Introduction: Before you apply to be an operations manager at any firm. You need to know what the role entails. We will discuss Operations Interview Questions here.
Answer paragraph: Operations plays a major role in every company. It is the operations manager’s responsibility to ensure that the company is running effectively and efficiently with consistent high proofs to show while still following the procedures and policies of the organization.
What skills should you have before applying as an operations manager?
- Exhibit incredible leadership skills
- An ability to engage your audience.
- You should be able to possess a quick understanding of rectifying business problems.
- You should be innovative enough to always pitch new ideas.
- The ability to solve critical problems.
- An ability to effortlessly handle the Microsoft suites.
Average Years of Experience as an Operations Manager.
Before you make conclusions for an interview as an operations manager, it is important to have gained experience for a maximum of 5years. 48% of the company go for candidates that have gained this number of years of experience
Operations Interview Questions
Before you zoom out to go for that interview as an operations manager. Here are a few interview questions you should expect:
- Tell me about yourself and why you think you can be an operations manager: I am a critical thinker with great rational skills that have helped me manage people of different personalities in the previous professional environment I have worked in. All these, coupled with the time spent reading the job description for this role, make me confident that if I am picked, I won’t disappoint.
- What is your motive for wanting our company to serve as an operations manager? Our company’s motive to serve as an operations manager is because of your long-standing distinction from other industries. Secondly, it is obvious that you have come to the limelight through the quality standards you have kept, and I will be delighted to showcase my skill set and follow through with the company’s policies with such standards.
- Which part of the job will you find challenging in the early days of becoming an operations manager? Having understood an operations manager’s job description with the quality of time I have spent reading up the job description. The part of the job I will find challenging in the early days of becoming an operations manager is the time frame to do some research and understand its procedures regarding my role in the company before I start.
- What dispositions make a good operations manager? A good operations manager’s dispositions list what the company presumes you must possess on the job description. A good operations manager should be able to follow the policies and procedures of the company. He/she should be able to display leadership skills while managing those under his/her supervision. Most importantly, he/she should be able to consistently produce high results in exchange for the time spent as an operations manager.
- Remember disagreeing with a boss? Yes, I have disagreed with a boss in the past years, but there were all casual conflicts. One thing stands, and that is conflict. However, the conflict helped me to understand that people’s perspective differs and sometimes we will have to disagree to agree. The conflict I have had in the past strengthened my relationship with my boss.
- How would you describe your work style? As one who is detailed and resilient. I pay attention to details and ensure my team members, and I tackle the slightest issue without leaving any project undone. Secondly, As a resilient person, I will ensure my team members and I meet every project’s deadline regardless of the challenges we will encounter in the journey.
- Are you available to relocate? Yes, I am available to relocate. Relocating is unavoidable for the role of an operations manager. However, it is up to you to make the decision. Although relocating to a new city/country will take a while, especially with changing properties/family and a family man/woman. It will be considered if the company’s office is not quite distant from the residence.
- What category of people do you find it difficult to work with? Honestly, I work with all categories of people regardless of their personalities. However, I struggle to get on with people who don’t share the same work standard. In instances like this, I try to get along with them understanding their reasoning level, and continuously remind them how important they are to the team.
- How do you handle a lack of resources as an operations manager? When this happens, the first thing that comes to mind is that no one owes me anything, so I use what I have to take on any project. I look for a way to improvise. A lack of resources should not be the limiting factor that prevents the company from achieving high results that don’t show professionalism. Things like this might lead to losing potential/ existing partners of the company.
- What was the considerably tough conclusion you remember making? One will come across difficult situations in the corporate world, no doubt. Which later culminates in making a difficult decision. One of the tough conclusions I have made is staying back with my team in every project phase. It sounds simple, but it was a difficult decision to make. Rather than being occupied with other issues, I ensured I stayed back with the team until a completed project. It enabled us to deliver an efficient, accurate, and effective project without any hiccups.
- What motivated you to do your best in your previous job? First, I was motivated by the job’s difficulty and the time frame to deliver a good project. This was mainly my motivation, which made me go into in-depth research and probing to ensure I deliver before the stipulated time.
Further Related Questions
- Have you ever functioned with someone you didn’t like? No, I haven’t. I know misunderstanding may arise due to individual perspectives and when that arises. I resolve it immediately and amicably. However, I haven’t worked with someone I don’t like.
- How do you explain a complex idea to one who doesn’t understand? Although the assimilation level of people might differ. However, charts, pictures, or graphs are essential to explain complex ideas or methodologies to one who doesn’t understand.
- Do you choose to work independently or on a team? I can function both on a team or independently. I don’t mind. It all depends on the task. Some tasks will require a team, and some other tasks will require the effort of an individual. I believe both are important in an organization. Imagine an organization without a team. That will be very disastrous and detrimental to the growth of such an organization.
- Illustrate a regular workweek for you? At my previous workplace, a regular workweek was occupied with a lot. Like meetings to attend, projects to supervise, fieldwork, etc. However, this did not limit the fact that I had to continuously develop myself by taking courses, attending conferences, etc.
- How do you handle conflicts at your workplace? Although conflicts are unavoidable at the office, it is bound to happen. For instance, If my team members and I disagreed on what time to hold a conference. The first thing I will try to find is when he’ll be free to hold the conference and check my schedule. If it collides and I don’t seem to have the time. I could plead for a postponement of the meeting such that everyone will be in attendance and there will be no more hiccups or disagreements. This is how I will handle a conflict like this.
- If your forenamed co-workers were here, what would they say about you? They would say I am creative and resilient. ‘Joanna will always say that I am a very optimistic person.’ ‘Mathew will always say that I am a team player and also a problem solver.’ ‘Tony will always say that I pay attention to details and I am a satisfactory communicator.’ ‘Francisca will always say that I am a critical thinker and an ally.’
- If you had sufficient money to retire, would you retire? Yes, I would retire if I had sufficient money to retire, but since I can not. I will prefer to work here. It has always been my desire to work here. I am confident that I won’t regret it.
- What irritates you about a team member? I understand that the essence of a team is to achieve one goal. However, if one doesn’t have the same work standards as me, I dislike it. And that is not healthy for an organization.
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Top Operations Interview Questions (10+ with samples answers)
