Common Interview Questions for Managers and Tips to Prepare

When preparing for a management-level interview, practising some common interview questions for managers can help you feel confident about your answers. First, review the job description, company mission, and vision to understand the employer's wants. Then, you can use the following tips and questions to help you prepare for a manager interview.

What kinds of questions are asked in a management interview?

Management interviews typically include questions aimed at determining your senior-level skills. An interviewer may also ask broader questions to understand your motivations, suitability for the company, and skills and experience. 

Such questions might include variations of, ‘Why are you interested in this role’? or ‘Why do you think you are the best candidate for this position’? These questions help interviewers learn about your motivations, what you'll bring to the role, and whether you'll be a good fit for the team. 

To answer these interview questions effectively, research the company so you can tailor your experience and mention why the company excites you. Carefully match your skills and expertise to the company and the role, and share your enthusiasm about the job.

Other questions you might need to answer include: 

• What are your greatest strengths?

• What are your weaknesses?

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

• Why did you leave your previous position?

Interview questions for managers

In addition to the questions above, an interviewer will usually ask you more specific interview questions for management-level positions. When answering any interview question, give examples of your skills and experience to demonstrate your expertise. Management interview questions may include the following:

How would you describe your management style?

With this question, the recruiter wants to learn more about you and how you operate as a manager. They want to understand whether your style matches their organisation's work culture and values, so make sure you have researched its work culture and values.

When describing your management style, give examples to support your claims. Focus on successful outcomes that resulted from how you managed a team. For example, you can talk about a specific time you managed a team to achieve a particular goal. Talk about the process, what you did, and the results. 

Tip: Giving an example of how you have motivated and inspired others can be very effective. Showing how you brought a team together to achieve results is more compelling than simply talking about outcomes.

Tell me about a time you have had to handle conflict within a team.

The answer to this question requires a story rather than an overview of how you would handle conflict. Focus on one event and what measures you took, the challenges, and how you overcame them with positive results. 

Paint a picture so the recruiter can understand the conflict and its occurrence. They want to see that you can deal with sensitive situations, so demonstrate how you understood the problem from all perspectives and determined an intervention. Be mindful about how you describe the conflict so you aren't appearing to take sides, put an employee down, or divulge sensitive information. 

How do you maintain motivation within your team?

For this question, it's very important to show that you take the time to get to know your team to address individual needs and preferences and build relevant team strategies. Offer examples that show how you celebrate your team's strengths and achievements. 

Describe a time when you have had to guide your team through change.

Navigating change is a vital management skill. Here, the interviewer will look at how you effectively approach a situation, manage your team's feedback and feelings, and show leadership. Your example can include details of how you led the process without compromising productivity and the strategies you used to manage any anxiety or conflict in your team regarding the change. 

Tell me about a difficult decision you had to make and how you handled the process.

Decision-making skills are essential in management, so the interviewer wants proof that you can make timely, considered, and effective decisions. Discuss your decisions and thought processes to explain how you came to the solution and achieved outcomes. The employer will be looking for key things such as who you consulted, how you considered the well-being of others, and how you dealt with any associated challenges. 

How do you establish priorities and delegate appropriate tasks to others?

Your answer to this question should show that you have the best communication skills and ability to see a team's value and everyone's strengths. Make sure your response is positive and focuses on your successful approach. 

How to predict what might be asked

Prepare answers for common and potential interview questions during your practice. Come ready with multiple stories and examples to share so you have options depending on how the questions take shape. Here are a few ways to do this:

Study the job description. 

The job description outlines what you can expect to do if hired. It also is a great place to start when anticipating what interviewers may expect during an interview. You'll get clues about the company’s expectations of you and its culture, policies, and processes. Review it and think of some examples to show you can do the job. 

Look at the essential criteria.

You can find even more significant clues about the role of the essential criteria. Interviewers will consider how well you meet the requirements in the interview, so prepare responses and related examples that show your ability to meet them. For instance, how can you demonstrate if they're looking for someone with an innovative approach to change management? Have an example ready to go. 

Research the company.

Researching the company means you can tailor your answers to subjects important to your potential employer. For example, if the company has a teamwork and collaboration culture, it would be best to include relevant examples of times you've worked with others. 

Research should also allow you to find out about any notable achievements, projects, or awards that you can drop into your answers. 

Ask questions.

You'll likely have a chance to ask your questions at the end of the interview. This is your opportunity to learn about the position the job description didn’t include. 

For the interviewer, asking questions demonstrates your interest in the role and company. The kinds of questions you ask will give them an idea about your motivations and personality. Some examples of good questions to ask include:

• Can you give me some examples of the projects I might be working on?

• What type of training and professional development are available to employees?

• What is your favourite thing about working here?

• Who will be my direct report?

Get started. 

As you continue your job search, keep practising your interview questions and answers to help boost your confidence.  For more help with preparing for your interview for a management position, take a look at this course on Advanced Interviewing Techniques on Coursera.