Our List of Interview Questions:
We've Got You Covered!
Having a list of interview questions is just one component of the hiring process, albeit an important one.
When you've got a good grasp on how to answer the questions that will be posed to you, think about some of the
other elements involved in landing the job. Your references will be important. Your interview attire matters.
Especially in more senior level roles, the interviewer will be evaluating your "presence." Do you look the part?
This next series in our list of interview questions is designed for managers. Not a manager? Not a problem. Skim
through quickly and move on to the next installment.
TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU TURNED
AROUND SOMEONE'S PERFORMANCE.
This can be a follow up to the question that dealt with how
you handle someone who's under-performing. Answer this question with a
specific person in mind. Summarize the performance issues and then talk
about the specific action plan or developmental plan you set in motion for this employee.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY CHALLENGES IN
LEADING A TEAM?
This question gets below the surface to give the interviewer
some insight into how you view your management responsibilities.
They will be listening to your answers with the
current team in their own organization in mind.
Whenever you answer a "challenge" type question, remember
to talk about what you do to meet or overcome the
challenge. What are the strategies you implement to get the
job done? There is no right/wrong answer to this one --
just make sure that you can speak to challenges you've successfully
handled. Some of the challenges typically found in
leading a team include:
- Making sure everyone understands goals and objectives from two perspectives -- team objectives as well as individual objectives
- Team members not pulling their weight
- Time -- to be a coach/mentor to everyone in the group; sometimes we ignore our top performers assuming that they don't need our attention
- Helping all team members to be successful
HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOUR TEAM?
If you do silly things to motivate your staff, please don't
bring them up in the interview. When I'm interviewing a
senior sales manager who blows a whistle every time a
deal closes -- or who uses small incentives to encourage
production -- red flags go up! Take the 10,000 foot view
here...we're looking for strong people skills here that are
tailored to the needs of the individuals who you manage.
Not everyone is motivated by the same thing. I'm listening
to hear you talk about getting to know your people and
understanding what makes them tick individually, so you
can help each of them succeed based on their own needs
and career goals.
