Management Interview Questions Flashcards
Management Interview Questions Red Flags
- Not providing enough detail
- Failing to respond effectively
- Not taking responsibility for your actions
- Negativity
- Unrealistic answers
- Inflexibility
- Lack of interest
Follow-up questions to behavioral management interview questions
What did you learn from that situation?
How did you handle that situation?
Can you tell me about the results of your actions?
What would you do differently next time?
Preparing Answers to Management Interview Questions
There are a couple of things you should focus on when preparing your answers to management interview questions. Make sure to consider the following elements:
- Doing your research
It’s important that you do your homework right to ace your interview. Therefore, study the job description and company, in general, to make sure you know all the necessary details. Your research will help you identify the required management competencies, skills, and experience for the position you’re interviewing for.
- Create a list of competencies and skills
Behavioral questions in management interviews are a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your talent and skills. However, this requires preparing your answers prior to your interview. Before you head to your interview, you should have figured out which questions you are likely to get asked.
Based on the competencies and skills you identified, you can start thinking and make an educated guess about the questions you’re most likely to get. A lot of companies are looking for similar management skills such as leadership, clear communication, motivational, problem-solving, delegation, decision-making, planning & organization, etc.
Rank the competencies and skills on importance in relation to the requirements of the position that you are interviewing for.
- Come up with past experiences that relate to the job you’re interviewing for
Create a list of past work experiences that demonstrate you performing the skill that the interviewer is questioning you about. You can think of experiences for each skill that you will think will be discussed in your interview.
Ensure to highlight successful situations where you demonstrated behavior related to the skills and experience required for the job. Focus on giving a concise and to-the-point answer.
- Prepare successful situations and challenging ones
When you’re preparing your answers, make sure to prepare for challenging situations as well. Of course, the interviewers will be interested in you successfully performing the required skills but will most likely also ask you about challenging situations. For such questions, you must have an answer ready that shows that you are able to overcome challenges and what you learned from the situation.
Focus on showing problem-solving skills, adaptability, and ability to professionally handle challenging situations. There’s always a possibility that the interviewer will ask you a follow-up question to test your self-awareness. For instance, by asking how you might handle a similar kind of situation differently now.
- Use the STAR method to structure your answers to behavioral management interview questions
The STAR interview technique allows you to provide a concise and to-the-point answer. STAR is an acronym that stands for a situation (S), your task (T) in that situation, the actions (A) you took, and what results (R) you got based on your actions. These are the basic steps you take in your walkthrough. Below the STAR method is discussed step by step.
General elements to consider when structuring your answer:
Provide the interviewer with answers to behavioral management questions in the form of a ‘story.’ Ensure that you structure this story logically. Use the STAR interview technique to do this.
Demonstrate the skills and experience required for the job you’re interviewing for. This is exactly what the interviewer is looking for. Ensure you match your qualifications to the job and required skills, as mentioned in the job description.
Be honest in your answers. Interviewers are trained to notice if you’re making a story up. Furthermore, to test you, they will ask follow-up questions to go more in-depth into the situation you provide them with. Make sure to prepare several example answers with situations of you successfully using skills that you think will be discussed based on your research.
STAR Interview Technique
As discussed earlier, the STAR interview technique will help you structure your answers to behavioral management interview questions logically. The STAR method allows you to give the interviewer an answer that he or she is looking for. Furthermore, it’s a perfect way to demonstrate how you acted in previous work situations. In other words, the STAR technique is a way to ace your interview with storytelling.
Tell me about a time when you had to perform a task in which you had little or no experience in doing. How did you approach this situation, and what did you learn?
Situation: ‘In my previous job, my manager had to unexpectedly leave for six months due to a medical condition.
Task: Because of this unexpected turn of events, our director asked me to fill in as an interim manager. At that time, I was familiar with the basics of management and what my manager was looking for in our team because I worked with her for quite some time. However, I was certainly not trained to be a manager yet.
Action: I accepted the interim position because I really enjoy challenges and was confident enough to think that I could do it. I gathered the team and told them about the situation we were in. Furthermore, I asked them to cooperate together as well as possible and that we had to get through this challenging period together. Also, I asked another manager to coach me during the process to make sure all projects would stay on track, and the team would stay productive.
Result: We managed to get through the six months very well, and all the projects were finished on time. When my manager returned, she was very pleased with the work the team delivered, and I even got compliments from our director. My performance led to me being promoted to team manager myself at the end of that year.’
Tell me about a time you managed an important project.
I’ve worked on several successful projects as the manager of the sales department. For example, I was asked to set up a project team to work on a sales pitch to convince a new client to use our services. The pressure was on because it was a 5-year deal and a multi-million dollar contract that was at stake. For the company as well as for me personally, this was kind of a big deal. As this deal would mean a lot for the company in terms of turnover increase, I understood that failure was not an option because it was a unique opportunity to land the contract.
I gathered a team of the most experienced employees and selected them based on their individual qualities and strengths to make sure to balance the team out. Together with the team, a planning document was set up, and goals and milestones were determined. After that, I delegated tasks based on the knowledge and experience levels of each team member. Also, I assigned a project manager to carefully monitor the progress on a day to day basis and report to me on the milestone progress.
Because I distributed the responsibilities according to experience and knowledge levels, everyone on the team was aware of their responsibilities and the importance of the project. The team delivered everything on time without requiring intense oversight. We finished our sales presentation ahead of the deadline and were able to provide the client with everything he asked for.
The client told us that he was impressed by our effort, and we landed the contract, which was the largest deal closed in that year. This was a great achievement for the team as it was an effort that could not have been made without the people on it.’
Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult employee.
‘In my previous position, I managed a team of 5 consultants. One team member was constantly late when it came to completing tasks. These tasks were set out and discussed during the weekly planning to make sure all team members had the same workload. With him being late, the whole team started to run behind on the planning. I had a one-on-one meeting with him and, next to giving him a warning, explained the situation and how it impacted the team performance. We discussed a deadline for him to improve his contribution to the team effort.
After the first two weeks that followed, I saw no improvement, so I talked to him again and told him that I would include this in his employee record and report it to the HR department. We discussed a final deadline to improve himself, and I offered to coach him during the process.
Luckily for the team and me, but also for him, he took it seriously this time. Within a week or so, there was a real improvement in his output and quality of work, and furthermore, everything was delivered ahead of the project the deadline. Besides his productivity and quality going up, the friction within the team was gone, and all issues were solved eventually.’
‘Describe your Leadership style.’
As a manager, I learned to adapt to different and changing situations. My experience taught me to adapt my management style to the team and employees that I’m working with. Not everyone on a team requires the same management style constantly. Therefore I think it’s important that as a manager, you’re flexible towards your team and allow the team members to develop themselves.
For example, in my previous position, where we were working on an assignment for a new client. This specific project required a new approach because we had not worked on an assignment of similar nature before. I gathered the team and told them what was expected by the client and delegated tasks after splitting up the team in smaller teams of two.
After we kicked off the project, I noticed that some of the teams were struggling with tackling the issues they encountered. I immediately got more involved myself and coached where needed. I kept track of progress daily and helped the teams out where necessary by actively participating in their tasks. We got the job done within the set deadlines and added a new satisfied client to our track record.’
Management Interview Questions Red Flags - Not providing enough detail
The first thing hiring managers look for is if you are able to give specific answers to their questions. Your answers should enlighten them on how you go about your work and management style. If you cannot provide specific details of situations or examples about what you claimed in your resume or cover letter, this can be considered a red flag by the interviewers.
Say, for instance, you claim that you have successfully led teams in the past; you better be able to back this up with clear examples of how you did just that. If you fail to do so, this could hurt your chances of landing the job. When interviewers have trouble verifying your employment history or experience, this could be a warning sign for them.
Management Interview Questions Red Flags - Failing to respond effectively
Every company is looking for leaders who are confident in their abilities to succeed. You should also demonstrate and convey this during your job interview. Failing to respond effectively to interview questions and related follow-up questions can come across weak. You should be able to explain what kind of manager you are and how you have handled or would handle certain situations.
When you’re preparing for your interview, you need to figure out questions you can expect. Most of these questions you will get are based on the required skills, abilities, and competencies needed to successfully perform the job.
Based on these questions, you can also think about follow-up questions that you can expect. For instance, if you’re preparing for the interview question ‘Tell me about a time you successfully led a team,’ you can expect the interviewer to follow up with ‘How did you approach this situation?’ and ‘What was the outcome?’
Management Interview Questions Red Flags - Not taking responsibility for your actions
One of the most important traits of a great manager is the ability to take responsibility for actions. Think, for instance, about setting and tracking goals, increasing team productivity, training and motivating team members, and business development planning.
If the interviewer, for instance, asks you about a project that you led that failed, he or she expects you to come up with an example situation of a time you encountered this. The interviewer knows everybody makes mistakes, and the essence of the question is not about making a mistake; it’s about how you worked on it, solved it, and/or learned from it.
If you provide the interviewer with an answer that does not show that you take responsibility for a mistake or a project that may have failed, this can be considered a red flag.
Self-awareness and being to reflect on situations are important characteristics to possess as a manager in the workplace. Employers look for candidates that can admit errors or who made thoughtful mistakes in the past and tried to fix them. Furthermore, they know that you are human and make mistakes, just like everybody else.
It’s important that your answers show that you take responsibility for situations and describe the actions you took to repair any problems or challenges in your work. A candidate who constantly makes excuses for poor results shows that he or she would rather not be held accountable for their actions. Avoid making such an impression at all costs.
As a leader, where do you get your motivation from?
For me, there are different kinds of motivational levels. I get motivated when I’m trusted and allowed to make the decisions necessary for my team. Being valued and appreciated within the company, plus the potential to continue to grow, is really important to me.
In terms of getting motivated by my team, I get really motivated by seeing them excel in their performance, but also encourage each other and helping each other out when needed.
Tell me about a time you implemented a significant change as a leader in a previous position.
Last year, the board of directors decided that it was time to implement a new customer management system. I already had positive experiences working with a certain CMS in a previous job and immediately thought I could help. I offered to pitch the CMS to the board and to do the training among team members if they agreed. The board accepted my offer, and after I pitched the CMS to them, they allowed me to start a trial period working with the new software.
The implementation went smoothly, and the team was enthusiastic about the new software as well. The old software was outdated and was not updated regularly anymore. The new CMS allowed them to work more efficiently, and eventually, the new software was implemented in other departments as well. All in all, the board of directors was happy with my ideas and how I solved this issue.
How do you measure the success of the members on your team?
As a manager, my experience taught me that success could be measured in different ways. I believe that all team members have their strengths and weaknesses and that they should be guided to work on themselves, especially in the early stages of their careers.
The most obvious way to measure success for me is by assessing the engagement of team members in their work. A good example of this is how they approach projects, keep deadlines, and help other team members out in times of need.
Furthermore, I keep productivity reports that I compare every quarter. By doing this and discussing these results with each specific team member, I try to engage them more and help them develop themselves as well.’
Tell me about a time you managed an important project with your team. How did you handle it?
As a sales manager, I have worked on several important projects in the past. A specific example is when I was asked to set up a project team to work on a sales pitch to convince a new client to use our services. From the beginning, the pressure was on since it was about closing a multi-million dollar deal.
For the company as well as for me personally, this was one of the largest deals to date. As this deal would mean a lot for the company in terms of turnover increase, I understood that failure was not an option – it was a unique opportunity.
I assembled a team of the most experienced employees and selected them based on their qualities and strengths to make sure to balance the team out. Together with the team, a planning document was created, and goals and milestones were determined. After that, I delegated tasks based on the knowledge and experience levels of each member on the team. Also, I assigned a project manager to monitor the progress daily and report to me.
Because I distributed the responsibilities according to experience and knowledge levels, everyone on the team was aware of their responsibilities and the importance of the project. The team delivered everything on time without requiring intense oversight.
We finished our sales pitch ahead of the deadline and were able to provide the client with everything they asked for. The client told us that he was impressed by our efforts, and we landed the contract. This was a great achievement for the team as it was an effort that could not have been made without the people on it.
