Common Interview Questions for Managers + Tips to Prepare

Key takeaways

• Manager interviews evaluate your leadership skills, management style, decision-making, communication abilities, and overall fit for a senior-level role, making it important to prepare answers that clearly showcase your experience.

• Answering top interview questions for managers typically requires comprehensive responses, so it's important to support your points with examples that demonstrate your process, actions, and results.

• Behavioral interview questions for managers often explore how you motivate teams, resolve conflict, navigate change, and make difficult decisions.

You can prepare for manager interview questions by reviewing the job description, researching the company, and having questions to ask at the end of the process. Discover some common interview questions for managers, tips on how to answer them, and strategies for predicting some of the questions interviewers may ask. Afterward, consider enrolling in the Leading People and Teams Specialization from the University of Michigan to build or strengthen essential managerial skills, including talent management, team building, employee coaching, and more.

What are some common interview questions for managers?

Management interviews typically include a series of questions aimed at determining your skills and whether they align with a senior-level position. An interviewer may also ask you some broader questions to understand your motivations, suitability for the company, and overall skills and experience.

Such questions might include variations of “Why are you interested in this role?” or “Why do you think you are the best candidate for this position?” These questions help interviewers learn about your motivations, what you’ll bring to the role, and whether you’ll be a good fit for the team.

To answer these interview questions effectively, research the company to tailor your responses and explain why it excites you. Carefully match your skills and experience to the company and the role, and share your enthusiasm about the job.

Other questions you might need to answer include:

• What are your greatest strengths?

• What are your weaknesses?

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

• Why did you leave your previous position?

• If your application is successful, how might you adopt AI into your team’s workflow?

• How do you manage remote and hybrid workers effectively?

How to answer interview questions for a manager position

In addition to those listed above, an interviewer will usually ask you more specific interview questions for management-level positions. When answering any question during your interview, give examples of your skills and experience to demonstrate your expertise. Consider these common management interview questions as you practice for your interview.

How would you describe your management style?

The recruiter is looking to learn more about you and how you operate as a manager with this question. They want to understand whether your style is compatible with their organization, so make sure you have done your research about their work culture and values.

When describing your management style, give examples to support your claims. For example, you may talk about a specific time when you managed a team to achieve a particular goal. Talk about the process, what you did, and the results.

Talk about motivation

Tip: Giving an example of how you have motivated and inspired others can be very effective. Showing how you brought a team together to achieve results is more compelling than simply talking about outcomes.

Tell me about a time you have had to handle conflict within a team.

The answer to this question requires a story rather than an overview of how you would handle conflict. Focus on one event and what challenges you faced, the measures you took to resolve it, and the positive outcome of your actions.

Paint a clear picture that effectively illustrates the conflict and its resolution. Recruiters want to see that you can deal with sensitive situations, so demonstrate how you understood the situation from all perspectives and how you determined an intervention. Be mindful of how you describe the conflict so that you aren’t perceived as taking sides, putting an employee down, or divulging sensitive information.

How do you maintain motivation within your team?

For this question, it’s important to show that you take the time to get to know your team, address individual needs and preferences, and build relevant team strategies. Offer examples that show how you celebrate your team’s strengths and achievements.

Read more: What Is Intrinsic Motivation?

Describe a time when you have had to guide your team through change.

Navigating change is a vital management skill. In this instance, the interviewer will be looking at how you effectively approach a situation, manage your team’s feedback and feelings, and show leadership. Your example should include details of how you led the process and the strategies you used to manage any anxiety or conflict in your team regarding the change.

Tell me about a difficult decision you had to make and how you handled the process.

Decision-making skills are essential in a management role, so the interviewer will look for evidence that you can make timely, well-considered, and effective decisions. Talk about your decisions and thought process to explain how you came to the solution and achieved outcomes. The recruiter will be looking for key factors such as whom you consulted, how you considered others' well-being, and how you addressed any associated challenges.

How do you establish priorities and delegate appropriate tasks to others?

Your answer to this question should demonstrate your communication skills and your ability to see a team’s value and everyone’s individual strengths. Make sure your answer is positive and focus on how your approach was successful.

How to predict what you might be asked

During your interview practice, prepare answers to common and potential interview questions. Come ready with multiple stories and examples to share so you have options depending on how the questions take shape. Consider a few ways to do it.

Study the job description.

The job description outlines what you’ll be doing if you’re hired. This is a great place to start when anticipating the topics an interviewer may discuss. You’ll gain insight into the role's expectations, workplace culture, and company policies and processes. Review it and think of some examples to show that you can do what the job entails.

Look at the essential criteria.

Even bigger clues can be found in the essential criteria for the role. Interviewers will be considering how well you meet the essential requirements in the interview, so prepare responses and related examples that show your ability to meet them. For instance, if they’re looking for someone with an innovative approach to change management, have a relevant example ready that shows how you've successfully led or supported change initiatives.

Research the company.

Researching the company means that you can tailor your answers to subjects that are important to your potential employer. For example, if the company has a teamwork and collaboration culture, it would be best to include relevant examples of times you’ve worked with others. Research should also allow you to find out about any notable achievements, projects, or awards that you can drop into your answers.

Ask questions.

Interviewers often close the conversation by asking whether you have any questions. This is your opportunity to learn more about the position beyond the information included in the job description.

For the interviewer, asking questions shows your interest in the role and company. The kinds of questions you ask will give them an idea about your motivations and personality. Some examples of good questions to ask include:

• Can you give me some examples of the types of projects I might be working on?

• What type of training and professional development are available to employees?

• What is your favorite thing about working here?

• Who will I directly report to?

Discover free resources for your career growth

Visit our Career Resource Hub to evaluate your skills, find learning roadmaps, and explore various career paths. Then, check out the following resources to advance your career:

• Read our Career Chat issue: Job Search Tips for a Career Change

• Prepare for interviews: Project Manager Interview Preparation Guide

• Watch on YouTube: How to Succeed in Virtual Interviews

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