Introduction
The interview is an integral part of the selection process. It is designed to check your overall personality and suitability for the job. Therefore it is very crucial to give your hundred percent best in the interview. For this you need beforehand preparation and practicing mock questions will help a lot. So in this article, we have brought to you some of the most frequently asked manager Interview questions to help you put one step closer to your dream job.
Interview questions for managers
Ques 1: Introduce yourself
This is the first question that any recruiter or interviewer asks you when you first enter the room. Since it is the first question, it becomes important to cast a good impression. Start by telling the name, the city from which you belong, the educational qualifications, the experience, and what motivates you to apply for the present job. If you miss something important, the interviewer would ask a follow-up question. But you should stay polite and calm while introducing yourself.
Ques 2: Why do you want this job? Why did you decide to work with our company and not something else?
Ans: This question is asked by the interviewer to check your purpose and intention for applying for the present job. They want to evaluate whether you are interested in the job or not. So it’s advised to tell how the company offers good opportunities for your growth and experience. You can also talk about the challenging duties of the manager and how your work goals align with the same. Don’t cite any problems that you faced in the previous job like conflicts with the management or the co-workers because this can go against you. Try to talk more about the growth and better opportunities available in the present job.
Ques 3: How much do you know about the present company?
Ans: This question is designed to find genuinely interested candidates because some candidates apply for several jobs simultaneously. So it’s always advised to read in advance about the company, the work culture, the products or services they offer, number of branches they have, the popularity among people and other such basic stuff.
Ques 4: Tell us about your ability to handle pressure and workload.
Ans: The manager’s job is very challenging and you have to handle a lot of pressure. So in this question, you have to show that you are capable of handling the workload and don’t give up easily. You can give examples from your previous job where you handled the workload with calmness.
A sample answer could look like, “Sir, I acknowledge that managing the whole work is challenging, but I feel that I can handle the pressure with calmness. I keep my entire focus on the work and don’t let the challenges hamper my managerial skills. In the previous job also, whenever I was faced with a challenging situation, I took out time to analyze the problem and take effective steps for the timely completion of the project.”
Ques 5: What are your reasons for resigning from your current job?
Ans: To answer this question impressively, you have to give genuine reasons for job change like opportunities for growth, better exposure, better work environment, etc. Don’t mention any fight or tussle with the people in your previous job as your reason for leaving the previous job.
A model answer could look like this, “Sir, I am a motivated person and always look for better opportunities where my potential is fully recognized and my ideas are appreciated. I felt that in the previous job, I was not getting enough exposure and opportunities for growth. That’s why I decided to switch jobs.”
Ques 6: What according to you is the toughest part of managerial jobs?
Ans: The answer to this question can vary according to your experience because different people feel different challenges in a particular job role. But as a model answer, you can say, “I feel that the most challenging part of a managerial job is that he or she is in charge of the whole team. The performance and productivity of the team are your responsibilities.
Therefore a manager has to be vigilant enough and sometimes tough to measure the performances of each member of the team and guide and motivate them properly. Though keeping the team focused and motivated remains a constant challenge, it is also the best part about being a manager.”
Another challenge that a new manager must face in every new company is that he has to get familiar with the staff and understand their abilities, which is a tedious task.
Ques 7: What according to you is the best work environment?
Ans: Everyone has a different preference about the work environment. Some require constant monitoring by the senior staff to keep the work streamlined while others completely disregard the need of having supervision. So you can personalize the answer according to your work environment.
You can talk about a work environment where all the colleagues work in a team and the collective good of the company is of utmost importance, without caring about personal gains. In the end, you can conclude your answer by saying that you are flexible and ready to work in different work environments and adapt according to the demand of the situation.
Ques 8: Do you feel the need to take the work home?
Ans: A good answer can be, “Sir, I believe in keeping a work-life balance by completing all the tasks in the office hours. But since punctuality and timely submissions are also crucial for me, I do take the work home when needed. But my first preference is to complete the work in the office hours only.”
Ques 9: What according to you is the opinion of your previous staff about your working and managing style?
Ans: In this question, you have to show yourself as a good manager in the eyes of your previous colleagues. But you don’t have to show that you are flattering yourself. Example: I feel that my colleagues would say that I have a very focused approach and timely submission is always my goal. I have always given autonomy to my teammates to express their thoughts. So they used to call me a very coordinating manager.
Ques 10: Mention some important traits of a good manager.
Ans: Some of the most required qualities of a good manager are leadership, ability to motivate and influence others, focused approach, punctuality, and discipline. He should be able to acknowledge the ideas of the team members and avoid any feeling of hatred between two members of the team. Only when the manager is capable of motivating the members to give their best, can the company and team progress.
Ques 11: What makes you a suitable candidate for this post?
Ans: This question is of utmost importance because it will help the interviewer decide what makes you stand out from the crowd. So mention the most appropriate qualities of your personality that fit for a managerial job. You can talk about your rich experience in the industry.
The most important tip for answering this question is to understand the requirements of the job properly and get thorough with the job description. A sample answer can be, “I feel that I possess the much-required qualities for becoming a manager and fulfilling the role to the fullest. I am a confident person with a focused and motivated approach. I am skilled in leading the team and possess seven years of experience in this field.”
Ques 12: Suppose you have to give some duty to your team member. How will you pick the best member and ensure that he is punctual and careful about the task?
Ans: This is a common situation faced by a manager. To answer this question, you have to talk about the practical approach of picking a suitable candidate. A good answer can be, “To pick the right person, I’ll first see the requirements of the task, and based on my knowledge of the abilities of different team members, I will assign the job to the most capable person. I would make sure that I am looking into the member’s experience and qualifications to pick the right person. ”
For ensuring punctuality and carefulness, I will regularly monitor the employee and provide the required support and guidance. My priority will be to track the progress periodically on that task.
Ques 13: Tough times are always abundant in life. So what strategy do you opt to motivate yourself and pass the tough times?
Ans: Sir I try to be positive in my approach. I analyze the problem at hand and take thoughtful actions. I am well aware that the whole team needs me and depends on me for proper execution. Therefore I would motivate myself by citing all the efforts that my team has put into a particular project. To ensure positivity and motivation in my team, I would try to appreciate and celebrate every small success.
Ques 14: Mention any one example from your past job experience where you feel you were wrong.
Ans: Although this question can look tricky, you can answer it through a simple experience. Don’t say that I made every right decision because that’s practically not possible. But the decision you cite should not be such that they start doubting your managerial skill.
So an ideal answer would be, “In the previous job role I took multiple projects together that made the whole process tedious and unorganized. Therefore I feel that the biggest mistake is to take on several projects at a time. Now I always stay focused on one project, at a time.”
Ques 15: Mention some qualities that in your opinion help a team to grow and ensure timely completion of tasks.
Ans: For a team to grow and succeed it is crucial that the members, irrespective of diversity, understand and respect each other. It is crucial that there is no communication gap and they don’t feel shy to take advice and feedback from other team members. The ability to acknowledge the different perspectives help a team to stay together and achieve maximum productivity.
Ques 16: Mention some techniques that you use to polish and improve your managerial skills.
Ans: I understand the need for improvement and therefore I read some good books on management. I acknowledge the feedback given by my seniors, and work on the suggestions. I look forward to new opportunities and challenges to learn new skills and polish existing ones.
A follow-up question can be “name some good management books.” So be ready with that. Some books that you can mention are Dr. Robert Cialdini’s “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”, “The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups” by Daniel Coyle, Patty McCord’s “Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility”, etc.
Ques 17: Suppose an employee comes to you and talks about promotion. But you find out that he is not that qualified and experienced. How would you deal with such a situation without hurting the employee?
Ans: This is a situation-based question and you might face such situations in the future. The ideal solution would be to sit with them and calmly tell them the required qualifications and experience required for the higher post. You have to explain to them that they need some more experience to become eligible for the post. Since it can be disappointing for them to know that their skills are inadequate, I will try to provide them with a road map for working on certain skills.
I will assure them that I will provide all the necessary help to acquire those skills and track their progress. Throughout the conversation, I will ensure that I am not sounding rude or authoritative, but as calm and composed as possible.
Ques 18: suppose an employee has not met the required criteria for the job and it has become crucial for the company to get rid of that employee. What would be your take on this situation?
Ans: You have to give a practical answer in the interest of the company. A good answer is like, “Sir, I would clearly state to that employee the situation. I would tell him or her how they have failed to meet the expectations that were outlined at the beginning of the job. To support my point, I would show them the track record. Therefore I would be very clear that the company has decided to terminate their services and it would be in their interest too, to leave the job.”
Ques 19: Sometimes, a situation arises where the supervisor comes with a decision that you feel is not in the interest of the company. How would you convey this to the supervisor?
Ans: This is again a situation-based question and you have to show that you know how to handle disagreeing views.
You can start by saying that you would try to build a healthy relationship with a supervisor from the very beginning. Therefore, I would ensure that there is no communication gap between me and the supervisor. In a situation like above, I would explain to my seniors firmly and calmly about the impact of their decision. I will support it with proper reasoning and facts and then suggest the alternatives in my mind. The goal will be to convey the concerns effectively to the supervisor.
Ques 20: If an employee comes up with a problem, what would be your approach to redress the problem?
Ans: You have to show your practical skills and prove that you don’t make haste decisions. The first thing to do is to ascertain whether the facts that he is giving are true or not. Only after making sure that the problem exists, will I look for solutions and work on them.
Tip: To answer this question effectively, you can research the company’s method of dealing with employee grievances. Some companies have detailed procedures and committees for reporting the matter. So in that case, you can cite that to get some brownie points.
Ques 21: What according to you is the definition of success?
Ans: There is no objective definition of success. It differs from person to person. But if the person is asking you about success, try to answer in terms of company success. You can say that for you, success means meeting the goals, on time and achieving growth. Overcoming all the hurdles to become a pioneer in the field is what I feel is a success.
Ques 22: Sometimes some employees don’t perform well due to a lack of motivation. So in that situation how would you motivate and inspire your team members to be productive?
Ans: The first step is to see their track record to understand from when the problem started. I would first talk to them and let them know of their under-performance calmly. After knowing the problem that they are facing I would aim to encourage them to give their best by redressing that problem. I will tell them how their efforts matter to the whole team. I will encourage them to read some books or take a break off (if possible). I would try to cite the earlier instances of success to help them feel motivated.
If still the problem persists, I would tell them about the actions that could be taken against them in case of not meeting the performance criteria. I would also try to give them a road map for improving their performance.
Ques 23: Conflicts between two employees of a firm are a common situation. But it hampers teamwork and leads to less productivity. So as a manager, how would you deal with these conflicts?
Ans: You have to deal with the situation calmly. The best way is to talk with the two employees and understand what exactly the bone of contention is. After understanding the situation from both sides I would analyze it and look for amicable solutions. I would explain to them the importance of not letting the differences affect their productivity and efficiency. I would sit with both of them and suggest ways for overcoming the conflict.
Ques 24: What is the best way to deal with failures in the business, according to you?
Ans: To deal with failure one needs to have a positive approach. One must consider failure as a learning experience and try to analyze the factors. After understanding the root cause of failure in a particular venture, one should improve the mistake and make sure that it is not committed again. This, according to me, is the best way to change your failure into a success story.
Ques 25: What according to you is the most important strength of your personality?
Ans: This question can be used to talk about your suitability for the job and how your strengths make you a suitable candidate for the post. The strengths can differ from person to person. But as an example, you can say that your greatest strength is your flexibility and ability to adjust with different people. This ability in turn helps you to analyze the potential strengths and weaknesses of other people properly and assign the duties accordingly. I can communicate properly with my team and ensure proper outcomes.
Ques 26: Suppose you have to tell bad news to the company or your team. How would you state it in a manner that people are not hurt?
Ans: Whenever there is bad news, it’s good to convey it timely rather than hiding it just because of disappointment. I would directly state the bad news. But I would also give proper reasons and causes for the same. I would try to highlight the most optimistic part about the bad news like getting more time to improve, etc.
Then I would ask for feedback and suggestions from the team that can help in tackling the situation. My overall aim would be to instill positivity in the minds of my colleagues.
Ques 27: What would be your approach to welcome a new employee and acquaint him with the company culture?
Ans: I will first send a welcome mail to the new employee and introduce him/her to the staff, personally. To acquaint him/her with the company culture, I will schedule a meeting with them in the very beginning. I would let them know the objectives and goals of the company and how their performance will be tracked. I will ensure that there is no communication gap. Lastly, I will ask if they have any queries and answer the same.
Rounding up
All the very best for your manager interview. Prepare the questions thoroughly and go in proper attire. Try to support your answers with success stories to show your leadership qualities. Be an active listener and answer the questions calmly and thoughtfully.
