Ace Your Management Interview: 10 Key Questions Quiz

1. Management Experience u0026 Leadership Style

   Can you tell us about your management experience and leadership style?

   1. I only read management books.
   2. My style is autocratic and demanding.
   3. I see my leadership style as collaborative and transformational because I believe in empowering my team members.
   4. I have no idea what my leadership style is.
   5. My management experience is limited to volunteer work.

2. Handling Conflict

   How do you handle conflict and difficult situations between team members?

   1. I ignore it and hope it resolves itself.
   2. Prevention is the key to this in the first place and so i would put a lot of empahsis on building trust and psychological saftey in the team.
   3. I immediately take sides and discipline the instigator.
   4. I escalate it to HR without investigation.
   5. I enjoy watching the drama unfold.

3. Tough Decision

   Describe a time when you had to make a tough decision. What was the outcome, and how did you reach your conclusion?

   1. I always make the right decisions, so I've never faced a tough one.
   2. In a previous role, I had to decide whether to allocate a limited budget to expand our product line or invest in improving existing products.
   3. I panicked and asked my boss to make the decision for me.
   4. I flipped a coin.
   5. I just chose whatever seemed easiest at the time.

4. Setting Goals and Objectives

   How do you set goals and objectives for your team, and how do you ensure they are achieved?

   1. I set unrealistic goals to push them to their limits.
   2. I dictate the goals without any input from the team.
   3. It does depend on the preferred method of the company. The common thread I have found to work is making sure it is collaborative, involving the team and at an individual level.
   4. I don't set goals; I let them do whatever they want.
   5. I set goals and then forget about them.

5. Successful Project

   Can you provide an example of a successful project or initiative you led and the role you played in its success?

   1. I don't take credit for team successes; it was all luck.
   2. This one is straightforward to answer. Talk through the project and highlight your role and how you supported others as well.
   3. I can't recall any successful projects.
   4. I delegated everything and just took the credit.
   5. I sabotage my team so that I look like the only capable one.

6. Motivating Team Members

   What strategies do you use to motivate team members?

   1. Threats and intimidation.
   2. Culture is more important than strategy here. I first focus on creating a cutlture in the team where they feel valued, recognised, understood and heard.
   3. I don't believe in motivation; people should be intrinsically motivated.
   4. I offer pizza parties every Friday.
   5. I constantly micromanage them.

7. Effective Feedback

   How do you provide effective feedback?

   1. I never give feedback; it's too uncomfortable.
   2. Quickly and regularly. Both around recognition and guidance.
   3. I only give negative feedback.
   4. I give feedback publicly to shame them.
   5. I give feedback in vague terms so they don't know what they did wrong.

8. Adapting to Change

   Describe a situation where you had to adapt to change. How did you handle it?

   1. I resist all change.
   2. Jump straight into an example here. It actually doesnt need to be something you handled well, what you want to do is show your thought process and how that may have changed now o reflection.
   3. I panicked and blamed everyone else.
   4. I ignored the change and pretended it wasn't happening.
   5. I spread rumors about how bad the change would be.

9. Qualities of a Successful Manager

   What do you believe are the most important qualities of a successful manager, and how do you model it?

   1. Ruthlessness and a win-at-all-costs mentality.
   2. Emotionally intelligent. So have self awareness, awareness of others, empathy, emotional regulation, resilience, determination, focus and good social skills.
   3. Being a micromanager.
   4. Favoritism.
   5. Having all the answers.

10. Supporting Struggling Team Members

    How do you support and guide a team member that may be struggling?

    1. I ignore them and hope they quit.
    2. Listen first and foremost. I’ve found most people to quick to offer advice.
    3. I publicly shame them to motivate them.
    4. I yell at them until they improve.
    5. I blame them for their struggles.