Congratulations! You made it through the HR and technical round. And just one step away from your new role at your dream company.
Managers can be intimidating to chat with. They come with years of experience and can scan a candidate with their hawk eyes. So be prepared. In this blog post, we have mentioned the most common yet trickiest top 10 managerial questions and answers for you. Go through them to impress your potential boss.
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself
A very common question, right? And you are so used to answering it in just one go. But wait, it is the Manager of your potential team who is asking this question. The answer can’t be the same as you said in the HR round. Use your general introduction and add these lines to make it more professional.
Example: “I am a goal-oriented person. Every time I start a task I ask myself where I am heading and how I can reach there. Then I embark on the process and that is my methodology at all times.”
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2. What made you apply to our company?
With this question, your interviewer wants to know two things, your ability to research and commitment. Sure there are plenty of ways to answer this question but the best way would be to make it personalized. Focus on how your goals align with the company's values and missions and give an example of a current challenge or project that you can contribute to when working in the role.
“Ever since I started my journey in content creation, I have seen XYZ as a potentially disruptive creative force up-to-date with the changing trends. Now that your organization is actively shifting the company's focus to support individual creators, I believe XYZ is opening opportunities to explore within the company. It would be an honor to be a part of that."
3. What salary are you expecting?
This is the question that both employees and employers wait to address. So as a potential candidate for the role, you have to be confident in your ask. Like,
“I am aware of the salary range mentioned in the job description. Considering my experience and industry standards, I'm expecting an xx% hike from my previous CTC. But I am open to hearing your views.”
4. If your thoughts conflict with your co-worker, how would you handle the situation?
The new employer will want to assess your current and past working relationships with co-workers and managers. They'll want to know if you run into stalemates or if disagreements get resolved in a timely manner either through discussions or somehow else.
“It’s essential to resolve conflicts with your coworkers as soon as possible so that you can move on to other tasks. If a conflict persists for too long, it will get more challenging to find an optimal solution. In order to address this problem, I schedule a meeting with the relevant individuals and allow everyone to express their views – this way we are able to adjust our mutual positions in finding a suitable compromise that works for everybody involved.”
5. Why should we hire you?
The reason you are asked this is for you to package yourself - sell yourself. You can say:
"My vision aligns with your company’s vision. I can make the best use of my creative skills here while you expand to new clients and campaigns. I will look forward to creating a virtual space for the organization".
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6. Do you have any questions for us?
This question is often thrown out there at the end of your interview, and it lets you have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have so that you can be sure what position you're agreeing to take. This way, if at all in doubt about whether or not this job will work for you, it's a good opportunity for you to find out more! You should also try asking about subjects or topics which were touched on briefly that weren't discussed in depth. Following are some sample questions:
- Can you share more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this role? How would you describe a typical day?
- If I were hired for this role, what are your expectations from me?
- How often do the performance reviews happen and when would I receive my first formal evaluation?
- According to you, how can one achieve success in this role?
7. Why is there a gap in your career?
Ideally, working is a continuous process, and the company wants to know the reason for going off work. You can simply say:
"I took a break at the time but continued with the freelancing. Since then, my skills have grown and I'm ready to contribute to this organization in any way that I can." Also read: How to write a resume after a gap year?
8. What are your long-term career goals?
Managers often ask employees if they want to grow with the company as well. Make sure, when answering, that you show a genuine desire to advance in the company as opposed to seeking it as a stepping stone to move onto some other opportunity. You can say,
"I have significant experience with software development. I would be honored to take on managerial responsibilities involving several teams working on different projects simultaneously. I believe I can fulfill this position by working towards that aspiration."
9. If you make a mistake, how do you fix it?
In this job role, what’s important for employers to see is that you are responsible for your actions even when things do not go as planned. When a problem comes up, you need to neutralize it – either overcome the issue or have the foresight to outsource projects outside of your direct responsibility. Keep your boss informed about these challenges, and be ready to report on them after the implementation. Be prepared to show evidence for how you might improve the situation in future cases.
10. Why are you leaving your current job?
As with any interview questions, it can be helpful to consider what the interviewer really wants to learn when asking why you want to leave your current job. In this context, they could be asking: "Why are you looking for a new role?" In this context, it has more to do with the positives afforded by a job than any negativity you may feel about your current position.
Fortunately, there are plenty of reasons for leaving a job that can be explained in a manner that paints you in a positive light. Like,
- I want to explore more and feel like I'm ready to take on more responsibility
- I believe I've progressed as far as I can in my current role
- I need a change of environment to motivate me
- I want to develop a new skill that isn't required in my current job
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