What Questions You Can Expect in an Interview for a Managerial Position

2 minutes read

Are you aspiring to become a manager? Is your current supervisor leaving, and you want to apply for their position? Or perhaps you are already a manager but are moving to a new company and participating in a selection process for a team leader role? Interviews for managerial positions have their specific characteristics. In addition to standard questions, you can expect certain targeted questions related to your potential role as a manager. Here are five questions that you are quite likely to be asked during a managerial interview, along with tips on how to respond

“Provide an example of a project you successfully led as a team leader.”

You can expect this question in any case. Prepare your answer in advance and structure it as a brief story describing the initial situation, the challenge you faced, obstacles the team had to overcome, and the successful outcome. If you lack professional experience leading a team, do not hesitate to use an example from your personal life—for instance, a time when you served as a leader at a children’s camp or found yourself managing a difficult situation within a group.

“How would you handle a conflict between two subordinates?”

Such situations naturally arise when managing a team, and prospective employers are interested in the strategies you would apply. Mention that you would maintain a professional approach at all times, gather objective facts, and listen to both employees separately before taking any action.

“What are your weaknesses in managing people?”

This question is essentially the managerial variant of “What are your weaknesses?” It is important to consider your answer carefully beforehand and honestly acknowledge areas where you feel you have gaps and want to improve. It should not be a critical flaw, but you do need to mention something. Claiming to be perfect indicates a lack of self-reflection.

“How do you set priorities for yourself and your subordinates?”

Time management, task delegation, work organization, and prioritization are key responsibilities of any team leader. It is essential to have an understanding of how the company you are applying to operates, its basic structure, and how it likely organizes its internal work. Only once you have this overview can you adequately answer this question.

“How will you provide feedback to your subordinates?”

Dialogue between managers and employees is fundamental to staff satisfaction and overall team productivity. How you communicate with your team and deliver feedback is therefore crucial. Emphasize that dialogue must be regular and that maintaining communication is important not only when problems arise but also when things go well. Also mention that feedback should not focus solely on mistakes but also recognize well-executed work and the development of employees’ strengths.

Taken from ManagementNews.cz, 3.6.2025