Management level interviews tend to focus on questions relating to your ability to lead a team, including questions about your supervisory skills along with questions about your ability to manage performance. These interviews can be testing but with a management position at stake this is to be expected. The 6 questions outlined below are along the lines of the questions that you can expect to face during this type of interview.

　

Name 3 important traits that describe your management style?

Fair, thorough and determined. My determination does not take away from my ability to be fair when dealing with staff and customers alike, whilst being thorough does not hamper my ability to make decisive decisions when such decisions are needed.

Give me an example of when you have had to discipline an employee, how did he/she react?

I had a colleague whose late time-keeping became a regular occurrence, I brought him into the office and provided the dates that he was late and warned him that he needed to improve his time-keeping or risked getting a written warning. His reaction was fine, he apologized for his tardiness and ensured he would be on time in future. I have not had any further issues with him.

What element of your management technique would you like to improve upon?

As a manager I believe that you are on a constant learning curve as new challenges arise on a daily basis, from a personal perspective I would like to remain open to emerging technologies.

How do you motivate employees?

I make a habit of verbally complimenting employees on a regular basis, I listen to team members in order to encourage and inspire while I ensure team spirit is positive at all times.

Have you ever had to fire an employee? If so how did you break the news to him/her?

As a manager laying off staff is part and parcel of the job, when faced with this task I bring the individual into my office and explain the reasons why he/she is surplus to requirements.

How do you handle criticism?

Constructive criticism is welcomed as it can only help increase productivity, criticism in a work environment is not something I take personal.

Being successful at interviews for managerial positions means being able to answer questions that may not have encountered in previous job interviews you so it is imperative to prepare properly. Should the interviewer seem like he/she is challenging you, it is vital to remain calm, this is in all probability a tactic to see how you react when under pressure.