An interview for project management or team leader positions will remain some questions about your experience, management style, what you have executed in the past, and what your expectations are for the future. Below we have made a list of some commonly asked job interview questions and answers that specifically play a role in manager interviews.
We do recommend spending some time getting comfortable with what you might be asked and it can be helpful to review likely interview questions and check out some interview tips.
How Would You Describe Your Management Style?
Manager interview questions are usually asked to detect hidden qualities about yourself. This question seems simple but you need to answer this question technically. There are various ways to answer this question but the great way to answer this question is, “I choose to adapt my management techniques based on the present situation, as work environments are constantly dynamic and often need to be handled in unique, novel ways.”
What Would You Do If You Had A Subordinate Doing Their Job Inefficiently?
Another most common management job interview question, this is a great opportunity for you to stand out from other applicants and show your passion for and connection to the company. A true leader accepts responsibility. To answer this question smartly, “I consider anyone who works with me to be an extension of my effectiveness as a manager. I will discuss any problems with the employee individually and honestly, but if their work affects the bottom line of the company, their shortcomings are also my responsibility.”
How Do You Measure Your Success As A Manager?
This one is a crucial question. In your answer, you should be aware of the type of job you’re applying for. Don’t provide your complete employment history. Just provide a sense of your work ethic, your goals, and your overall personality. An effective answer to this question is, “Management is about setting and reaching goals and employee/organizational relationships. I measure effectiveness by looking at the data, ensuring that I am meeting deadlines early and helping to achieve organizational growth, and keeping morale high and those under my supervision engaged and active in their tasks.”
What Is Your Definition Of Failure?
This question is really just the opposite of your resolution of success. There’s a great formula that will help you answer this question with pleasure. Keep in mind that failure is just a perspective. And the answer will be, “For starters, failure is an event and not a person and you only fail if you quit and I’m not a quitter. I may not complete a project on time or miss an important deadline, but that does not qualify as having failed in my book. If I complete a task but miss a deadline, I still consider it a success because I finished, but without the desired result.”
How Do You Keep Staff Members Motivated?
Management interview questions like this are asked to find out what kind of leader you are. They want to hire people who are passionate about the job and can handle every situation. So you should have a great answer to this question. And the super-simple answer format will be, “I do my best to show recognition and acknowledgment to all employees that meet goals, which keeps morale high and employees on task. Also, when applicable, I keep tasks interdependent within the team, so that staff members require and encourage fellow staff members to complete their work.”
Do You Prefer To Work Independently Or On A Team?
A question like this targets to know your personality and your preferred method of fulfilling a task. The interviewer or hiring manager wants to hear your comfort zone. Although this is a crucial question, you can focus on both which can make you a more dynamic, complex applicant. The best answer to this type of interview question is, “I am comfortable working alone and in a group depending on the situation. If the task is easy enough to tackle on my own without brainstorming or breaking up the work without a team, I am happy to work on my own. However, if the assignment is a high priority or too much for one person to handle, I welcome working with a team to tackle the project together. In my experience, most projects require a combination of independent work and brainstorming depending on their various elements.”
How Do You Handle Stress And Pressure?
The interviewer does not want to hear that you never get stressed! This question is basically asking if you panic when problems arise. Try to reply to this question practically, you need to provide specific examples of how you have handled stress or pressure well in the past. And try to explain stress or pressure actually made you a more productive employee. An effective answer to these types of interview questions is, “I actually work better under pressure and I’ve found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment. For example, when I deal with an unsatisfied customer, rather than feeling stressed, I focus on the task at hand. I believe my ability to communicate effectively with customers during these moments helps reduce my own stress in these situations and also reduces any stress the customer may feel.”
I suggest you do great research before the interview: browse the company’s website, research their appearance in the news and media, and use them for your interview. Management is both about communication and management skills. Prepare for these common manager interview questions and get ready for your next Management Interview! Good luck!
References:
1. https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/business-consulting-and-management/management-interview-questions
2. https://zety.com/blog/interview-questions-for-managers
Last Updated on January 21, 2022 by
Magalie D. is a Diploma holder in Public Administration & Management from McGill University of Canada. She shares management tips here in MGTBlog when she has nothing to do and gets some free time after working in a multinational company at Toronto.
