For example, maybe the job description says they need someone who can bring new ideas and initiatives to the team. What was the result? Do you micromanage? They may also ask about how you delegate tasks, how you do performance reviews with employees, and more. For example, if the most energizing aspect of their job has been interacting with clients on a daily basis but there is no similar type of interaction in the prospective role, then further inquiry may be needed to ensure fit. This is one of those interview questions where there isn’t one “correct” answer, but it’s best to think of common leadership traits that you really do possess, and it’s also best to think about traits that will help you in this particular role. Important note: You do NOT need to have formal leadership to be able to talk about leading in the past. Sign up to get free content delivered to your inbox weekly! Moreover, asking what the result was helps to determine the quality of the candidate’s decision. Tell me about a time when you had too much to do, but not enough resources (this could include staffing, time, money). This would be a huge red flag, because communicating with your team members is such a vital part of the job that you probably couldn’t succeed as a manager or supervisor without this ability. Tell me about a time when you went the extra mile when it would have been just as acceptable to perform the bare minimum. 50 behavioral-based interview questions you might be asked. Lead 9 Most Common Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers Behavioral questions can be challenging for interviewers to ask and for job candidates to answer. Supervisor interview questions; Manager interview questions; Leadership behavioral interview questions; After going through this article, you will know how to impress the employer in your leadership/management job interview, and you’ll know the mistakes that can cost you the job. How did you respond to the adversity? 10. So be prepared to talk about what you enjoy about this career and how you got started – both in the industry and in your specific area of focus (for example: sales, project management, research & development, etc). By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter This is another behavioral question where the interviewer is looking to gauge how you react to tough situations – in this case, a failure or setback. They want to see that you have specific reasons for wanting to be doing this type of work in this industry. Don’t memorize word for word… you’ll just sound scripted and unnatural (and be under a lot of pressure to remember everything in the heat of the moment). Instead, I like to think about the key points I want to mention for each topic or question. You want to give a strong answer here and name something specific that you feel makes you uniquely qualified to succeed in this position. Think back to one of the most energy-depleting periods in your current or most recent position. By submitting your information you agree to Glassdoor's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Next, let’s look at some specific questions you can expect to hear in any leadership interview, with sample answers and tips for how to impress the hiring manager!

This is the type of answer that will set you apart in a leadership interview, so practice talking like this. They may also ask, “What are you passionate about?” which is a similar question. We’ve covered the top 20 interview questions for managers, supervisors, and other leadership roles. Moreover, it sheds light on communication abilities. Employers don’t expect a perfectly-accurate answer when they ask, “where do you see yourself in five years?”. Why did you exert the effort? How many years? In that case, don’t badmouth your current employer; just focus on the things you’re hoping to gain by making a move. If you’re looking for how to answer leadership interview questions, then this article is for you. Any time you’re unemployed, a recruiter, HR person, or hiring manager is very likely to ask about it in a first interview or phone interview. When they ask this question, or “what are your weaknesses?” it’s a chance to show them that you’re not cocky and that you are always working to improve. This interview question isn’t a trick; they just want to get a sense of what you’re looking for overall.

Describe a situation where you and a colleague whom you relied upon for support (e.g., to complete a project) were in conflict. But they want to see that you learned from it. Tell me about a time you made a blunder on the job that cost your company time or money. But I wouldn’t just say “respected” and leave it at that, either. The more you can point out that you’ve done similar work in the past, the more likely you are to get hired for the job! 6. What was going on? For example, you wouldn’t want to say, “Well, I’m not great at communicating with my team. Therefore, it is very important you provide an answer to each of the behavioral interview questions that shows you can already undertake the area being assessed. You can say: “I’m interviewing at a couple of other mid-sized healthcare companies like yours. Then explain how working as a manager has been fulfilling because you’ve been able to help develop newer employees, watch them grow, serve as a mentor, etc. Always ask questions – about the team, the company, and the role. Behavioral-based questions are asked to get a sense of how the interviewee performs or behaves under specific circumstances. Employers are okay with past failures, and they want to hear about a real failure here. This is yet another question that employers are very likely to ask. The good news is that behavioral interview questions are a proven way to reveal a person’s potential, specifically their ability to adapt, grow, collaborate, prioritize, lead, and strengthen company culture. (Even if your job often involves asking others what they think… which IS something great leaders do). [Related: Why Recruiting for Personality Matters].

Once you’re comfortable with how you sound, and you’re hitting the key points and mentioning the key skills you want to highlight, you’re ready for your leadership interview. Your aim to be that you were able to stay calm under pressure, use logic and facts to come to your decision, and then explained it to your team.

I applied for this Sales Manager position because it seemed like a great next step in my career, where I could continue to build leadership skills and then hopefully advance further in your company when the time comes.”. They just want to understand what happened, make sure there aren’t any big “red flags” (like you having arguments/disagreements with upper management, etc.). For example, if the team is large and full of all types of people (different ages, different skill sets, etc.) First, for any leadership role, the interviewer is likely to ask you about your style and approach to leadership. If you can show them that their job fits the general theme of what you’re looking for, and that you’ve thought about what you want to do in your career, then you’ll be fine. 11 Final Interview Questions to Prepare For, How to Answer “Are You a Leader or Follower?” (Interview Question), Answers to “What Do You Like Least About Your Job?”. They may also ask for a specific time you had to make a tough decision, what you chose to do, and why. I’d do the same for your firm if another interviewer asked me this question.”, Here’s more info on how to answer, “what other companies are you interviewing at?”. So you can expect to hear this interview question for management positions, and you need to be ready to show that you’ve made tough decisions and communicated effectively to your team, even if it wasn’t the popular choice.

Then, you can play it back and hear how you sound. 1 Government Job Interview Questions and Answers . The most effective way to structure your answers to the manager behavioral interview questions, is to use the STAR technique. PBI Questions- Microsoft Word Version . Table of Contents. Behavioral interviewing uses strategically-composed questions to share how a candidate’s past performance might support a hiring company’s future needs. Provide an example of a difficult situation with a major client that you had to resolve. then you could say that one of the most important traits you possess is the ability to relate to all sorts of people with different points of view. Value of this question: Unearths how self-motivated the candidate is when the job gets tough, and/or when they do not feel in control.

Success requires deliberate preparation. Behavioral interview questions require candidates to share examples of specific situations they’ve been in where they had to use certain skills. This article has 10 leadership experience examples to give you more ideas.