to work for your company? The candidates’ replies can give you a better insight of who they are beyond the interviewer-facing persona.
22. What is your least favorite part of being a manager?
This interview question for managers is a fantastic follow-up to the one before it. People always have aspects of their jobs that they do not enjoy. The candidate may not be a good fit for the role if their response to this question involves routine managing responsibilities.
23. What is your biggest management strength?
The response to this manager interview question should highlight the applicant’s greatest management strength and detail how it facilitates task completion, improves their team, and benefits your company.
Job applicants should be able to articulate how their talents complement the strengths of the team to work as a united front.
24. What is your biggest management weakness?
When a candidate admits a shortcoming, they see that there is room for improvement. In relation to this interview question for managers, the applicant should discuss a quality they feel they may improve upon, as well as possibly how it has influenced their work in the past.
The answer should include information about the management candidate’s efforts to advance.
25. How would you handle conflicts within the team members?
This inquiry offers information about:
- The applicant’s maturity level
- How they deal with pressure
- How they take responsibility for their mistakes
- Their capacity to handle tough personal circumstances
Team dynamics can have an impact on the group as a whole. Therefore, your management candidate can keep the team motivated and engaged if they can assist coworkers in letting go of their grudges and animosities.
Related: How to Answer Peer Interview Questions?
26. What do you do when you are not working?
Managers frequently experience burnout, therefore it is vital to have a healthy work/life balance. This question enables you to determine whether the candidate can handle the demanding schedule that comes with managing a team in your company.
27. What was your favorite experience as a manager?
This interview question has two objectives:
- You get understanding of the candidate’s definition of effective leadership through this.
- You may use it to determine how ecstatic they are with their accomplishments.
You may learn what being a manager means to them by listening to their narrative and hearing how they tell it.
28. What was your least favorite experience as a manager?
It is considerably more difficult to discuss failure than achievement. In order to see two things, this interview question will help:
- What they think it means to be a “weak” boss
- How they react to problems
Do they accept accountability for the issue? Or do they offer an apology?
29. How do you define success?
This manager interview question should not have a single word as a response. Furthermore, it should not only be about the candidate. You should learn how they define success from the viewpoint of the team.
Ask follow-up questions, like:
- What small victories do you aim for?
- What major success are you aiming for?
It is essential to determine whether the candidate’s idea of success aligns with your company’s definition. Because a candidate’s team will eventually base their assessment of their performance on how they define success.
30. How Would You Prepare For An Important Meeting?
Does the applicant work by themselves? Or do they seek reliable team members to help and receive beneficial training? The approach in which your applicant gets ready for an important meeting is a good indication of how they will lead a team and fit into the corporate culture.
31. How do you handle stress on your team?
A scenario of a time when the applicant handled the pressure on their team well is a great answer to this interview question. Find out clearly how the applicant would research and implement stress-management techniques if they have never managed a team before.
32. What is your approach to delegating work?
It would be problematic if the candidate delegates elected in alphabetical order. Ideally, after looking at the larger picture, you want the applicant to say that they would assign tasks based on ability and experience.
33. What does your ideal office space look like?
This manager interview question is a little easier to answer than the others on the list. But it may still help you determine how well the applicant will fit in at your company.
Do they prosper in a co-working environment? Or would a private office be more beneficial? Can they maintain team members’ focus in the face of so much activity? Or, in order to succeed the greatest, do they require a space all their own?
34. How would you go about terminating someone?
This interview question will generate a variety of responses. But each should show at least these three critical traits:
- Use proper tone and attitude.
- Update Human Resources as necessary
- Track everything.
It is never simple to let someone go. Instead of downplaying the obligation, a candidate should handle it in the most professional manner possible.
More Interview Questions for Managers
Here are some interview questions for managers that will determine your leadership potential:
35. Tell me about a boss or leader that you have admired and found motivation from.
36. What drives you to report for work each day?
37. What did you do in previous positions to encourage/inspire your direct reports?
38. What do you consider to be the most crucial aspect of managing a team?
39. How do you decide what objectives and benchmarks your team will set?
40. What would your ideal workplace culture look like? How do you help create that ideal environment?
Interviewing for a job is inherently nerve-wracking, and many job candidates fear that they will walk out of the interview process empty-handed due to the pressure and stress. The good news is that there are some common interview questions for managers that can help alleviate some of that tension. Knowing some of these common interview questions for managers can help ease your worries and make you feel more confident going into your next job interview.
Interview Preparation
Preparation is key for every interview, but it is especially important for ones for management positions.
Before the interview even begins, demonstrate hiring managers that you are the appropriate candidate for the position by showing your organization, time management and research abilities. Arrive on time, with everything you need, and show that you have done your homework on the firm.
A candidate who has not yet done enough interview preparation will be obvious to employers and if you have not, it is doubtful that you will be given the job. It will be beneficial in the long term to set aside time to research the firm and concentrate on making a positive first impression.
Tips for a successful interview
Candidates who can show they have empathy and understanding are more likely to succeed in interviews since they will be in charge of a diverse team. Managers must be able to train fresh team members as well as cultivate a mature team because their team may be diverse in age, experience, and skill.
You must also exhibit a proactive attitude and demonstrate your capacity to advance in your position by demonstrating an interest in education and training. However, it is important for candidates to be really themselves. Diverse origins and personalities are beneficial to corporate success.
For more insight what a day in a life of manager looks like, take a look at the video below.
Ways to make a good impression
Consider how you may present yourself favorably as you get ready for the interview:
- Punctuality
- Positivity and enthusiasm
- Body language
- Clarity
In conclusion, there is one more thing to do once you have taken the time to consider how you have exhibited all the characteristics of a manager—leading, delegating, organizing, holding people responsible, assisting others in learning and growing. And more—whether or not you have really been one: unwind. You have been in so many settings in your life—at work and elsewhere—that have equipped you to hold the reins. While you are on your way to ace your next interview for a management position if you have taken the time to reflect on many of the events that led up to this one.
Evaluate whether a firm is a good fit for you and whether this is where you want to spend the next stage of your career as they interview you.
So there you have it a walk-through of how to master manager interview questions and ensure that, when the time comes, you are properly equipped to further your career.
How many Project managers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None, they are all still discussing the best way to do it.
