These days, job candidates have become very good at telling you what you want to hear when you ask them behavioural interview questions.
So when it comes to hiring management candidates, how do you know if you’re getting someone who will be good at the job, as opposed to someone who’s just good at answering interview questions?
The answer lies with tertiary-level questions. These are questions that go beyond standard behavioral interview questions and get candidates to reveal their core values, attitudes, and beliefs that drive them.
This is called the “Fit First” philosophy, and it’s the science that drives TalentSorter, our candidate assessment tool.
Here’s a sample of interview questions to ask potential managerial candidates to help ensure their “fit” with the job, your company, your employees, and your customers.
(note: check out our sample interview guides, which TalentSorter customizes and provides for each of the candidates you interview).
Interview Questions for Manager Candidates
Think of the most productive relationships you have had with a manager or mentor. What was it about these relationships that had them work so well for you? What did you contribute to that?
What factors need to be present, for you to perform at your best?
When a manager makes a decision that you think is inappropriate or unfair, what’s the best course of action?
When was the last time you took a risky stand for something you believed was right, maybe challenging your manager in the process? What was important to you in that situation? Why did you take the position you did?
What makes a perfect manager/boss, for you?
What do you need from your next manager?
Think of the job where you were proudest of your accomplishments and what you got done. What was it about your manager at the time, that made you so good?
Now think of the job where you were least happy, least productive. What was it about that manager that caused you to shut down?
Who was the best manager you ever had the chance to work with? What was it about him/her that made them such a great manager, for you?
Who was the worst manager you ever worked for? What specifically was it about them and how they managed, that made them an especially bad manager, for you?
What was your favorite job of all time? What was it that made it so special for you?
What was your least favourite job? What was it about that job that didn’t make it work for you?
When in your career did you feel the greatest sense of ‘team’ and connection with your co-workers? What was it about that unique circumstance that made it that way?
What traits or behaviors by co-workers to you most dislike, to the point where they have actually made it difficult for you to keep motivated?
Describe the company you were proudest to work for while you were there. What was it about that company that made you proud to be part of?
What company are you least proud of, perhaps even to the point of leaving it off your résumé or going out of your way to tell friends to avoid them? What was it about them that rubbed you the wrong way?
What’s the funniest thing that happened to you at work? (look for: do they tell a funny story about themselves or at someone else’s expense?)
On balance, do you consider yourself a lucky person or an unlucky person? What evidence do you have to support your answer?
If you had the chance for a ‘do-over’ – to go back and make a different decision or take a different course of action – with any moment in your career, what would it be?
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