Business Unit Manager

When answering supervisor interview questions around your personal supervisory style remember that there is no wrong or right supervisory style. The only criteria is that it should be appropriate to the situation. Your ability to adapt your style to the demands of the person you are dealing with, the task at hand and the circumstances is key to success as a supervisor. Provide examples of how you have had to adapt your supervisory style to meet different needs.

This question typically follows on from the previous one. Here is where your research will come in handy. You may want to say that you want to work for a company that is x, y, z, (market leader, innovator, provides a vital service, whatever it may be). Put some thought into this beforehand, be specific and link the company's values and mission statement to your own goals and career plans.

Nurse Managers assign nursing staff to each department in the health care unit: radiology, emergency, etc. They do this in coordination with the departments and their own knowledge of current nursing practices, taking into account the needs of the nurses and their schedule as well.

Summarize your experiences: "With five years' experience working in the financial industry and my proven record of saving the company money, I could make a big difference in your company. I'm confident I would be a great addition to your team."

If you're unemployed, state your reason for leaving in a positive context: "I managed to survive two rounds of corporate downsizing, but the third round was a 20 percent reduction in the workforce, which included me."

If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: "After two years, I made the decision to look for a company that is team-focused, where I can add my experience."

The more your employees or team members understand about their jobs and responsibilities the more motivated they are. Show how you ensure each subordinate has clarity about his or her role and responsibilities. Discuss how you set clear, specific and realistic targets that are agreed on rather than dictated. Focus on how you involve employees by asking for suggestions, ideas and feedback.

Sometimes it's best to talk about short-term and intermediate goals rather than locking yourself into the distant future. For example, "My immediate goal is to get a job in a growth-oriented company. My long-term goal will depend on where the company goes. I hope to eventually grow into a position of responsibility."

I believe in delegating responsibility and authority. I want to give each person the chance to grown and reach for the stars, not be hobbled by low expectations or some ceiling I've put into place.

I believe in building a team. Each member of the team should be clear on their role, know where they fit in and feel they can depend on and lean upon others in the team to achieve group goals.

I believe in real-time feedback. If you do something wrong you should know it immediately. If you do something right, you should hear about it right away. The further removed feedback is in time, the less effective it is.

Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

If you are being asked this question from your employer then you can explain your experience. Tell the employer what responsibilities you were performing during your job. You can tell what programs you developed and what modules you worked on. What were your achievements regarding different programs.

Be prepared with two or three trends that demonstrate your knowledge of the industry. Consider technological challenges and opportunities, current economic conditions and demands and growing competitiveness.

What makes you unique? This will take an assessment of your experiences, skills and traits. Summarize concisely: "I have a unique combination of strong technical skills, and the ability to build strong customer relationships. This allows me to use my knowledge and break down information to be more user-friendly."

This is a behavioral or situational interview question. You are expected to provide an example of how you successfully managed a difficult employee or team member.

Your example can show how you identified the source of conflict, used the conflict situation as a constructive process to exchange opinions and ideas and clarify roles and responsibilities. Discuss how you kept the focus on the desired outcome rather than on personal grievances.

Coaching and developing others is part of the supervisor function. Supervisor interview questions about the development of employees should include your ability to agree on the outcomes and methods of coaching with the employee, to explain and demonstrate task performance, to observe and provide constructive feedback.

► You have not done this sort of job before. How will you succeed?

► What relevant experience do you have?

► What do you see yourself doing within the first days of this job?

► What do you consider your most significant accomplishment?

► Who has impacted you most in your career and how?

► What are you expecting from this firm in the future?

► What is your greatest achievement outside of work?

► List five words that describe your character.

► Who else have you applied to/got interviews with?

► What are your salary requirements.

The most important tip is that you have get yourself prepared carefully before the behavioral interview. It is meant to see whether or not you'll speak poorly of an employer. Answer all Business unit manager interview questions honestly and stay focused throughout the hiring process.

► What negative thing would your last boss say about you?

► Situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise.

► What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?

► How do you react to instruction and criticism?

► If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?

Don't stress yourself with the idea of winning or losing. You may receive very helpful advice from an outsider who, like the interviewers, may tell if you answer properly or not. Just confine your words to better opportunities.