Review these 6 interview questions and example answers as you prepare for an interview for a managerial position:
1. Tell me about a time you had to manage an unproductive employee.
A hiring manager may ask this question to assess your communication, active listening and problem-solving skills. When answering this question, select a specific example that shows your interest in actively listening to your team members, resolving conflict and boosting productivity. State that you can provide consistent guidance and support to employees without taking over their work directly.
Example: “In my last role, one of my team members consistently missed his deadlines, preventing the rest of the team from reaching its monthly production goals. I scheduled a meeting with him to better understand his perspective on his work performance. I learned he was experiencing challenges using the company’s new content management system, so I arranged a training session for him. As a result, he quickly increased his workflow and felt more comfortable proactively asking for help.”
2. How do you measure success?
Setting goals and evaluating success is an important managerial duty. This question allows the interviewer to see how you identify, set and meet goals. You may want to focus on your orientation toward group success rather than personal goals. Consider mentioning that you recognize employees may have different metrics for success depending on their specific role in the organization and their experience level.
Example: “I aim to measure my team’s progress toward a big goal by creating and celebrating small milestones. In my previous position, I led a marketing campaign that required everyone on the team to finish several assignments per week. I measured this completion rate by ensuring that each team member submitted their weekly quota and by having quality assurance analysts verify the quality of the work. I held weekly meetings with my team to ensure I was aware of any challenges preventing them from meeting their goals, and we finished the campaign while exceeding the client’s standards.”
3. How would you describe your management style?
This question lets you describe your management approach and why you believe it’s successful. Remember to support your answer with concrete examples of how your particular style has delivered results.
Example: “While I frequently communicate with my team members to assess their progress toward our goal and ensure they’re meeting deadlines, I allow my team to define and complete their daily schedules and responsibilities without micromanaging. Because of this approach, I would describe myself as having a democratic management style. When I managed a search engine optimization team of 15, I found that everyone performed their best when I made myself available to answer questions and provide support while letting them work independently.”
4. How do you delegate responsibilities?
During the interview, a hiring manager may ask this question to determine your ability to identify team members’ strengths and assign them tasks accordingly. In your response, show the interviewer how you recognize your team’s talents and assign tasks accordingly.
Example: “I aim to identify my team members’ strengths first. Once I understand the group as a network of individuals, I can delegate tasks to build an efficient team. In my last position, I met with each department member once a month to discuss their progress and ask about any issues they had or opportunities they wanted to pursue. One employee felt that the company wasn’t utilizing her strengths fully. I found some more challenging responsibilities for her, and our entire department’s productivity increased.”
5. How do you motivate your team?
Motivation in the workplace can help lead to higher productivity levels. As a manager, it’s important to help your team members stay motivated, especially when morale levels may be low. When answering this question, consider examples of how you motivate your team during challenging times.
Example: “I understand that people respond to different forms of motivation, so I try to motivate my employees using their preferred method. In my last position as the creative director for a marketing agency, one team member told me he preferred regular positive reinforcement, while another wanted critical feedback on her projects. When our team faced high output pressure, I gave them the motivation they needed, and both employees consistently submitted good work.”
6. How do you handle conflict between team members?
A hiring manager may ask this question to determine how you address challenging moments while maintaining a positive work environment and promoting productivity. In your answer, you can discuss how you identified the source of a conflict, analyzed the options available and found a way to resolve a conflict.
Example: “When I led a content production team last year, two employees had a miscommunication about which tasks they needed to complete. As a result, each employee felt the other one had not completed their work. I reviewed the correspondence between the two employees and identified the source of the miscommunication. I reassigned the outstanding tasks and we were able to finish the project on time. The three of us worked together on a new task delegation process so this issue would not occur again.”
