General

Send the candidate your annual report or other materials ahead of time. In the interview, ask him/her
to explain the organizations work to you as if you were a prospective funder or investor.
How would the people around you describe you?
Whats a common misconception some people have about you?
Tell me about a difficult decision you had to make recently. Walk me through the problem and what
your thought process was, and how you ultimately handled it.
What is one thing that you have had difficulty over coming in your career, and how did you do that?
What is some of the most useful criticism youve ever received? Why?
Have you ever been given criticism that you disagreed with? What was it? How did you handle that?
Getting things done
What has your biggest achievement been at ___? What results there that you produced are you most
proud of? (Then ask the same question for other jobs theyve had. Youre looking for someone with a
pattern of taking things from X to Y with Y being greater than X.)
What were the big things you were trying to achieve in the past year at ___? What things were/are
worrying you? What were/are you doing about it?
What were your organization or departments major goals last year (depending on whether the
person was managing the organization or a department there)? How did you settle on those? To what
extent did you meet them? How did you measure whether or not you met them? Were there targets
you considered setting, but ultimately rejected?
Whats an example of a goal you didnt meet? How come? How did you respond to that?
What will success look like for you this year? Why is that important? How hard will it be to get
there?
If I were to ask your ___ (someone who reports to the person) what her goals are, what would she
say? Does that match what you would say they are?
Tell me about one of the organizations largest or most important projects and how you managed it,
from start to finish. Im interested in something where others were doing the work, but you were
overseeing it.
- What was the vision for it?
- What happened?
- How did you ensure that happened? (Youre looking for managers who leave little to chance: either
they have good reason to rely on the person in charge of the project, or they keep their hands in
things enough to ensure success.)
- How do you know it happened?
- What lessons did you take away?
What are some of the biggest obstacles your organization/department (whichever they are
responsible for) hit in the last few years? What did you do to address them?
Tell me about something you got done at ___ that someone else in your role probably wouldnt have.
Managing people
How would you describe yourself as a manager? How do you think others would describe you?
What is your philosophy about management?
What do you think the fundamental purpose of a manger is? (Youre looking for someone who knows
its about getting things done, not something touchy-feely.)
How has your management philosophy evolved as youve gained more management experience?
What do you do to work on being a better manager?
What do you think are some of the most common ways people fail at management?
Talk about the balance between not micromanaging but still being involved enough to be able to
catch problems early on.
Tell me about an employee who became more successful as a result of your management.
How would you describe the bar for performance at ___ (or in the department you manage)?
Who are your best people? What are you doing to retain them?
What do you look for when you hire people?
Tell me about your most recent high-level hire. How did you go about searching for the person?
When was the last time you fired someone or coached someone out? How many people have you
fired in the last two years? Why? (Youre looking for a manager who fires people who dont perform
at a high standard.)
Walk me through one of more challenging times you had to let someone go what did you try first,
how did you make the decision? How much time did it take from when you first started having
concerns until when you ultimately let the person go?
Tell me about the most difficult employee situation you ever had to handle. What did you do and
what was the result?
Tell me about a time you were managing a poor performer. How did you handle it and what was the
outcome?
What was the most difficult management decision youve ever had to make?
Tell me about a management mistake that you made in the past. What would you do differently?
Even the best bosses generate complaints from their employees now and then. What complaints do
you think the people youve managed would have about you?
Q : "Tell me about a conflict you encountered and how you handled it."
HINT : This is one of the toughest interview questions of all. It's sort of a trick question, as a matter
of fact. Never speak negatively about anyone. The ability to successfully resolve conflicts is
important for all members of an IS team.. It may be the most important factor if you're working in a
service environment, such as a large consulting firm that deals with outside clients. The answer you
give here could go a long way toward getting you a job offer. Managers want to see that you are
mature and unselfish. The answer should involve proof of your maturity level. They are looking for
your ability to handle conflict. Compromise and working it out without external intervention are the
keys. A disgruntled person is not going to be productive, and tends to bring down coworkers' morale
as well.
A : "I sat down with the other person and asked what his issues were. Then I outlined my issues. We
talked about which were the most important ones and which we could compromise on. We looked
for the common aspects of our goals and placed those first. Then we decided together what to give
up and what to keep, so that both parties felt they were winning something. Both parties were
satisfied."
What is your management style?
You should know enough about the company's style to know that your management style will
complement it. Possible styles include: task oriented (I'll enjoy problem-solving identifying what's
wrong, choosing a solution and implementing it"), results-oriented ("Every management decision I
make is determined by how it will affect the bottom line"), or even paternalistic ("I'm committed to
taking care of my subordinates and pointing them in the right direction").
A participative style is currently quite popular: an open-door method of managing in which you get
things done by motivating people and delegating responsibility.
As you consider this question, think about whether your style will let you work hatppily and
effectively within the organization.
Are you a good manager? Can you give me some examples? Do you feel that you
have top managerial potential?
Keep your answer achievementand ask-oriented. Rely on examples from your career to buttress your
argument. Stress your experience and your energy.
What do you look for when You hire people?
Think in terms of skills. initiative, and the adaptability to be able to work comfortably and
effectively with others. Mention that you like to hire people who appear capable of moving up in the
organization.
Have you ever had to fire people? What were the reasons, and how did you handle
the situation?
Admit that the situation was not easy, but say that it worked out well, both for the company and, you
think, for the individual. Show that, like anyone else, you don't enjoy unpleasant tasks but that you
can resolve them efficiently and -in the case of firing someone- humanely.
What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager or executive?
Mention planning, execution, and cost-control. The most difficult task is to motivate and manage
employess to get something planned and completed on time and within the budget.
How do you motivate your subordinates?
This is one of the most common questions and you will get it in nearly every managerial interview.
Answer. The best answer you can give here is that you solve the issue of motivation individually with every
single employee. As a first step you always examine what is the problem causing lack of his motivation
(whether it is money, or bad relations in the workplace, or personal problems, or s/he cant see the relation of
personal and company goals, etc.). Secondly, you try to improve his motivation by solving the problem you
identified in step number one. And, if there is no other solution, you will fire this employee
How would you describe your management philosophy?
This is also one of common interview questions for managers and many candidates feel it tough to answer.
Answer. There are various management philosophies. The one that nearly every single company director will
like you to have is the following one: The best decision is the one that helps the company the most in the
long run. Its a simple answer, but it covers it all. You can choose other philosophy, if you have one. But
always please keep in mind that your answer should be simple and clear. Real managers always have their
management philosophy.

What makes you unique as a leader?
Nowadays more and more directors start to understand a key role leadership plays in their mission to
company success. Real leaders (only few if any are taking part in every job interview) can make a huge
difference for the company. Thats why this is one of nowadays used interview questions for managers.
Answer. The best leader is the person that has an ability to train other people to become leaders. Once a
company has many leaders (not only leaders of the others, but leaders of their own life), it will fly through the
competition like a rocket. Thats why the best answer you can give here is this one:
I always try to help all my subordinates to get to the higher level. Higher level of motivation, higher level of
self confidence, higher level of effectiveness, higher level of personal leadership. And thats what makes me
unique as a leader.

What biggest management problem did you face in your previous
occupation?
Life is not so easy. Recruiters know, that you are not perfect In fact nobody is perfect.
Answer. Best you can do here is to be honest and say what your biggest problem was. But once you say that,
continue with the solution. Describe them how have you changed your biggest problem to your biggest
challenge and solved it finally.
Can you see what have you just done? You showed them that you are only a man, but at the same time you
showed them that you do not know problems For you as a great manager, there exists no problems, only
the challenges.

What do you think are three key abilities of a good manager?
We decided to finish this article with an easy one. Easy one, but still many people have problems with this
interview question for managers
Answer. As an answer you can use the abilities we described in the beginning of this article.
What is very important, never sink yourself with the wrong answer to this question. The key abilities of a
good manager you mention in the job interview should be also your abilities. Saying anything else you are
giving them the easy reason to not choose you Do not forget on that.

Management job interviews are unlike most other types of job interviews. The management
interview questions and answers are often behavioral, asking how you have handled similar
situations in detail. They are much less knowledge based. Knowing that you understand a computer
program or have knowledge in business models is not as important as knowing that you can handle
the staff under your supervision.
Management Job Interview Questions
1. Describe a time when you had to ease a personal disagreement between two staff members?
2. Describe a time when you had to motivate your staff to work at a faster pace.
3. Describe a time when you had to work with an underperforming staff member.
4. Describe a time when a staff member disagreed with your perspective.
5. Describe a time where you were unsure how to proceed with a project.
6. Describe what your management style is like and decisions it has affected.
7. Describe a time when you were running short on a deadline and your next steps.
8. Describe a time when a client/customer was treating your staff unfairly.
9. Describe how you have handled priority for multiple projects.
10. Describe a time where you disagreed with another manager.
Thoughts on Management Interview Questions
Answering behavioral interview questions can be tricky. However, you should note that any time
you either do not have an answer or your answer will not speak highly of you, the best course of
action is to say While I cannot think of a specific instance in the past of this occurring, if I were to
encounter that situation I would handle it thusly and supply examples of how you would answer
each question.
Take Away Interview Tips
Management interview questions are often behavioral.
If you do not have an answer, explain what you would do in the situation.

Delegation of Tasks and Responsibility
"Tell me about an important assignment or task that you delegated. How did you ensure
that it would be completed successfully?"
"When delegating a recent assignment, describe how you showed your confidence in the
person's ability to do the job?"

Answer Guidelines : Show how you assign tasks and responsibility to the appropriate
people, how you clarify exactly what is expected, communicate confidence and ensure
adequate resources are available for successful completion of the task. Include follow-up
procedures and setting deadlines.


Top ten reasons managers become great
1. Enjoy helping people grow. Few things feel better than helping someone who is new to a role, or
who has been struggling, into becoming a productive, confident person. Theres a kind of
satisfaction in helping someone figure out how to be successful that doesnt come from many other
living experiences. Great mangers love seeing this happen on their teams.
2. Love creating positive environments. A great manager creates a team and and office environment
that makes it easy for smart people to do good things. They love that moment when they wander
the halls and see all sorts of amazing things happening all on their own, with passionate, motivated
people doing good work without much involvement from the manager.
3. Want to correct mistakes inflicted on them. Some great managers are looking to undo the evil
managers they had. Rather than take it out on their subordinates, they want to do a kind of pay it
forward revenge: prove to themselves and the world that it can be better that what happened to
them in the past. This can create the trap of fighting the last war: your team may not care at all
about avoiding the mistakes of your previous manager. They want to avoid the mistakes you, and
your blind spots, are probably making right now.
4. Care deeply about the success and well being of their team. Thoroughbred horses get well cared
for. Their owners see them as an expensive asset and do whatever they can to optimize their health,
performance, and longevity, even if their motivations are largely selfish. A great manager cares
deeply about their staff, and goes out of his way to protect, train, care for, and reward their own
team, even if their primary motivation is their own success.
5. Succession mentality. A successful manager eventually realizes their own leadership will end one
day, but if they teach and instill the right things into people who work for them, that philosophy can
live on for a long time, long after the manager is gone. This can go horribly wrong (See, history of
monarchies) but the desire to have a lasting impact generally helps people think on longer term
cycles and pay attention to wider trends short term managers do not notice.
6. Long term sense of reward. Many of the mistakes managers make involve reaping short term
rewards at the expense of long term loyalty and morale. Any leader who inverts this philosophy, and
makes short term sacrifices to provide long term gains, will generally be a much better manager.
They recognize the value of taking the time to explain things, to build trust, to provide training, and
to build relationships, all of which results in a kind of team performance and loyalty the short term
manager never believes is possible.
7. Practice of the golden rule. Its funny how well known this little gem is, and rare in life people follow
it. But I think anyone in power who believes in it, and treats all of their employees the same way
they truly would want to be treated, or even better, treats employees as they actually want to be
treated, will always be a decent, above average manager. A deeply moral person cant help but do
better than most people, as treating people with respect, honesty and trust are the 3 things I
suspect most people wish they could get from their bosses.
8. Self aware, including weaknesses. This is the kicker. Great leaders know what they suck at, and
either work on those skills or hire people they know make up for their own weaknesses, and
empower them to do so. This tiny little bit of self-awareness makes them open to feedback and
criticism to new areas they need to work on, and creates an example for movement in how people
should be growing and learning about new things.
9. Sets tone of healthy debate and criticism. If the boss gives and takes feedback well, everyone else
will too. If the boss is defensive, passive-aggressive, plays favorites, or does other things that work
against the best idea winning, everyone else will play these destructive games. Only a boss who sees
their own behavior as a model the rest of the organization will tend to follow can ever become a
truly great manager. Without this, they will always wonder why the team behaves in certain
unproductive ways that are strangely familiar.
10. Willing to fight, but picks their battles. Great managers are not cowards. They are willing to stake
their reputation and make big bets now and then (Id say at least once a year, as a totally random,
put possibly useful stake in the ground). However they are not crazy either. They are good at doing
political math and seeing which battle is worth the fight at a given time. A manager that never fights
can never be great they will never have enough skin in the game to earn the deepest level of
respect of the people that work for them. But a manager that always fights is much worse. They
continually put their own ego ahead of what their team is capable of.
11. (Bonus!) Instinctively corrects bad behavior within their team.

Management skills can be difficult to find in the workplace, but, by following these practices, you
can learn how to become a manager people like and respect.
Step 1: Maintain strong character
Maintain strong character. If youre not trustworthy or exercise poor judgment, no one will ever
follow you. Dont be afraid to say you dont know something or to admit you made a mistake.
Youre employees will already know when you make a mistake, so owning it will encourage respect.
Step 2: Listen to your employees
Practice active listening techniques. Make the person talking feel comfortable coming to you, dont
interrupt them, empathize with them, and encourage them. When you truly listen to people, they feel
valued and respected.
Step 3: Foster a safe environment
Foster an environment in which people feel safe in speaking up. Ask for feedback and make them
feel comfortable being open and honest about whats bothering them.
Step 4: Praise good work
Openly praise employees for work well done. This builds confidence and self-esteem, and will help
build a strong relationship between managers and employees.
Back up your employees to upper management and dont take credit for their work.
Step 5: Demand good work
Demand and expect good work from everyone. Be fair, dont favor any particular subordinate, and
dont tolerate lazy or shoddy work. Make sure that everyone is a team player and working toward a
common goal.
Step 6: Exude confidence
Be confident in your decisions and know what youre doing. If you display self-assuredness, people
will feel confident in following you and trusting that you know where youre going.
Step 7: Prioritize
Know that your top priority is getting the most out of your subordinates and that, in order to do so,
you have to build relationships with based on mutual trust and respect.

Weaknesses:
I like to make sure that my work is perfect, so I tend to perhaps spend a little too much time checking
it. However, I've come to a good balance by setting up a system to ensure everything is done correctly
the first time.
I would say that I can be too much of a perfectionist in my work. Sometimes, I spend more time than
necessary on a task, or take on tasks personally that could easily be delegated to someone else.
Although I've never missed a deadline, it is still an effort for me to know when to move on to the next
task, and to be confident when assigning others work.
I've learned to make my perfectionism work to my advantage at work. I am excellent at meeting
deadlines, and with my attention to detail, I know my work is correct.

Emphasize your interest in establishing a long-term association with the organization, and say that
you assume that if you perform well in his job, new opportunities will open up for you. Mention that
a strong company needs a strong staff. Observe that experienced executives are always at a
premium. Suggest that since you are so wellqualified, the employer will get a fast return on his
investment. Say that a growing, energetic company can never have too much talent.

The fire signs are the zodiac signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. This fiery bunch desire the freedom to do
what they want, when they want. These free spirits burn bright with passion and drive. They are
independent and live life on their own terms. They are action oriented and once they have set their goal
there's no stopping them. Because they are so adventurous, they don't mind acting on impulsive ideas. They
will either reap the benefits acting on their impulses, or learn a valuable life lesson for slowing down in the
future. Failures only fuel to their own fire even more. Whether they win or lose, they always gain
something valuable which is a true virtue of the fire signs.
Sagittarius (November 22-December23) Mutable Sign
Sagittarius, the Archer, is ruled by Jupiter and Neptune, is surely one of the most positive of all the fire
signs. Jove, the traditional name of Jupiter, is the reason for their jovial spirit. They are the ninth zodiac
sign and are considered one of the luckiest signs in the zodiac. They always seem to come out on top no
matter what. This allows them to live a more care free life.
Forget looking at the big picture, Sagittarius wants to take over the whole world. People may think that
they are overly ambitious because of their all or nothing nature. They are known for biting off more than
you can chew and they have no regrets when doing so.
Their enthusiasm is contagious. They are great at lifting others spirits just by being in the same room with
them. They also believe that the possibilities are endless making them optimistic in every sense of the
word. Even when they fail they win, because going for their big dreams will ultimately get them to their
goal and also help them learn their limits.