Effective Interview Questions for Managers

I don’t know about you, but I find interviewing challenging: How do I know after an hour (or less!) whether someone will be a good fit for a job?

The stakes are particularly high when hiring for a supervisory position. Make a poor choice and you can negatively impact an entire team, generate unwanted turnover, and create even more positions to fill.

Prepare for the Interview

Over the years, I’ve found it helpful to do two things when interviewing:

1) ask questions about past behavior

2) know in advance what I’m looking for in the answers

When it comes to interviewing for a supervisory position, I spend less time on the technical/tactical aspects of the job, and more on the soft skills.

Three Interview Questions for Manager and Supervisory Positions

Below are three questions I’ve found provide valuable information on the likely future performance of a candidate. In the responses to each of these questions, I look for specific examples, including what happened and what action the candidate took.

If a candidate talks about what they typically do, or would do, I politely interject and ask that they think of one specific situation to share. Similarly, if the candidate talks about what “we” did, I ask for clarity on what their role was in the situation.

Tell me about a time you had a team member with poor performance. How did you handle the situation?

While listening to their answer, I look for evidence they:

• Engaged with others, either their manager or HR, to get guidance and ensure alignment with the wider organizational culture and direction.
• Effectively addressed the situation so that performance either improved or the individual was moved out of the position.
  
  

While listening to their answer, I look for evidence they:

• Can identify a high performing team member.
• Value and think about recognizing and rewarding high performers versus focusing primarily on poor performers.

While listening to their answer, I look for:

• Their willingness and ability to deliver tough messages to their team.
• Examples of their communication style. Does it align with our organizational culture?

Don't Forget About the Follow Up

For any of the above questions, a great follow up question is:

What did you learn from this situation?

A candidate’s ability to reflect and learn from a situation speaks to their emotional intelligence and ability to learn and grow in their new role.

Interviewing is an Art

Interviewing is challenging and more of an art than a science. However, preparing for the interview, asking questions that elicit information on past behavior, and knowing in advance what a “good” answer sounds like, can increase your success in identifying and hiring strong performers.