Executive Management

Budget management is a big deal to employers. Before you decide how to answer this question, decide how involved you want to be with the budget on your next job. If you want to manage a budget, talk about a time when you did a terrific job with the money. If you hate dealing with budgets, tell about a time when you worked with someone else on the budget.

Most of us hate to admit that we have problems, but the truth is that we do. It's how we handle problems that shows our real talent. So dig deep and come up with a time when you either took on a problem and solved it, or you were in the middle of a project and a problem came up unexpectedly.

Here's your chance to look good by talking about one of your favorite achievements. While telling your story, keep in mind what tasks you might be asked to perform at the job you're applying for and highlight anything in your story that relates to your next job.

Employers love to hear how you affected the bottom line, since it implies that you'll be able to do the same for them. Tell a story that demonstrates that you understand how success is measured in your line of work, and that you're able to achieve it to the satisfaction of your employer.

► Budget

► Company policy

► Management style

► Conflict management

► Consensus building

► Team development

► Organizational systems

► Supervisory skills

► P&L responsibility

► Goal achievement

► Public relations

► Investor relations

You can't tell by looking at a piece of paper what some of the strengths and weaknesses really are…We ask for specific examples of not only what's been successful but what they've done that hasn't gone well or a task they've, quite frankly, failed at and how they learned from that experience and what they'd do different in a new scenario.

Last, but not least, the manager would also be asked about the human resource management principles that he follows.

A lot of it is cultural fit and whether they are going to fit well into the organization… The perception is that when (senior leaders) come into the firm, a totally new environment, they know everything. And they could do little things such as send emails in a voicemail culture that tend to negatively snowball over time. Feedback or onboarding is critical. If you don't get that feedback, you will get turnover later on.

Younger employees do not wish to get paid merely for working hard-just the reverse: they will work hard because they enjoy their environment and the challenges associated with their work…. Executives who embrace this new management style are attracting and retaining better employees.