IT Manager

One of the most common management job interview questions is going to be about your specific management style. There are various ways to answer this question. You may be tempted to share a specific management style, but the best answer to this question is, "I choose to adapt my management techniques based on the present situation, as work environments are constantly dynamic and often need to be handled in unique, novel ways.

True leadership is about personal responsibility. That is why an effective answer to this question is, "I consider anyone who works with me to be an extension of my effectiveness as manager. I will discuss any problems with the employee individually and honestly, but if their work affects the bottom line of the company, their shortcomings are also my responsibility.

Try your best not to focus on existential, immeasurable goals. Job interviews want to know what you truly bring, and you should be able to measure the results. The best answer to this type of interview question is, Management is about setting and reaching goals and employee/organizational relationships. I measure effectiveness by looking at the data, ensuring that I am meeting deadlines early and helping to achieve organizational growth, and keeping morale high and those under my supervision engaged and active in their tasks.

Most of us are a little of each, but be careful how you tailor your answer. If you come across as a risk taker, you may be prejudged as one who will disregard corporate policy in the future. It is best to come across as one who generally plays it safe, but is not afraid of taking risks as long as everything has been done to mitigate the risk.

I believe that taking risks is part of life but by mitigating the risk, I believe the best possible solution presents itself. I'm not afraid of taking risks; I just make sure that I have considered all the facts and possible outcomes my decision will have.

This question is basically asking if you panic when problems arise. So make it clear in your answer that you make all attempts to anticipate problems before they arise so you can deal with them in a more controlled environment.

I don't react to problems, but acknowledge their existence and respond to them in a calm manner. Reacting to a problem causes a panic and the problem does not get resolved until everyone calms down, accepts the situation and then focuses on a resolution.

This manager question is best answered with an example from one of your past jobs that casts you in the spotlight showing and demonstrating your capabilities of handling change.

You want to tailor your answer to match the job or their corporate culture. For example, if you're interviewing to be an airline pilot, don't tell the interviewer that you like to sleep on things before making a decision.

Or, if you're interviewing for a medical position, you don't want to come across as one who makes decisions on a hunch.

Before I make any kind of important decision, I first consider all the surrounding facts, possible outcomes and the desired goal. I won't hesitate to seek an outside opinion and I generally do, but I am the one who makes the ultimate decision.

Do your homework and research the company and find out who are their competitors. Management interview questions like this will quickly reveal how well you conducted your research prior to the interview.

★ Describe an example of how you've demonstrated leadership in a previous job?

★ What specific strategies have you used to lead a team?

★ What are the key attributes of a successful leader?

★ How would past coworkers and team members rate your leadership skills? What would they say about your leadership style?

★ What factors do you consider when faced with tough decisions?

★ How do you make a decision when important facts are unavailable?

★ What methods do you utilize to resolve problems?

For all job interview questions, it is important to stay away from any true weaknesses or shortcomings. Yet with management questions, it is acceptable to offer a minute amount of humility with your own abilities to provide a believable answer. An effective answer to these types of interview questions is, "Sometimes in the heat of a deadline, I have found that I have overlooked great work by a staff member. I am working on making sure everyone I work with gets their deserved recognition for successful completion of their tasks, because it is important that every individual staff member be recognized for their contributions toward building the company's success.

Management job interview questions about motivating staff or delegating tasks are common in management interviews. When you answer them you should focus on communication and team building, I do my best to show recognition and acknowledgement to all employees that meet goals, which keeps morale high and employees on task. Also, when applicable, I keep tasks interdependent within the team, so that staff members require and encourage fellow staff members to complete their work.

★ What will you do to retain valued employees?

★ What non-monetary factors to you feel help motivate employees?

★ What kind of work culture do you think increase moral and employee motivation level?

★ What type of incentives or rewards work best for motivating team members?

★ Describe a time when you successfully motivated an employee who didn't want to take on a new assignment?

Manager interview questions like this are generally asked to discover additional hidden qualities about yourself that you might not otherwise have mentioned.

★ What is motivation?

★ Share a work related experience that demonstrates your ability to encourage and motivate another person?

★ Pretend you were the recipient of a coveted award three years from now. What is the reward? Why did you receive it?

★ Describe time when you and your team were lacking moral and explain what you did to raise spirits?

★ How do you make employees feel valued?

You should answer this question with specific examples of methods you use to delegate tasks, For each staff member I create a sheet of detailed, relevant tasks and estimated deadlines. I then meet with each staff member individually to ensure they also agree to the deadlines and answer any questions they have. I also schedule regular work in progress meetings to check in on their status.

focus on how you assign tasks and responsibility to the appropriate people, how you clarify exactly what is expected, communicate confidence and ensure adequate resources are available for successful completion of the task. Include follow-up procedures and setting deadlines.