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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.