Hello there, my name is Richard McMunn from the interview training company, PassMyInterview.com.
And in this tutorial, I'm going to give you SEVEN TOUGH MANAGER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND
BRILLIANT ANSWERS!
So it does not matter what kind of manager interview you have coming up, I promise you,
this tutorial will make a huge difference to your preparation.
Please do stick around and watch it from beginning to end.
Now, before I get into those seven tough manager interview questions and answers, a very warm
welcome to my training tutorial.
That's me there in the center.
The bald chap!
My name is Richard McMunn.
I am a former Fire Officer of 20 years.
I then founded the interview training website, PassMyInterview.com, which focuses on giving
you top scoring answers to your interview questions.
I was also a manager myself for many, many years, and so I have a great approach to answering
manager interview questions.
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I very much appreciate that.
Okay, let's get straight into those seven tough manager interview questions and answers.
Please do take notes as I progress.
And I will also tell you at some stage where you can download the full set of slides, the
interview, questions and answers that are coming your way right now.
So tough interview question number one – What principles would you follow as a manager?
So, what principles would you follow as a manager?
Here's my suggested answer.
I would follow five core principles as a manager.
These are LEADING, PLANNING, ORGANIZING, STAFFING and CONTROLLING.
I would LEAD by example and take full responsibility, not only for my own actions and performance,
but also that of my team.
I would plan everything well in advance to ensure we were on track to achieve the organization’s
objectives.
I would organize my team to ensure all team members were not only playing to their strengths,
but that they also had the resources and support to do their jobs properly.
In respect of staffing, I would take my time to choose the right people for each position
advertised within the team; and finally, I would maintain control of my team’s output
and performance through regular team meetings, appraisals and by only accepting the very
highest standards of work from everyone.
So, that's a rock solid answer to that question.
It demonstrates you have the right principles, and you will notice that I do this with a
lot of answers to interview questions, tough interview questions.
I focus on a number of objectives.
Here we have given five core principles that shows that you are intelligent as a manager
and you know what you are talking about.
Next question.
How would you evaluate your team's performance without micromanaging?
So there is nothing worse than a micro manager.
I've worked in teams before when I was younger where someone micromanaged me, and I didn't
feel that I could develop to my full potential.
Having said that, you still need to demonstrate that you can manage your team and achieve
the objectives.
So here's my answer to the interview question - How would you evaluate your team's performance
without micromanaging?
Here we go.
First and foremost, I believe it is essential to set high standards and expectations from
the outset.
If a team knows you, as their manager, will only accept the best, they are far more likely
to perform well without being closely managed.
To answer your question specifically, I would hold weekly team meetings to set standards
and expectations, and to also set goals and targets for each team member to achieve before
the next meeting.
I would then expect each team member to have completed their task or project by the deadline
I set.
That way, the team will get used to making sure they carry out each task as required,
and on time.
It would be my intention to create a team culture whereby everyone takes responsibility
for their own performance and workload.”
Now, this works very well.
So I am not a massive fan of meetings.
However, if I do have a meeting, it's only for a necessary period of time.
It might be 30 minutes, it might be an hour, and I would listen to everyone.
They would tell me how they've achieved their goals.
They would tell me about their problems.
And I would put solutions in place so that they could overcome them.
I would then set more targets for the next meeting.
So the idea at the meeting, is everyone comes there telling you how they performed and whether
there are any problems.
And you can solve them that way.
You are moving forward all the time.
How would you address a moral issue within your team?
How would you address a morale issue within your team?
If you have a team where it has low morale, you need to sort it out and identify quickly.
So how would you address a morale issue within your team?
“First and foremost, as a manager, it is important to understand the causes of low
morale.
Low morale is usually caused by either wasted potential, people feeling badly treated, a
lack of communication, not recognizing hard work and also unrealistic expectations.
I would address the low morale head on by initially ascertaining the reason for it.
As an effective manager, I would know my team well and I would be able to get to the main
cause of the morale problem quickly.
I would then take decisive action by utilizing open and honest communication, ensuring clarity
of communication, praising and supporting my staff and also holding regular discussions
with them to ensure they were feeling valued.
To be honest, I would not expect my team to suffer from low morale, but if it did occur,
I would take responsibility and rectify it quickly.
So that's another great answer!
It shows that you identify there is a low morale issue, but you know the causes of it.
That's the main thing.
So you can resolve it quickly.
Next question.
How would you manage a team of millennials?
That's a tricky question, but one that is coming up more common during manager interviews.
How would you manage a team of millennials?
Here's my suggested answer.
Each generation of employee requires a different method of management and I believe I have
the necessary skills and attributes to adapt when needed.
I would create a strong team culture that was built upon the core company vales.
I would provide strong leadership and guidance, take advantage of their tech-savvy skills,
focus on their strengths and continually recognize their work and performance.
I would also ensure we were collectively working towards goals that were ethically centered
on building a positive future for the company and the customers or clients we were serving.
Finally, I would encourage them to be leaders themselves and identify those within the team
who clearly had potential and whom could help the organization reach its full potential.
So what you're doing there, is you’re understanding that millennials may have a different set
of drivers, things that drive them whilst they are at work.
And you're focusing in on strong team cultures and showing that you're working towards an
organizational goal that is ‘ethically centered’ and then identifying them as leaders themselves.
And that's as a great asset to have as a manager when you are prepared to identify leaders
within your team who can then go on and help the organization achieve its full potential.
That's selfless.
And that's a great asset to have.
Next question - How would you let one of your team members go?
Tricky one.
I've been in this kind of situation a couple of times.
It's not nice to have to let people go.
However, there is a good answer to this question, and that demonstrates you are able to do it.
You're able to step up when required and do those difficult tasks.
So here we go.
“The important things to consider when letting members of staff go is to ensure you have
followed due process and have held regular performance meetings to give them the opportunity
to rectify the situation, if applicable.
It is important to not drag out the process, and I would be clear and concise throughout
the process of letting them go.
I would also make sure I protected the organization by ensuring I had followed all rules, procedures
and protocol so there were no unfair dismissal claims later on down the line as a result
of the dismissal.
My aim would be to carry out the dismissal process by treating them in as considerate
and caring way as possible, whilst at the same time being clear, concise and confident
in my communication and also putting the needs of the organization first.
So that shows that, you know what you would do.
You understand the risks that are involved and you need to protect yourself and the organization,
but you will do it in a considerate and caring way, and a confident way where possible.
That's a good answer to that question.
Don't forget, I will say were you can download all of these seven tough manager interview
questions and answers very soon.
Let's move onto the next one.
Describe how you would deliver bad news to your team?
So, at times when you're managing a team, you have to give them bad news or negative
news.
How do you do that?
This question predominantly assesses whether you are on the side of the senior management
team, because I've been in situations before where a manager will come in and say, “I've
got some bad news.
Those upstairs don't understand us!”
That's no good!
You are a manager and you are on the side of the directors, the shareholders, and you
have to lead by example.
So here's my answer to this question.
“Whenever I have to deliver bad or negative news to a team, I always get straight to the
point and deliver it with confidence and clarity.
Then, once I have delivered the news, I turn my attention to the future and the positive
aspects of the situation we were in.
As an effective manager, I believe I is important to be positive and lead by example.
I would then explain the reasons for the bad news, if applicable, so that everyone within
the team could understand it, and the situation we were in was in the best interests of the
organization we were all working for.
Above all, I would take responsibility for delivering the bad news and I would ensure
the team moved on from it as quickly as possible.”
It's a great answer to that question.
Next one.
What would be your 90-day plan once you join us?
So, a lot of management questions are based around what would you do in the first 30 days.
But this requires a more in-depth level of thinking.
What would be your 90 day plan once you join us?
Here's my great answer to this question.
“My 90 day plan would consist of 5 key stages.
First and foremost, I would obtain a clear brief from you, the senior management team,
to ascertain what you want to me to focus on, and what you want me to achieve in this
role.
During the second stage, I would focus on assessing the current performance of the team
for a four-week period, to ascertain their strengths, their weaknesses and also to identify
which areas I would need to address first of all.
The third stage would be to create a plan of action for the team moving forward.
This plan would be centered on the organization’s goals and what I wanted everyone to do in
order to achieve them.
The fourth stage would be to hold an in-depth team meeting with all members of staff.
During this meeting, I would disclose my plan for the future, set the standards I expect
from everyone and also start to instill the positive and supportive culture I want the
team to work towards.
Finally, stage five would be where I support the team moving forward and hold annual appraisals
with all team members to ensure my initial plan was on track to be achieved.”
So what I like about it, if you want to write that down and summarize, you could say – “I've
got a five stage plan that involves getting a clear brief from you, assessing the current
performance of the team, creating a plan of action, and I would then hold in-depth meetings
with the team and then support them moving forward.”
So you could say that if you wanted to, but I love that because it's more in-depth and
it shows that you already know what you're going to do as a manager.
The worst thing is to say, well, I will just go in there and see what happens.
I don't want to rock the boat initially.
You have to have a plan.
Yes, of course you need to assess the team and their goals before you move forward.
So, if you want to download my full set of manager interview questions and answers, click
the link below the video.
Go to my website PassMyInterview.com.
You'll get my full set of 34 Manager Interview Questions and High Scoring Answers.
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Thank you very much for watching and I wish you all the best for passing your manager
interview.
Have a brilliant day.