By Mike SimpsonUpdated 8/2/2022 Show
Over the course of your career, you acquire new skills, take on more responsibilities, and even get a chance to lead from time to time. After a while, it’s normal to think, “Hey, maybe it’s time to shift into a management role officially.” If so, congrats, that’s a big deal! It also means it’s time to step up your interview game and prepare for interview questions for managers. Yes, manager interview questions are a bit different than what you face as an individual contributor. That’s why you need to spend some time learning about what to expect. So, if you’re ready to dive in, let’s take a look at the world of management interview questions. When A Management Position Opens UpBefore you start polishing your resume and applying to management roles, let’s take a step back. The leadership ranks are different from what you’ve done so far, so it’s wise to make sure you’re really ready. That means it’s time for some serious self-evaluation. To make that easier, we’ve compiled some questions into a quick self-assessment quiz:
Now let’s pretend that each of these questions is a checkboxes, and every ‘yes’ gets you a green check, and every ‘no’ gets you a red x. Do you have more green checks than red x’s? If the answer is no, Stick with where you are and continue honing your skills, working your way toward more green checks. If you answered yes, congratulations! It’s time to move on to the next step Prepping For The Battle AheadTransitioning to management is a big adjustment. You need to both prep and strategize how you’re going to tackle this new challenge. The first thing you need to do is realize that the types of questions you’ll face aren’t the same sort of questions you encountered previously. Before, the focus was on your specific skills and experiences as an employee. Now, it’s more about the ability to get results from teams you’ll lead. After all, 70 percent of team engagement variances are directly connected to managers. Since highly engaged teams show 21 percent greater profitability, it’s no surprise hiring managers want to make sure you can get results. Also, be prepared to get asked about your long-term goals. For example, there’ll be questions about your ongoing role with the company and where you see yourself down the road. Now that we’ve gone over what to expect let’s focus on building your answer arsenal, so you’re ready for the actual interview. Much like the behavioral questions we’ve gone over before, answers to interview questions for managers should always be accompanied by concrete examples. Your goal is to demonstrate to your interviewer that you’re not just knowledgeable but that you’re experienced. In fact we we wanted to let you know that we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview. After all, hiring managers will often ask you more generalized interview questions along with their manager specific questions! Click below to get your free PDF now: Get Our Job Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet!FREE BONUS PDF CHEAT SHEET: Get our "Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet" that gives you "word-word sample answers to the most common job interview questions you'll face at your next interview. CLICK HERE TO GET THE JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS CHEAT SHEET Manager Interview Questions With Example AnswersHere are 10 example management interview questions (and answers) for you to practice with: 1. Describe your management styleEXAMPLE ANSWER:
2. How do you define success?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
3. How do you manage stress among your team members?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
4. How do you handle conflict between team members?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
5. Tell me about a time you let an employee go…EXAMPLE ANSWER:
6. Tell me about a time you led by example…EXAMPLE ANSWER:
7. How do you motivate people?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
8. Give an example of a tough decision you had to make…EXAMPLE ANSWER:
9. What is your biggest management weakness?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
10. How do you delegate tasks to your team?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
Bonus Questions11. Why do you want to become a manager?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
12. Discuss a time when you had to provide negative feedback to a team member…EXAMPLE ANSWER:
13. What steps do you take to create a positive culture?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
14. How do you keep your team engaged?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
15. What plans do you have for team development?EXAMPLE ANSWER:
Here Are 35 More Common Manager Interview Questions
5 Good Questions to Ask at the End of a Manager InterviewWhen you are finished answering your manager interview questions, you typically get to ask a few yourself. This is a crucial opportunity. Not only will it ensure you can get details that may not have been covered, but it also lets you gauge whether the job is actually right for you. If you don’t know what to ask, here are five good questions for the end of any manager interview:
Putting It All TogetherSo, there you have it, a quick and easy walk-through guide on how to master interview questions for managers and how to make sure, when it’s time, you’re fully prepared to take your career to the next level! Good luck! —- FREE: Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet!Download our "Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet" that gives you word-for-word sample answers to some of the most common interview questions including:
Click Here To Get The Job Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet— Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page. How do I prepare for a senior manager interview?How to Ace the Job Interview and Land a Senior-Level Role. Be ready to show off specific accomplishments. ... . Make them picture a future with you. ... . Make it personal. ... . Research the people you're speaking with. ... . Practice storytelling. ... . Prepare open-ended questions to create a dialogue. ... . Reference past conversations.. What are senior manager interview questions?In-depth questions. Describe your leadership style.. Can you describe a time when you led a team to solve a problem?. How would you handle an underperforming employee?. As a leader, how do you deal with difficult colleagues?. How do you evaluate your team members' performance?. How do you approach giving employee feedback?. What are the 10 most common interview questions and answers for managers?Management interview questions. What's your management style?. How do you see a manager's role on a team?. How do you motivate a team?. Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult employee.. How would your colleagues describe you?. Describe how you delegate tasks to team members.. Other frequently asked interview questions.. What are your strengths senior manager?Key senior management traits include: Team-building and interpersonal skills. Flexibility and creativity. Critical thinking and problem solving.. Positive-traits.. Ability to influence team members.. Level of self-awareness.. |