Sample Interview Questions for Managerial Positions
Decision Making Questions
- At which point do you find it necessary to bring others into your decision-making process? Why?
- Describe your approach to making decisions and solving problems. Why do you do it this way?
- When you recommend something to management, what approach do you usually use?
- How do you assemble relevant data to make your decisions? How do you know you have enough data?
- How much leeway do you give your employees to make decisions? How do you still maintain control?
Administration Questions
- What areas are within your sphere of responsibility in your current position? How do, you make sure that you know what is happening (problems, changes, etc.)?
- How do make sure that your employees are accountable?
- What operating systems do you use to monitor and maintain control of your area of accountability?
- What do you typically do when you hear of a problem in your area? Explain?
- How useful have you found written procedures and guidelines in helping you manage your area?
- Do you feel that the chain of command is important? Why? When do you feel it might inhibit organizational effectiveness?
- Share an effective method you have used to enforce rules and regulations.
Writing Skills Questions
- When you have to write letters, how do you usually get started?
- How do you keep track of incoming and outgoing correspondence?
- What do you see as the difference in writing strategy for a report vs. memo vs. a letter?
Financial Questions
- What responsibility do you have for budgeting? What budgeting method do you use?
- Tell me about a time when you had to prioritize limited resources? How? What worked and what did not?
Leadership Questions
- How do you get your employees (or others) to follow you?
- How do you use power or authority to get what you want done?
- How do you delegate responsibility for an assignment? Who do you choose? What and how do you delegate, and what do you monitor and follow up?
- How do you describe your management style?
- Please share with me an example of how you helped coach or mentor someone. What improvements did you see in the person's knowledge or skills?
- Provide an example of a time when you successfully organized a diverse group of people to accomplish a task.
- Provide an example of a time when you were able to demonstrate excellent listening skills. What was the situation and outcome?
- In your experience, what is the key to developing a good team? (Look for how they build mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.)
Evaluating Performance
- What do you do to ensure objectivity when you evaluate the work of others?
- What sort of performance standards have you held Employees to? Were they written?
- How often do you evaluate your employees?
- How do you get your employees involved in their own evaluation?
- How do you evaluate your department’s overall performance?
- When you evaluate someone’s performance verbally, what approach do you take?
- How do you plan for performance improvements?
- How do you measure performance in your area?
- What have you found to be the best way to monitor the performance of your work and/or the work of others? Share a time when you had to take corrective action.
Employee Relations
- How do you go about developing the people you manage?
- How do you help your employees become committed to a job or to the organization?
- How do you deal with an “attitude” problem?
- How often do you think it is necessary to meet with your employees?
- How have you handled “complainers?”
- How do you deal with an employee who needs to be disciplined? Explain your strategy.
- What sort of employee training do you think is necessary to offer?
- How do you handle a, personnel situation, which might have a, potential legal impact?
- How do you develop trust and loyalty in your employee?
Planning Questions
- How far in advance do you typically plan activities for yourself and your employees?
- How do you assess priorities? How do you then assign them?
Organizational Relationships
- How would you deal with “politics” in a work place?
- What would you describe as an effective staff meeting? Ineffective?
- How do you typically get cooperation from someone in another department?
- Have you had to make an oral presentation to other managers? Explain.
Decision Making Questions
- At which point do you find it necessary to bring others into your decision-making process? Why?
- Describe your approach to making decisions and solving problems. Why do you do it this way?
- When you recommend something to management, what approach do you usually use?
- How do you assemble relevant data to make your decisions? How do you know you have enough data?
- How much leeway do you give your employees to make decisions? How do you still maintain control?
Administration Questions
- What areas are within your sphere of responsibility in your current position? How do, you make sure that you know what is happening (problems, changes, etc.)?
- How do make sure that your employees are accountable?
- What operating systems do you use to monitor and maintain control of your area of accountability?
- What do you typically do when you hear of a problem in your area? Explain?
- How useful have you found written procedures and guidelines in helping you manage your area?
- Do you feel that the chain of command is important? Why? When do you feel it might inhibit organizational effectiveness?
- Share an effective method you have used to enforce rules and regulations.
Writing Skills Questions
- When you have to write letters, how do you usually get started?
- How do you keep track of incoming and outgoing correspondence?
- What do you see as the difference in writing strategy for a report vs. memo vs. a letter?
Financial Questions
- What responsibility do you have for budgeting? What budgeting method do you use?
- Tell me about a time when you had to prioritize limited resources? How? What worked and what did not?
Leadership Questions
- How do you get your employees (or others) to follow you?
- How do you use power or authority to get what you want done?
- How do you delegate responsibility for an assignment? Who do you choose? What and how do you delegate, and what do you monitor and follow up?
- How do you describe your management style?
- Please share with me an example of how you helped coach or mentor someone. What improvements did you see in the person's knowledge or skills?
- Provide an example of a time when you successfully organized a diverse group of people to accomplish a task.
- Provide an example of a time when you were able to demonstrate excellent listening skills. What was the situation and outcome?
- In your experience, what is the key to developing a good team? (Look for how they build mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.)
Evaluating Performance
- What do you do to ensure objectivity when you evaluate the work of others?
- What sort of performance standards have you held Employees to? Were they written?
- How often do you evaluate your employees?
- How do you get your employees involved in their own evaluation?
- How do you evaluate your department’s overall performance?
- When you evaluate someone’s performance verbally, what approach do you take?
- How do you plan for performance improvements?
- How do you measure performance in your area?
- What have you found to be the best way to monitor the performance of your work and/or the work of others? Share a time when you had to take corrective action.
Employee Relations
- How do you go about developing the people you manage?
- How do you help your employees become committed to a job or to the organization?
- How do you deal with an “attitude” problem?
- How often do you think it is necessary to meet with your employees?
- How have you handled “complainers?”
- How do you deal with an employee who needs to be disciplined? Explain your strategy.
- What sort of employee training do you think is necessary to offer?
- How do you handle a, personnel situation, which might have a, potential legal impact?
- How do you develop trust and loyalty in your employee?
Planning Questions
- How far in advance do you typically plan activities for yourself and your employees?
- How do you assess priorities? How do you then assign them?
Organizational Relationships
- How would you deal with “politics” in a work place?
- What would you describe as an effective staff meeting? Ineffective?
- How do you typically get cooperation from someone in another department?
- Have you had to make an oral presentation to other managers? Explain.