15 top interview questions for Managers

When it comes to interview questions for managers, knowing what to ask isn’t always straightforward. The stakes are high. But with our ideas, you can’t go wrong.

You expect anyone coming to interview for a job at your organisation to do their prep. Quite right too. But the same is true for the person - or people - conducting the interview. Yes, you’re busy. And sure, you’d probably rather be doing something else. But you can’t afford a slapdash attitude when it comes to conducting an interview.

That’s especially true when you’re interviewing for a managerial position. The consequences of hiring the wrong person are far-reaching and go way beyond financial. But when you get the decision right, you improve the chances of furnishing your company with a visionary professional who can help to drive the operational and strategic success of your business. Nice.

It goes without saying that the interview is the most important part of the interview process. This is your chance to get a feel for each applicant’s personality, professional credentials and career experience. But to get the right insight, you need to ask the right questions. Stuck for inspiration? Here are some of our favourite interview questions for managers.

Experience-based interview questions for managers

Experience-based questions are a good way to begin your interview. These questions should be relatively straightforward for your candidates to answer, which can ease the tension in the room. They also offer a good opportunity to explore the career history that piqued your interest on those CVs.

1. How long have you worked as a manager?

2. How many staff reported in to you in your most recent managerial role?

3. Describe the responsibilities you had in your most recent managerial role.

4. Describe a typical working week in your most recent managerial role.

Behavioural-based interview questions for managers

Every manager is different. It’s important that their style aligns with the culture of your organisation. The following questions allow you to gauge each candidate’s managerial style and find out more about their individual personalities.

5. How would you describe your managerial style?

6. Outline your strategy for handling problem employees.

7. How do you define workplace culture and why is it important?

8. Who are your managerial role models and why?

Leadership-based interview questions for managers

These are the questions where you can judge the success of each candidate and test how well they are able to apply their qualities to your specific organisation. Look for quantifiable achievements and tangible outcomes.

9. Describe a situation where you have improved the performance of a team.

10. How do you conduct performance reviews?

11. Describe a situation where you have resolved conflict within a team.

12. What is the manager’s most important responsibility and why?

13. How are staff best motivated?

14. How does your managerial philosophy add value to our organisation?

15. How do you intend to develop relationships with your new staff?

Over to you. (Or us?)

With any type of recruitment campaign, it’s important to choose the right person. But it’s fair to say that the stakes are higher when you’re hiring a new manager. They have comparatively larger remuneration packages and the ability to contribute significantly to the future of your organisation. Your job is to make sure you choose the candidate whose impact will be the most positive. Need some help? We are recruitment experts with 30 years of experience in successfully placing senior professionals. Find out how we can make sure your next hire is the best hire.