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  • Hi there, everybody, my name is Richard McMunn from the career guidance company, how2become.com.

  • And, in this training video tutorial, I am going to give you seven fantastic interview

  • questions and answers for managers.

  • So, if you have any kind of manager interview coming up, or supervisory role, or leadership

  • interview, then this video is for you.

  • So, just a couple of bits before we get straight into the questions and answers, a very warm

  • welcome from me.

  • That's me there on the right-hand side.

  • My name is Richard McMunn.

  • I spent 20 years as a manager in the fire service.

  • I've managed lots of people in my own business as well, and I believe the sample questions

  • and answers are really going to help you.

  • In this video, I'm going to teach how to pass your managers interview.

  • Please do watch the video from beginning to end, and I'm also going to give you the slides.

  • So, you can take notes, but I'm also going to give you the link so you can download these

  • slides on slide SlideShare and start using them during your preparation.

  • Also, if you want to learn more as you go along, I've put a link below the video where

  • you can get access to my free interview course.

  • Don't access it yet.

  • Wait until I've finished this tutorial.

  • Also, please subscribe to the channel.

  • Just click the red button, the subscribe button below, and then you'll get notified when I

  • create more interview questions and answers videos.

  • And, guys, I'd really, really appreciate it; if you do like the video and you gave it a

  • thumbs up below the video, I'd really appreciate that.

  • It motivates me to do more for you.

  • Okay, let's get straight into it through the manager interview questions and answers.

  • Question Number 1: what are the qualities of a good manager?

  • It's virtually a guaranteed question because obviously the qualities required to be a manager

  • are many and varied, but here's a few tips before I give you a sample response.

  • Don't forget to use positive words in your response to this question.

  • These should include words such as competent or competency, you're professional, you're

  • adaptable, you're decisive, you're a good communicator and a good listener, you are

  • firm, and you are fair.

  • So, also make sure you mention that you're a supportive member of your team, and you

  • also are a visionary and you are strategic in your thinking because every organization

  • wants a manager who looks to work towards achieving the goals and the strategic aims

  • of the company.

  • Okay, sample response to Question 1: what are the qualities of a good manager?

  • "The qualities of a good manager are many and varied, and in particular, you have to

  • be totally focused on the aims and strategic goals of the organization you're working for.

  • Now, in addition to this, you need to be competent in your role, be willing to constantly evolve

  • and develop, and also set a good example to your team.

  • You also need to be professional and adaptable, decisive, a good communicator and listener,

  • be firm when required, fair, supportive, a visionary, and also be strategic in your thinking.

  • I believe I possess all of these qualities and feel I would be a great manager for your

  • organization if I am successful at interview today."

  • So that's a great sort of short, sharp, and punchy response that gives all the right qualities

  • for being a successful manager.

  • Don't forget I'm going to tell you where you can download these slides so you can print

  • them off and use them during your preparation.

  • So, Question Number 2: describe your management style.

  • Now, everyone has a different kind of management style.

  • Here's a few tips based on my experience before I give you the sample response.

  • Perhaps the most effective management style that works for all scenarios includes the

  • following.

  • Someone who's decisive, firm, and they expect the highest standards, but they are also fair

  • and approachable.

  • They are supportive so they motivate the team as well, but they're supportive in nature

  • and they are always looking to continually evolve.

  • And they want their team to evolve as well.

  • So here's my sample response to the manager interview question: describe your management

  • style.

  • "My management style is a combination of different key elements that are designed to achieve

  • results.

  • I am firm, and I am also a manager who sets high standards.

  • I'm also decisive in my decision-making and somebody who expects their team to continually

  • improve, evolve, and develop.

  • I achieved this by being supportive of my team, but at the same time, I expect nothing

  • but hard work and commitment from my team members.

  • I always strive to get the best from my team and will always deliver the best results for

  • my employer.

  • Again, another great response that you can use."

  • Question Number 3: give an example of a difficult team you had to manage.

  • So, we've got to give an example here.

  • It needs to be specific in nature.

  • Mention your most difficult team was some time ago.

  • Now, this demonstrates you now have the skills and experience to manage teams effectively

  • with minimal problems.

  • So, if you say, "Yeah, it was some time ago.

  • I don't tend to have that many problems now, but if I do, I have the skills, qualities,

  • and attributes to manage your team."

  • Also, give an example where you learned a tremendous amount from the situation, and

  • this has served to make you a better manager.

  • Now, obviously when I started managing, I'm sure you are the same, you go into situations

  • and you sometimes make mistakes.

  • That's fine, but you have to learn from those mistakes.

  • That's the important thing, and that's what makes a great manager, somebody who continually

  • evolves, and they develop their skills.

  • So, here's my sample response to: give an example of a difficult team you had to manage.

  • "Perhaps the toughest team I had to manage was in the early days of being a manager.

  • It was a fast and steep learning curve, and I did make some mistakes that I have since

  • learned from.

  • Now, the team had just lost a long-serving manager and there were some people within

  • the team who was set in their ways.

  • I went in with new and fresh ideas and changed a number of things perhaps too quickly.

  • The team made it difficult for me to implement the changes I wanted to make, and the team

  • meetings I held were a laborious and challenging process.

  • However, I persevered, I learned from my mistakes and managed to eventually turn things around.

  • I started to get the team onboard, listened to their ideas and suggestions.

  • And after six months hard work, we had the best performing team within the organization,

  • and it was a start of a very productive environment where everybody felt valued and appreciated.

  • I learned a tremendous amount from that experience.

  • And whenever I go into a new team now, I have a set approach that works really well."

  • So that's the kind of response; it's open and honest.

  • You're being honest in the fact that, yeah, you've made mistakes before but you managed

  • a difficult team.

  • You had problems but you turned it around.

  • And the important bit is that it was a success at the end and you had a very productive team.

  • Question 4: what do you like about managing people?

  • Now, my tips here.

  • Mention that the difficult and challenging parts are the best elements as managing people.

  • Managing people can be difficult, but if you are a great manager, you will like the challenges

  • that come along.

  • Now, state how you love to see people develop through your coaching and motivational skills.

  • Obviously, your aim is to get the most out of people regardless of their experience or

  • age.

  • So, here's my sample response to: what do you like about managing people?

  • "Now, the best thing about managing people is that everybody is different and therefore,

  • as a manager, you have to adapt your coaching and motivational skills to suit each person

  • within your team.

  • I love the challenge of getting the most out of people, supporting them through their work,

  • and seeing them achieve great things.

  • In particular, I enjoy carrying out regular appraisals with my staff to ensure they have

  • what they need to perform to the best of their abilities but also holding them accountable

  • for their work.

  • to summarize, I enjoy taking on the challenges managing people involves.

  • I feel I work at my peak when I am motivating, coaching, and developing my team."

  • Now, it's not going to be long now before I tell you where you can download these slides.

  • Hopefully, you're getting a lot from these that you can use during your interview.

  • Question Number 5: as a manager, how would you persuade people to do what you want?

  • So, as managers, we have to be really good at negotiating, getting people on board.

  • So, state that you are a good negotiator and that you feel you have the skills required

  • to motivate and encourage your team to share your vision.

  • Give a specific example of how you persuaded someone to follow your lead.

  • So, if you can give examples, that's a great response.

  • Here's my sample response for you to use to Question 5: as a manager, how would you persuade

  • people to do what you want?

  • "I believe I am a good negotiator and I have the ability to motivate and persuade people

  • to share and follow my vision.

  • For example, whilst managing a team recently, during a difficult project, a senior member

  • of the team made it clear he did not believe the path we were taking was the correct one.

  • I took the time to listen to his concerns and made him aware that I valued his seniority,

  • experience, and his opinions.

  • Once I had listened to his views, I then explained why I felt his suggested route would not work.

  • I provided evidence based on my experience why his suggested route could fail.

  • I then began to explain why I felt my plan would work and that I actually needed him

  • to be directly involved in order for it to be a success.

  • I asked him to take a proactive role in managing part of the project and explained to him how

  • his expertise would be integral to the successful delivery of the project.

  • By empowering him and by utilizing his experience and skills, I managed to win him round and

  • he helped to successfully deliver the project on time and within budget."

  • So you'll see there that I've given a sample response that's specific in nature.

  • I've given an actual situation to that question.

  • Question 6: how would you monitor the performance of your staff?

  • Another great manager interview question.

  • Let's take a look at some tips.

  • Tell the interview panel you would conduct regular appraisals to monitor performance

  • and also hold your team accountable.

  • This is integral to monitoring performance is to speak to your team on a regular basis,

  • on an individual basis one-to-one.

  • Give examples of how you are able to motivate your staff and make them feel valued by listening

  • to them and providing support, training, and guidance where appropriate.

  • Let's now take a look at a sample response to the manager interview question: how would

  • you monitor the performance of your staff?

  • "First and foremost, I would conduct regular appraisals and meetings with my staff to find

  • out their strengths, weaknesses, and also what they needed to perform their duties to

  • the standard required.

  • I would also set deadlines and make my teams stick to them religiously.

  • I feel that, by applying deadlines for work to be completed, staff are more likely to

  • develop successful habits and complete work on time.

  • Finally, I also think it's very important to reward and praise staff when they work

  • well.

  • Again, by simply praising your staff, they are more likely to work hard for you and achieve

  • the goals of the company."

  • Question 7: who was the last person you had to speak about regarding underperformance?

  • So, as managers, we will get people from time to time who underperform.

  • We have to have a certain set of skills to get to the bottom of it and to also put a

  • plan in place to rectify it.

  • So here's a couple of tips.

  • If possible, tell the interview panel it was someone you had just started working with.

  • What I mean by that is you say you go into your team, somebody was underperforming, this

  • is then not as a direct result of your management style.

  • You got into a new team, someone's underperforming, therefore you are able to turn it around and

  • demonstrate your management skills.

  • So, be firm with the individual but set goals for the member of staff, provide support and

  • empathy where appropriate, and also give training, and get to the bottom of the problem really

  • quickly.

  • This is crucial.

  • Let's take a look at a sample response for: who is the last person you had to speak about

  • regarding underperformance?

  • "In a previous role, I just started managing the team when I noticed a member of staff

  • was missing deadlines and they appear to have a lackadaisical attitude to their work.

  • I immediately held a meeting with them to raise my concerns but to also get to the root

  • of the problem quickly.

  • My aim was to resolve the issues as soon as possible and also put a plan in place to get

  • them back working to the required standard.

  • After speaking to them for a few minutes, it became apparent they were having serious

  • problems at home in their personal life.

  • I decided that the best approach here would be demonstrate empathy, provide support and

  • also to agree a plan with them to get them back to full working capacity.

  • I discussed with them some options for obtaining counseling for which they were open to.

  • I also agreed with them that we would hold a weekly meeting to assess how they were feeling

  • and to also assess the plan we had created to get them back to full working capacity.

  • Overall, it took four weeks for me to get them back to where they were prior to their

  • personal problems.

  • I felt this was a success as we got to the root of the problem quickly which enabled

  • me to create a supportive plan that enabled them to start feeling better as soon as possible."

  • So, if you would like to download these slides, please click the link below the video.

  • You will notice it will say below the video Show More in the description.

  • If you click that, then it will give you a link to SlideShare, which is linked in, and

  • you can download the slides.

  • I'll also put a LinkedIn link on there which goes to my LinkedIn profile.

  • Please look me up, connect with me, and put some comments in the comments section below

  • the video.

  • If you want me to come up with some sample interview questions for your specific managers

  • interview, tell me what role you're being interviewed for and I'll create some for you.

  • Also, if you want to learn more, please go to the website, passmyinterview.com, or click

  • the link below the video, I've put it in there, and then you can get access to my free training

  • course which has about 50 sample interview questions and answers.

  • Guys, as I say, I hope you've enjoyed that.

  • I love creating these videos for you.

  • I'd really appreciate it if you gave the video a thumbs up.

  • Don't forget to subscribe to the channel and say hi in the comments.

  • Thank you very much for watching, and I wish you all the very best in your pursuit to passing

  • your managers interview.

Hi there, everybody, my name is Richard McMunn from the career guidance company, how2become.com.

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