Interview questions for managers with sample answers to help you prepare

There's nothing quite like holding the reins and leading a team, which makes interviews for management positions pretty exciting. Understanding the kinds of interview questions for managers that might get thrown your way will help you stand out both during and after your interview.

Even though you can't know exactly what questions you'll face, you can still be ready for your interview by knowing the core qualities of an exceptional manager and showing you've got them covered, using specific examples from your own experience.

To help you prepare, here are six sample interview questions related to three core qualities and the thinking behind them. In-depth examples are crucial, so a sample answer relating to each core quality is provided, following the situation, task, action, and result (STAR) format.

Leadership: Reaching and exceeding your goals

Perhaps the most important manager core quality is your ability to lead in the workplace. A corporation that's considering giving you an important management position will want to be sure that once you get the job, you'll get the job done. Manager jobs aren't just about monitoring dashboards; you're being hired to lead a team to success. That's why you'll have to show leadership skills in your interviews.

How do you make decisions about the delegation of responsibilities and tasks?

To answer an interview question such as this, you'll need to show you can make decisions for the team you lead and delegate responsibilities to get the job done. It is crucial to show your understanding of the importance of delegating and give examples of ways you've put team members in positions to succeed.

What leadership styles do you prefer, and what other leadership styles have you been involved with?

Leadership styles can be driven by your needs or your preferences, and you may have to slide from one style to another. When asked a question about leadership style, you'll want to express why you'd rather use certain approaches and show you understand other styles of management.

Sample answer:

• “I prefer a democratic leadership style because I think it builds team ownership, but I've also found success using operational or bureaucratic styles when teams are new."
• Situation: “There was one time late in our production cycle when a marketing change moved our completion date up almost a month. Everyone was freaking out, and the democratic style was just creating arguments."
• Task: “Our indecision added to the problem, and I needed to get everyone focused and leadership working hard on solutions to meet the new deadline."
• Action: “I met with just the project manager instead of all the team leads and assistants, and we hammered out an emergency plan. We handed it down to the team with very little input and no debate."
• Result: “Not everyone liked the change to such a direct or autocratic style of leadership, but it stopped the wheel-spinning, and we were able to make our new deadline.”

“A corporation that's considering giving you an important management position will want to be sure that once you get the job, you'll get the job done. Manager jobs aren't just about monitoring dashboards; you are being hired to lead a team to success.”

Team building: Getting the most out of the team

As a manager, you'll need to own the task of building, cultivating, and motivating teams. Your interviewers will want to know if you can care for team members and achieve corporate objectives.

In what ways have you promoted inclusion and belonging in teams you've been in or managed?

Today, there's more emphasis on fair treatment and the acceptance of diverse points of view in the workplace. Knowing about these concerns is important, so share ways you've contributed to making team members feel like they belong.

In what ways have you helped team members with their professional development?

Corporations know that the better equipped the individuals in a team are, the more potential that team has. Show how individual advancement leads to corporate growth, and that promoting the professional development of team members is an investment in corporate success.

Sample answer:

• “As a manager, you always want to help each team member reach their potential. Working toward that can be a slow process, but sometimes you can identify an opportunity that could result in something special for the individual, the team, and the company."
• Situation: “We had an extremely gifted engineer who wanted to move up to a leadership position, but she was disorganized and wasn't respected by the leadership or the team."
• Task: “Normally, we'd just look elsewhere for a lead, but I talked to her and discovered that she realized she needed to grow in this area and was willing to do whatever it took." 
• Action: “Over the next few months, we allocated time for her to attend a leadership clinic that emphasized organization and professionalism."
• Result: “She learned new ways to manage her work and space and to relate to others, and no one objected when we gave her a new leadership role. She became one of the best lead engineers we had ever promoted internally. Everybody won.”

Problem-solving: Handling the unexpected

For managers, panic, overreaction, and collapse aren't options when things go wrong. Corporations value managers who can set up their teams for success and use their problem-solving skills to get them across the finish line.

How have you resolved conflicts between members of your team?

Team relationships aren't always sunshine and roses. In an interview, show you can create an environment of respect and collaboration, handle conflicts in the workplace, and work hand-in-hand with an HR department when necessary.

In what ways have you kept your team motivated during challenging situations?

Setbacks can be demoralizing. These are the times your team will most look to you as a leader. Interviewers will want to see you are capable of recovering from unexpected problems.

Sample answer:

• “I think the best way to overcome a setback depends on its size. Small challenges are often carried by the members of a good team, but significant setbacks can be devastating and need attention from the highest levels."
• Situation: “A team I was responsible for had been working on an app for six months, putting in extra effort to ensure the highest possible quality, until a business decision by the president killed the project. We were told without notice to archive everything and take the rest of the day off."
• Task: “From the president's perspective, it was a great decision, and the team could simply be reassigned, but the team members were crushed. All their effort and ownership had been for nothing. People were ready to quit. I realized my encouragement wasn't enough; we needed the president to acknowledge their effort, show them the benefit of the deal, and renew their damaged faith."
• Action: “I set up an offsite party, just as if we had finished the app. The president came, assured them of their value, and pointed them to the next series of even better projects."
• Result: “The team felt valued and had something positive to anticipate. It was a night and day difference in morale, motivation, and understanding.”

No matter what questions you're asked, keep in mind how they relate to core qualities, and remember to illustrate your answers with robust examples from your own experiences. Your skills are unique; letting interviewers know how you've grown in the past will demonstrate your potential to shine in the future. Now that you're ready for your interviews, get email alerts from CareerBuilder.com for manager jobs to ensure you are headed in the right direction.

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