October 19, 2017    |    By

The Top Behavioral Interview Questions For A Manager To Ask Management Candidates

Behavioral interview questions are questions structured to ascertain the character of a candidate for a job. Asking the right questions about past behavior will help you to determine how the candidate will perform in the future. Employers use this technique as an accurate predictor for making solid hiring decisions by looking at past performance.

What Is A Behavioral Interview Question?

Behavioral interview questions are unpredictable situations that employers will ask during interviews. They help hiring managers take a deeper dive and find out more about how you think and what you’ve done – or would do – in certain situations. The idea is that your answers will provide insight into your problem-solving abilities and personal qualities. Managers are looking for people who are competent, able to solve problems, able to handle stressful situations and a good fit for their organization. Behavioral interview questions help them make those determinations.

Why Are Behavioral Interview Questions Used So Frequently?

Behavioral interview questions have become more and more popular among hiring managers because they use a candidate’s behavior in past situations that are similar to the ones required in the role they are trying to fill. Using this technique helps prevent the hiring managers from making a bad hiring decision that will affect the bottom line, learn what they really need to know about the candidate, predict future behavior and avoid making the wrong hiring decision based on a gut feeling.

Questions About How They Handle Stress

No one needs stress coming from their manager, affecting both workers and senior management alike.

Question: Describe The Most Stressful Day You Have Ever Had At Work, How Did You Get Through It?

You will expect the candidate to give a real experience they underwent at their previous job. The boss, a fellow employee or the nature of the work could have brought this about. Managers often get stressed making tough decisions for an organization. They may also have to deal with difficult subordinates or customers. Since the responsibility is greater in that position, the stakes are higher.

What You Are Looking For From This Question

The story itself matters little. What you should consider is the type of stress described. You want someone who can demonstrate nerves of steel. Can the candidate offer practical solutions as stressful situations present themselves?

Question: How Do You Manage Competing Priorities And Overlapping Deadlines?

Managers are often required to oversee different departments simultaneously. Each of these jobs may have deadlines. The manager must decide on which assignment is a priority, and he should consider personnel limitations.

What You Are Looking For From This Question

You want to know whether the interviewee has the ability to know how to balance available resources with priorities. This ability can show you whether the person will be able to prevent work from stalling whenever there is too much work and too few employees.

Question: Describe A Time That You Assisted A Team Member You Were Managing To Reduce Or Manage His Or Her Own Stress? What Steps Did You Take?

In a workplace setting, people encounter different problems. This could be work-related, or it could be personal. An employee may have lost a family member, for example. Many people have financial issues that could affect their work. This could be detrimental to the profitability of the business.

What You Are Looking For From This Question

Being a manager demands that others’ needs are put before yours. When you conduct an interview, you could use this question to see whether the candidate is selfish or not. Does he put the company first and does he care about his workmates?

Questions About How They Motivate A Work Team

Employee motivation is pivotal. Managers are in the best position to motivate their subordinates to improve their performance.

Question: Describe A Time That You Boosted The Morale Or The Motivation Of A Team That You Were Managing. How Did You Plan It? How Did You Carry It Out? What Were The Results?

A motivated workforce translates to a productive one. Your employees should show enthusiasm for their job and consider the company as if it were theirs. Financial benefits do increase employee motivation, but your workers should not be doing their work just for the money.

What You Are Looking For From This Question

You want to find out whether the candidate can inspire the team when things are not going very well. Does the interviewee only believe in financial rewards as a form of motivation? Or, does he have the ability to inspire others using other means?

Question: Can You Describe A Time That You Had To Pull An Employee Aside Because You Could See That Their Motivation Had Decreased? How Did You Broach The Topic And How Did You Follow Up Later? What Were The Outcomes?

Some employees may not be happy with their employment situation. Their job dissatisfaction might rub off on the others, affecting their work.

What You Are Looking For From This Question

A conspicuously poor attitude can have a negative impact on colleagues, but bad handling is even worse. You need a manager who can identify unmotivated subordinates and deal with them tactfully to avoid escalating an already delicate situation. A manager should be an impeccable communicator and counselor.

Questions About Conflict, Mistakes, And Problems

It’s not always peachy. Conflicts, mistakes, and problems are common in any workplace.

Question: Can You Describe A Time That You Encountered And Then Managed A Source Of Conflict Within Your Team Or Workplace? What Steps Did You Take?

The diversity of personalities interacting in the workplace and problems needing solutions can lead to conflicts. Conflicts arise especially when mistakes occur. Naturally, people will trade blame to identify the source of the problem.

What You Are Looking For From This Question

You need a manager who can provide solutions to problems and de-escalate any conflict. Work should proceed despite the problems that arise.

Question: Can You Describe A Time That You Made A Mistake In Your Leadership? How Did You Correct The Problem? How Did You Approach This With Your Team?

It is human nature to make mistakes. For a manager, mistakes have a great impact on a business. The way in which the manager rectifies the mistake should be able to inspire confidence in the team.

What You Are Looking For From This Question

The candidate should demonstrate an ability to be a team player. If there is a mistake, practical solutions should rectify it. The manager should be able to consult widely with the team. In the future, if such a problem arises, the team will be able to solve it together. The ideal candidate should also show that he or she could accept responsibility for his mistakes. In the future, this quality could help avert conflicts at work.

Question: Describe A Situation In Which You Have Discovered An Employee Doing The Wrong Thing Or Violating Policy Within The Company. How Did You Handle This Situation?

Some employees’ actions may breach company rules. Others may even be illegal. Managers should not take the law into their hands, but they should themselves follow the rules when dealing with an employee who is engaged in unlawful activities.

What You Are Looking For From This Question

A good manager should ensure that everyone complies with the law and company rules. This should apply equally to everyone, even if the lawbreaker is a friend or relative. You need a manager who is impartial in applying rules and regulations. Managers have a duty to deal with the issue procedurally. The manager himself should be a conformist and role model to subordinates.

These Questions Inherently Demand Longer, More Structured, And Well Thought Out Responses

A good manager should ensure that everyone complies with the law and company rules. This should apply equally to everyone, even if the lawbreaker is a friend or relative. You need a manager who is impartial in applying rules and regulations. Managers have a duty to deal with the issue procedurally. The manager himself should be a conformist and role model to subordinates.

Make a great first impression at your next job interview.

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This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created between the author and reader of this blog post, and its content should not be relied upon as legal advice. Readers are urged to consult legal counsel when seeking legal advice.