How to answer 100+ difficult manager interview questions

What is the interviewer testing?

The challenge with this question is that it is so open. It is a slightly different question to “Tell me a story?”. The questions should be answered in a similar way by talking about a skill or character trait or both.

The interviewer is also testing

• Your problem-solving approach – if you don’t really know the question, it is hard to know how to answer
• Whether you will keep on a business related or relevant subject
• Your communication skills.
• If you have done any research about the job

The best thing to do is ask a clarification question in return – Are there any specific areas you would like to know about me?

Some interviewers will provide you with direction. Often the interviewer will say “why don’t you choose”.

Pick a skill or character trait that you would like to highlight AND that is relevant and on the job spec.

Provide examples of achievements to back up your statements

Approximate time frame to answer

60 seconds

Example Answers

Candidate: Are there any specific areas you would like to know about me?

Interviewer: You choose. [i.e. I am not going to make it easier for you]

Candidate: I am a very determined person who is calm in a crisis and gets on with actions to address the situation. A great example that demonstrates these qualities is when I joined my current company as Group CFO. I only had enough cash to pay suppliers for one day, a bank that would not lend any more money and high growth. It was a survival crisis for the business. I worked out what the best next steps to take, got my team and the board onside and then I worked with my team to ensure that we kept very focused on achieving the next step as quickly as possible. Our actions helped save the business and the debt reduced from £12m to zero in 12 months, and the bank risk score from 80%+ to mid 20s in 9 months. I think this demonstrates my determination, my calmness in a crisis and my ability to take action that delivers results. Would you agree?

What is the interviewer testing?

This is a horrible question to get in an interview. You are being asked to spill the beans on your worst areas. How are you going to do this without damaging your changes of progressing in the interview?

The interviewer wants to get an idea of the downsides of hiring you. And you want to only put across the positive points.

This question, or a variant, is also fairly common in interviews, so you need a few ways to answer this question without putting both feet into it.

A common way used to answer this question is to talk about the downsides of a current strength and how you manage them. Being impatient, working too hard, caring too much, etc. We think that this is okay if the role is junior and/or the interviewer is not very experienced. See an example below.

“I am very impatient. I want to deliver results quickly and I get frustrated when other team members don’t work at the pace that I do. In the past, this frustration has resulted in upset team members. I am aware of this and when I feel impatient, I take a few deep breaths and remind myself that everyone is not as action orientated as me. I now try to support rather than chase and this works gets results without upsetting people.”

When the role you are applying for is more senior, such as a management level, this type of answer can become detrimental. One reason is more is expected of you and your answers, another is that managers need to be self-aware to manage well. Providing a “standard” answer is not demonstrating self-awareness.

So how might we answer this as a manager?

If the role being applied for is a junior manager, you could talk about an area of experience that is not strong yet, but you are working on improving it. This can’t be one of the key areas of the role!

e.g. Salespeople / marketers could talk about their financial knowledge and experience being less than they want, and the steps they are taking to get basic knowledge. Or Finance could talk about sales or marketing.

You are not expected to be good at everything. You are expected to know what you are good at and okay at. If you have an area that you are really not good at, we suggest choosing another area.

Choose an area that was a weaker area and talk about the steps you have taken to get okay at this area. Also include how you ensure the skills of a team member are strong in the area you are okay at, so as a team you cover all the skills and experience needed.

Most middle to senior managers should recognise this situation. Provided you demonstrate awareness and progression to get your weaker area to okay, your answer should become a positive differentiator to other candidates using “standard” answers.

Plus using this approach, you are answering the question directly, honestly and genuinely.

We suggest having 2-3 different “weaknesses” to discuss. We have seen interviewers accept the first answer and then ask for a second

Approximate time frame to answer

30 seconds

Example Answers

Junior Manager

I remember when I first got into sales that I didn’t like or know much about the financial implications of what I was selling outside my targets and commission. As I climbed the ranks within sales, I have made a conscious effort to understand a P&L and Balance Sheet, going out of my way to spend time with members of the finance team. It was a weak area that I am now okay at.

I am all over my sales numbers and my team’s numbers and view numbers as a critical part of managing the sales process. I still ensure that I have a good and friendly finance person to lean on for the difficult financial analysis though I am comfortable with the information contained in most P&L reports. This has really helped my sales team management too.

(to see the Senior Manager examples, sign up to our Interview Learning Hub – its free)

What is the interviewer testing?

This is a common question for any managerial position. This question is often asked for non-management roles, particularly if the interviewer is looking for a person with potential to grow into a management role.

Think about how you approach management and how you support your team. How can you craft your answer to this question to best show the potential employer how you will get the best out of any team you manage.

Also consider that the interviewer is looking to find out clues about

• How you might treat your team members
• How will you support and develop your team members
• How you communicate with your team
• If you are a team player
• What focus you put on getting the job done
• How approachable are you
• How you deal with problems and change

You do not need to include all the points above

A good quote relating to management is:

“Okay managers play checkers; great managers play chess”

Great managers recognise the skills and experience of individual members of staff and use their talents to get the best result for the team and the company.

Good managers flex their style to the situation and the person that they are dealing with.

Approximate time frame to answer

90 seconds

Example Answers

My management style depends on the situation and the person or team that I am dealing with. I flex my style to ensure that I, with my team, am able to deliver the project or the results that are expected.

I am a big believer in supporting and developing my team. I do this through informal training sessions and weekly one-to-ones. This is good for the individuals, the team and the company as individuals become better and the team delivers more. Being supportive also fosters a good team culture, and when clear direction is set, I have found we, as a team, can deliver great results.

I have also managed teams through a crisis, where a much more direct leadership style was needed. I set clear expectations and deal effectively with poor performers.

A good example that demonstrates all the above points – I was asked to turnaround a finance team that had allowed a mid-sized business with turnover of £20m to run out of money despite being profitable. I had to make a number of changes to personnel, change systems and train the team. We also implemented a new ERP system. The results included the cash balance increasing from near zero to over £3m within 12 months, and the business becoming much more forward focused, allowing 20% per annum growth to resume.

(to see the additional examples, sign up to our Interview Learning Hub – its free)

What is the interviewer testing?

This is a question asked in nearly every interview (or a variation of it).

By asking this question, the interviewer is looking for red flags, hoping to pick up on any problems you are having at your current (or previous) role that might indicate you are a difficult person to manage or a poor performer. E.g. you didn’t get on with your previous boss or were asked to leave for any number of reasons.

Keep the answer to this question short and sweet. Be ready to answer any follow up questions based on the initial answer to this question. As long as you deliver your answer confidently, it makes sense and doesn’t raise any red flags, you are unlikely to get follow up questions.

Structure your answer using one of the following acceptable answers:

• Need a new challenge – e.g. I was getting stale and I need a fresh challenge. I have been asking for additional opportunities at my current company but have not received any to date.
• Location – the company had moved, or my circumstances had changed which is why I am apply for jobs in x area
• Would like to advance my career and there were no suitable opportunities at my current/last company
• Wanted to move to a more secure job – that last company was not that stable / did not have good prospects.

Make sure you body language is relaxed and confident when answering this question.  Practice your answer until it is.

Approximate time frame to answer

20 seconds

Example Answers

Junior Manager

I have been doing my current role for 2 years and have learnt a lot within that time. I have got to the point where I really need a fresh challenge to keep my career moving forward. I have been in discussions with my line manager for a while, but a suitable opportunity has not yet come up. So that is why I am here

(to see the Senior Manager examples, sign up to our Interview Learning Hub – its free)

What is the interviewer testing?

This is a question asked in nearly every interview (or a variation of it).

By asking this question, the interviewer is looking for red flags, hoping to pick up on any problems you are having at your current (or previous) role that might indicate you are a difficult person to manage or a poor performer. E.g. you didn’t get on with your previous boss or were asked to leave for any number of reasons.

Keep the answer to this question short and sweet. Be ready to answer any follow up questions based on the initial answer to this question. As long as you deliver your answer confidently, it makes sense and doesn’t raise any red flags, you are unlikely to get follow up questions.

Structure your answer using one of the following acceptable answers:

• Need a new challenge – e.g. I was getting stale and I need a fresh challenge. I have been asking for additional opportunities at my current company but have not received any to date.
• Location – the company had moved, or my circumstances had changed which is why I am apply for jobs in x area
• Would like to advance my career and there were no suitable opportunities at my current/last company
• Wanted to move to a more secure job – that last company was not that stable / did not have good prospects.

Make sure you body language is relaxed and confident when answering this question.  Practice your answer until it is.

Approximate time frame to answer

20 seconds

Example Answers

Junior Manager

I have been doing my current role for 2 years and have learnt a lot within that time. I have got to the point where I really need a fresh challenge to keep my career moving forward. I have been in discussions with my line manager for a while, but a suitable opportunity has not yet come up. So that is why I am here.

(to see the Senior Manager examples, sign up to our Interview Learning Hub – its free)

What is the interviewer testing?

The interviewer is looking for you to answer two key things:

1. Do you understand my problem (s)
2. What skills and experience do you have that will help me solve them

If you don’t know that much about the job, then list your key strengths while highlighting what this means for the business.

Hopefully, you have done your research and spent time thinking about the job description, so you have an idea of the potential problems the hiring manager has. Interviewers quite often give an outline of their key problems before asking this question. Make sure you are listening and mentally taking note of the key points.

In the answer, list your key strengths and achievements that are relevant to the role being applied for and the problems the hiring manager has. By doing this you are matching the solution (hiring you) to the problem the potential employer has. This is a key part of selling yourself.

This question can also be used to test your confidence if it is phrased aggressively or as a challenge to you.

This is an open question, so you need to balance demonstrating your skills and keeping the answer concise.

A good summary is better than a long story.

This leaves plenty of opportunity for the interviewer to ask follow-up questions if they want to

Approximate time frame to answer

60 to 120 seconds

Example Answers

Junior Manager
From the job description and your explanations, I understand your current customer service team is struggling, with high staff turnover and you are looking to hire a new manager to get the team back on track. (you could pause to wait for a yes or a nod from the interviewer)

I have spent the last 6 years in customer service in two companies. I have manged teams for 4 of those years [experience]. I joined my current company when it also had problems with the customer service team [linking to the interviewer’s problem] and I was asked to improve the performance. It was one of the key reasons I joined.

It took me 6 months to get the team back on track, through training, changing a problematic staff member and improving a number of the processes. I worked hard at making sure the team were happy and supported. I think happy staff make happy customers. The customer NPS score relating to customers services doubled in that time and I got a great appraisal grade

(to see the Senior Manager examples, sign up to our Interview Learning Hub – its free)