How to answer 100+ difficult manager interview questions

Successful job candidates that get multiple job offers in any economic environment know that how you prepare is the key to getting the job that you want

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Getting through interviews is tough. With each career step up you take, the number of jobs reduce, the competition gets better and passing the interviews that much tougher.

What you have done in your job and how well you have done it, are very important to enable you to be considered for the next step up.

Your skills at communicating and selling what you have done at the CV stage and interview stage are the deciding factors for who progresses or is offered the job.

Your interview performance matters.

Getting a job is a winner takes all process. Only one job offer is made and you need to communicate and sell what you have done and therefore what you could do for the potential employer better than the competition. It is that simple.

The good news is that only 1 in 10 candidates are well prepared (based on my experience of over 1,000 interviews as a hiring manager).

A critical part of interview preparation is understanding what is being asked with each interview question and then preparing well-structured answers that shows off how well you can solve the potential employer’s problem(s).

Enhance’s Interview Question Bank is an invaluable tool to help you prepare great answers to over 100 difficult interview questions in a little time as possible. And our answer structures and examples are written with the manager in mind.

Why use enhance’s Interview Question Bank:

Enhance’s Interview Question Bank provides you with:

Over 100 high-quality interview question answers to a wide range of typical questions (and some not so typical ones)
Lessons via video on how to structure your answers and how to practice them
Support from our experts via email to answer questions not covered
Answers written with the manager in mind
Multi-choice quiz so you can test your understanding of interview questions

Using enhance’s Interview Question Bank will:

Save you a lot of time in researching and creating great answers
Improve the quality of your answers
Improve your confidence in your skills, experience, and achievements
Help you get into the top 10% of candidates and get job offers

Take the next step and access our Interview Question Bank at no risk to you, today.

Alex, manager of six staff

“I am genuinely really impressed with your Interview Question Bank.

It is a great resource and really helpful in answering those tough interview questions that managers often get asked. I would recommend any manager, junior to senior, to make use of it before starting to interview.“

Created by experts

Jess Coles

I have sat in well over 1,000 interviews hiring junior professionals through to CEOs. I have heard great answers and too many poor answers to a lot of interview questions.

I have also sat on the other side of the desk being interviewed as I progressed my career from junior manager to director level. Some of the companies I have worked for and/or hired on behalf of:

I am now regularly asked by clients to help them with interviewing and hiring management staff.

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Have a look at some Example Answers to common interview questions:

Tell me about yourself
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 are your weaknesses?
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 your management style?
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)
Why are you looking for a new job?
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)
Why did you leave your last job?
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)
Why should I hire you?
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)

FAQs

Surely, I can just search on the internet for these manager interview question answers
There are answers to a lot of interview questions available on the internet. It takes time to find them all (we know, we have searched for many of them) and when you find them, the answers mixed:
- Many answers are too basic for more senior job levels,
- The answer structures are standard or overused – interviewer can do their research too and spot these a mile off
- The answers are aimed at those with little or no interview experience such as graduates
Many of the answers available aimed at junior staff members or recent graduates or don’t explain what is being looked for by the interviewer.
If you want
1. high quality answers to difficult interview questions you can rely on,
2. with great examples written for managers, not graduates
3. and to save lots of your time by having all these answers in one place
then you should sign up to our Interview Question Bank.
How long do I have access to the Question Bank?
What if I don’t understand something?
The course is structured carefully to build knowledge in layers so that understanding is increased in clear steps. However, there maybe times when you would still like clarification. In this event you can contact us on 0203 500 6300 during UK working hours, to discuss a course you are taking, tell us about a problem or provide feedback.

You can also email us at support@enhance.training and we should get back to you within 24 hours.
How do I contact you

Your question is not here?

The questions included in our Interview Question bank by category:

General
1. All jobs have pros and cons. What were some of the cons of your last job?
2. Can we check your references
3. Do you pay attention to detail?
4. Have you ever been refused a salary increase?
5. How do you handle rejection?
6. How long have you been looking for another position?
7. How would you define your profession?
8. I’m not sure that you are suited for the job?
9. In your last job, what where some of the things that you spent most of your time on and why?
10. Tell me a story?
11. We have tried to hire people from XXXX, but they have never worked out. Why would you be different?
12. What are you outstanding qualities?
13. What are you salary expectations?
14. What area of your skill set are you looking to develop? (what is your weakness question)
15. What aspects of the your job do you consider most cruicial?
16. What can you contribute to this company?
17. What can you do for us that someone else cannot?
18. What do you do outside work?
19. What do you need to be successful in this field?
20. What interests you most about this job?
21. What is your current salary?
22. What is your greatest strength?
23. What is your greatest weakness? / What are your weaknesses?
24. What should I know that is not on your CV?
25. What were your biggest successes and failures?
26. Who else have you applied to?
27. Why are you looking for a new job?
28. Why did you leave your last job?
29. Why should I hire you?
30. Why should I take an outsider when I could fill the job with someone from inside the company?
Ambitions
1. After joining us, what career progression opportunities would you be looking for?
2. How do you feel your career has gone to date?
3. In what ways has your current job prepared you to take on more responsibility?
4. What are you looking for in you next job?
5. What is your dream job?
6. What makes this job different from your last one?
7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
8. With hindsight, how could you have improved your progress?
Character and Values
1. Are you willing to take calculated risks when necessary?
2. How did you get your last job?
3. How do you manage the pressure of your job?
4. How do you manage to interview while still in full employment?
5. How have you benefited from your disappointments?
6. How many hours a week do you need to work to get your job done?
7. In hindsight, what have you do that was a little risky?
8. Tell me about some of the decisions you have made in your current role?
9. What difficulties do you have working with people from different backgrounds to you?
10. What is the most difficult situation that you have faced?
11. What is the toughest decision you have ever had to make at work?
12. What is your attitude to risk?
13. What kind of things do you worry about?
14. What major challenges and problems have you faced? How did you handle them?
15. What personal characteristics are necessary for success in this job?
16. What type of culture do you really enjoy working in?
Manageability
1. Describe a situation where your work or an idea was criticised?
2. Have you ever been fired?
3. How did your last line manager get the best out of you?
4. How do you make your opinions known when you disagree with the views of your line manager?
5. How do you take direction?
6. How would you describe your current(/latest) line manager?
7. If you thought your line manager had made a mistake for a plan of action, or you had a better approach that the one outlined by your manager, what would you do?
8. Tell me about something that you are not very proud of?
9. What do you expect from a manager?
10. What do you think we could do better or differently?
11. What was it like working for your manager?
12. What was most and least rewarding about your last position?
13. What was there about your last company that you didn’t particularly agree with or like?
14. What would you do when you have a decision to make and no procedure exists?
15. What would you improve about your current boss?
16. When do you expect a promotion?
17. Who was your best manager and who was your worst?
18. Would you like to have your boss’s job?

People & Management
1. Do you prefer working alone or with other?
2. Have you had to take someone through disciplinary before?
3. How do you manage a poor performer?
4. How do you manage a star performer?
5. How well did your boss rate your job performance?
6. If you had to remove someone from the team, how would you go about it?
7. Tell me about a challenge or conflict you have faced at work and how you dealth with it?
8. Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills.
9. What is your management style?
10. What problems do you have getting along with others?
11. What strategies would you use to motivate your team?
12. What would you say is the difference between management and leadership?
Problem Solving
1. How many cups of coffee were purchased in London yesterday?
2. How many tennis balls can you fit into a limousine?
3. Tell me how many people went through Heathrow yesterday?
4. Think about your local cinema. Can you tell me how much it earns in a typical week?
5. What are some of the key challenges you face in your current role? How do you manage these?
Stakeholder Management
1. How do you manage your boss’s expectations?
2. What levels within the company are you most comfortable dealing with?

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