A job in the managerial position comes along with never ending responsibilities and consequently rewards too. Although you need several years of experience and a lot of skills to get into this profession, it would be impossible for you to impress the interviewer if your knowledge does not reflect in the answers to the questions asked by him/her. It is very important for you to know all the interview questions for managers and how to answer them, as it will help you to stay confident during the interview and create a positive impression by displaying positivity in your attitude.
Basically, the job of a manager is to manage people and tasks. The exact duties of this position slightly differ owing to the difference in the department and operations the manager handles. The job responsibilities of a manager are almost endless, and so are the avenues to outshine and achieve brilliance while discovering the inner self and the limits of the productivity one can reach and cross.
The interview questions asked for managerial jobs are not difficult to answer. You will be asked several questions through which you can easily display your knowledge, thinking power, and approach towards life, work, and people in general. Some of the most common interview questions for managerial jobs have been provided along with suggested answers.
Question 1: Why do you want to work with our organization?
Answer: Work is all about dedicating oneself to achieve professional excellence and also contribute one's efforts in order to achieve the collective goals of the organization and the people working within. You need to tell the interviewer that through whatever little you know about the organization, you find it a nice place to work and indulge in common pursuits that are aimed to achieve perfection and excellence in order to sustain in the competitive scenario and build reputation while earning substantial profits.
Question 2: Tell us something about yourself.
Answer: Contrary to what the interviewer is asking, you should actually tell a lot about yourself. An ideal question to this answer will be one through which you are able to highlight your qualifications, interests, experience, and your outlook towards professional and life in general. Do not limit yourself; however, do not elaborate too much.
Question 3: What are the biggest challenges faced by a manager?
Answer: Irrespective of whether you have worked in this position before or not, you should be able to identify and explain what challenges a manager might face while performing his/her job duties. These can be the conflicts arising within the team members, irate clients, or a project going haywire due to communication gap. You should also suggest some measures that will help to overcome the hindrances that you point out while answering this question.
Question 4: What are your greatest strengths as a human being and how do they contribute in your productivity?
Answer: Explain what you feel are the qualities you possess and how they are connected with your productivity as a professional. Tell about an incident or two where you used just your skill to handle a situation.
Question 5: What according to you is the biggest motivation for employees?
Answer: While for some people, recognition and awards are the motivating factors, there are employees who believe that monetary benefits motivate them to work more efficiently. You should voice your opinion here.
Question 6: How do you handle stress?
Answer: Stressful situations are going to surface while you are working and if you do not know how to handle those situations, then you might not be able to deliver what the company expects from you. You can tell the employer about measures you take to handle stressful situations and how effective are those.
Question 7: How long do you plan to work here?
Answer: People go for diplomatic answers like "As long as I can" or even "Till I reach to the highest position". However, you need to take a specific stance and explain the interviewer that as long as you find the association with the organization beneficial and worth it, you will work there.
Question 8: Apart from being a manager, what else can you do for this organization?
Answer: Being a manager is exhausting enough. However, you cannot say no to additional roles that you have to perform when required. Additionally, you can elaborate about your interests and knowledge about a specific topic or field and how you can utilize this to enhance the knowledge and skills of the co-workers.
Question 9: What are your salary expectations?
Answer: Always gather first hand information about the average salary paid to a manager in the domain you are about to venture into. Do not state a salary you desire. Instead, mention a figure you think is worth according to your qualifications and experience.
Interview questions for managers and the answers that we have provided above will definitely be of help when you prepare for an interview.