Hi, everybody. It's Richard McMunn here from the interview training company, How2Become.com.
And in this fantastic training video, I'm gonna teach you how to pass your Team Leader
interview and specifically, I'm gonna give you seven interview questions and sample answers
to help you pass. Okay, so before we get into the questions and answers, welcome to this
tutorial. That's me on the right-hand side. As I say, my name's Richard McMunn. I've been
helping people like you for about 20 years now to successfully pass their interviews.
And in this particular video, we are going to focus on how to pass the Team Leader interview.
So if you have any kind of Team Leader interview coming up, whether it's a supervisory interview
or a management interview, I promise you, this tutorial is really going to help you.
I am also going to tell you, at some stage during the video, where you can download these
slides. So even though I encourage you to take notes, I'm actually going to give you
these slides with the sample answers. And my advice is to subscribe to the channel,
just click the red button below this video so then you'll get notified as soon as I create
videos and I'm doing these on a weekly basis now. Also if you enjoy the content and the
free slides and the sample answers, please do give the video a thumbs up because that
always motivates me to do more training videos for you. Okay, let's get started. And quickly,
before we do go into them, if you want to tell me the name of your Team Leader interview,
in the comments section below the video, I will give you five sample interview questions
to prepare for them. So for example, if you have an admin Team Leader interview coming
up, tell me that's what you've got coming up and I will give you five sample responses.
If you've got a Team Leader interview because you're working in a warehouse or a supermarket,
whatever it is, tell me what the interview is and I will give you five specific questions
to prepare for. Okay, let's now take a look at the top 7 Team Leader interview questions
and answers that I think you should prepare for. Okay, question number 1, "Tell me about
yourself and why you are suited to the role of a Team Leader?" So there's essentially
two questions in one here. So here's some tips for answering this question before I
give you a sample response. Tip number 1, make sure you split your answer up into two
parts. So the first is to give information about you, and then also in the second part,
explain why you are suited to the role of a Team Leader. Tip number 2, make sure you
look at the job description for the Team Leader role you're applying for and match your answer
closely to it. Now this is really easy to do and I'm gonna give you an example in a
second. And then tip number 3, my advice is to always be a firm but fair Team Leader.
Okay, so you don't want to go in with a totally autocratic leadership style, but you have
to set a high standard but you also have to be fair to your employees, to your staff,
and you have to motivate them as well. And as we progress through this training video,
I'm gonna give you some really good tips on how to do that. So let's go and have a look
at tip number 2 where it says look at the job description and match your answer closely
to it. This is just a generic sample Team Leader job description and it says, "You have
to manage and lead a team of employees. You have to communicate company goals and deadlines
to the team. You have to motivate team members and then assess performance. And you also
have to keep management updated on team performance." So I would look at the job description and
my response to this question would include, "I am someone who very much enjoys leading
people through effective motivation and management techniques. I am a competent communicator
who is able to clearly relay company goals to a team whilst focusing intently on deadlines
set by management." So if you look there, at the highlighted green words that I've used
in that response, they simply match the job description. So don't forget, at some point
during this tutorial, you're gonna be able to download this and you can use that as part
of your response to the question. But here is my entire response to Team Leader question
number 1, which is "Tell me about yourself and why you are suited to the role of a Team
Leader." "I am a hard-working professional and conscientious person who enjoys the challenge
of both leading and managing people, and also seeing projects and tasks through to successful
completion. I pride myself on a strong work ethic and an ability to motivate a team in
order to get the best out of them. I believe I am suited to the role of Team Leader firstly
because I have the skills, qualities, and attributes to match the job description; and
secondly, because I am someone who simply has a keen desire to lead and manage people.
I feel more comfortable when I am managing and leading people and get a great sense of
job satisfaction from completing projects through to the end for my employer to a high
standard." That's a great response to that question. And like I say, you'll be able to
download it very soon and use it during your preparation. Let's now move on to question
number 2 of the Team Leader interview and that's "What are the qualities of a successful
Team Leader?" So this question is designed to see whether you understand what qualities
are needed to be a really good leader. So here's a tip, just one tip for this one, to
answer the question correctly. Make sure you use power words and phrases in your response
that focus on your ability to communicate effectively, support your team, see projects
and tasks through to completion, understand your team's strengths and also their weaknesses,
be a positive role model and also work towards the organization's goals. And I'm going to
give you a sample response in a second but those are the key elements that I think you
should focus on in your response to get the highest scores possible. Okay, here's my sample
response using that particular model. So "What are the qualities of a successful Team Leader?"
Here's my response for you. "There are numerous qualities that a Team Leader must possess
if they are to be successful in the role. These include being a great communicator.
If you cannot communicate effectively and support your team, you will not see projects
through to the end. You must also have a thorough understanding of your team's strengths and
weaknesses and then adapt your plan based on their qualities. A Team Leader must be
resolute in their actions, be confident in their own and their team's abilities, and
also be determined to see projects through to the end. Finally, a Team Leader must be
committed to delivering positive results for his or her employer and act as a positive
role model for the organization they are working for." Again, that is a really strong response.
And if you use that during that interview question, I can pretty much guarantee you'll
get the highest scores possible. Let's move on to question number 3. So Team Leader question
number 3, "How would you motivate your team?" This is a tough question and it's one which
I can pretty much guarantee again you'll get asked during your Team Leader interview, how
would you motivate your team? Here's some tips for answering the question positively.
Tip number 1, all successful leaders know their team members' strengths and weaknesses.
So if you're going to motivate a team, you have to know what they're good at, but also
know what they're not good at too. Tip number 2, communication is vital to motivating your
team. You have to communicate with them on a regular basis. Tip number 3, always be clear
when communicating with your team. If a team knows what's expected of them and you encourage
and praise them as a Team Leader, they will literally do anything for you. So you have
to be a good motivator. Here's my sample response to the Team Leader interview question "How
would you motivate your team?" "There are two key elements I would use to motivate my
team. These are communication and clarity. I would motivate my team by communicating
with them in three ways. Firstly, by talking to each team member to find out what they
are good at and what their strengths are. Secondly, I would communicate the organization's
goals regularly to ensure each team member was clear on the plan of action we have in
place. And thirdly, I would be a supportive Team Leader who would encourage the team regularly
during the task being undertaken and also praise them when appropriate. With regards
to clarity, I feel a team is far more likely to succeed and be self-motivated if they understand
clearly what the plan is. I would always brief the team as to what is expected from them.
If a team understands what is required and they are praised when they work well, they
will stay motivated." Now that is a solid answer to the question how would you motivate
your team? And don't forget, like I say, you're gonna get the slide soon, to download these,
and you can use them during your preparation. Just to remind you, if you are enjoying these,
I'd love it if you gave the video a thumbs up because that will motivate me to do some
more for you. Question number 4 of the Team Leader interview, "What type of leader are
you?" Now obviously, only you will know what kind of leader you are, but this would be
my response to it. First of all, a few tips for answering this question. Tip number 1,
to be an effective leader you have to set the standards expected of your team. So whenever
I used to go into an organization and work as a Team Leader, I did it for many years,
I would always set the standards high because it's very difficult to raise the standards
once you've set a low standard, but you can always bring them back down slightly. And
that one thing I learned from the get-go was to set high standards from the start. Tip
number 2, being firm but fair is a great way to lead. Tip number 3, showing empathy as
a leader, when required, is vital. You have to show empathy at times as a leader. So using
all of that information, here's my sample response for you to use. "I believe I am hardworking,
professional, and determined leader who takes great pride in their work. I am a leader who
is able to get the most out of their team by implementing supportive and motivational
strategies in parallel. Whilst I am very much a firm leader who expects nothing but high
standards from his team, I also have empathy and can react to a team member's change in
performance, if it occurs. As a Team Leader, I feel it is important to understand your
team and what motivates them individually. Whenever leading a new team, I would always
carry out initial staff appraisals to get to know my team and to also lay down the expectations
I have of each team member. To summarize, I'm a leader who is firm, fair, and highly
focused on my employer's goals and their overall mission." Okay, another great response. Question
number 5, "How would you solve a dispute or disagreement between two team members under
your control?" This is a tough question but a great one to be prepared for. Here's some
tips for answering this question to get the highest marks possible. Tip number 1, always
look to resolve problems and disputes quickly. You need to get them resolved as soon as possible.
If you don't, then it impacts negatively on the team. Show the interview panel that you
have got the confidence and expertise to resolve disputes quickly. Tip number 3, when resolving
issues between team members, always get those involved to agree to the resolution that you
put forward. So both parties have to be in agreement with your suggestion. Here's the
answer to the interview question "How would you solve a dispute or disagreement between
two team members under your control?" "First of all, I think it's important to get to the
bottom of a dispute quickly. If you let a dispute or disagreement fester or try and
allow it to rectify itself naturally, you run the risk of it becoming a serious problem
whereby it can affect the rest of the team. If there is a dispute or disagreement, I will
first of all gather some facts to find out what the problem actually is. I will speak
to each person involved individually to get clarity on the situation. Then I will decide
what my plan of action is to resolve the situation amicably and quickly. This would normally
involve sitting down with both parties to discuss the situation in a calm manner with
a view to resolving the issue. I would then, at the end of the meeting, get both team members
to agree on the resolution and put it behind them for the benefit of the team." Great answer.
Question number 6, "Describe a project where you led a team to success." Now tips for answering
this Team Leader interview question, make sure you give a specific example when answering
this question. Don't tell the interview panel what you would do to lead a team to success
but tell them what you've done before. Tip number 2, try and include an external pressure
that makes the project more difficult. This might be a time element or where something's
gone wrong and you have to act really quickly. Tip number 3, show that you were able to motivate
your team to complete the project successfully. Let's take a look at my sample answer to this
interview question. "There have been many occasions where I have led a team to success.
However, perhaps the most recent and most notable was whereby my team had to complete
a task for my company under difficult and challenging circumstances. Our company IT
system went down unexpectedly and it quickly became apparent that it needed to be replaced
and quickly. Each day the system was down, the organization was losing significant sums
of money. I created a plan of action before sitting down with my team to explain the brief
and what I wanted each person to do. It was particularly difficult because the work we
were required to carry out had to be completed over a weekend. I needed to motivate my team
to come in over the weekend when they were not expected to work. Now after I briefed
the team successfully, they all understood the importance of the task and agreed to come
in over the weekend period. Now over the weekend, we worked tirelessly to replace the entire
system as quickly and accurately as possible. Once the system had been replaced, we then
spent time checking everything was working correctly to make sure the business could
operate as normal. We also put measures in place to make sure the system failure would
not happen again. Once Monday morning came around, the task was complete and the business
was able to function again without hindrance. I feel this was a successful project because
I was able to motivate the team successfully whilst also providing clarity on the work
I wanted to be carried out and by what time-frame." So that is a real specific response where
I was in a situation and I took the team from point A to point B to solve the problem quickly
whilst under pressure. Question number 7, you're gonna get these slides very soon, "Have
you ever failed as a leader?" Really difficult question to answer. So here's some tips, first
of all, for answering this to get the highest marks possible. Tip number 1, give an example
where you have actually failed. Don't say, "Well, I've never failed as a leader." Okay,
they're not looking for that. They want to see a level of maturity in your failure. What
I mean by that is that you tell the interview panel what you've learned from that experience
because that's really important. Tip number 3, tell the interview panel how you have matured
as a leader from the experience where you failed. So here's a sample response to the
Team Leader interview question "Have you ever failed as a leader?" Here we go. "Yes, I have.
In the early days of being a leader, I remember leading a team by using an entirely autocratic
approach. I was basically dictating what I expected of the team and what I wanted them
to do. Now this was a mistake simply because I failed to get to know my team and also what
motivated them as individuals. I soon realized that my approach to leadership would fail
and so I decided to change quickly. I believe that initial experience of leading people
stood me in good stead and has made me the leader I am today. I continually analyze my
performance to look for ways I can improve. I feel this is an important quality of an
effective leader and being reflective of one's own performance is a key ingredient of being
successful as a Team Leader." Another great response. Okay, so where'd you get these slides
from? A couple of things before you switch off, if you click the link below this video,
it will take you through to a page where you can download these exact slides and start
using them during your preparation. Now if you want more free training to help you pass
your Team Leader interview or whatever interview it is, please go to the website PassMyInterview.com
or if you look further in the description below the video, the link is in there and
you can get 30 days free interview training. There's about 54 training modules on there
that I've personally created. And I promise you, if you follow them, your chances of passing
your interview will significantly increase. Now there's also a link in there to my LinkedIn
profile so if you want to connect with me on LinkedIn, please feel free to do so. Like
I said, I very much appreciate if you subscribe to the channel and give the video a thumbs
up because that motivates me to do more free training videos for you guys. Don't forget
to put what interview you've got coming up in the comment section below and I'll give
you five questions to prepare for. Thank you for watching and I genuinely wish you all
the very best in your pursuit to passing your Team Leader interview.