Interview questions to ask supervisor candidates

The following sample job interview questions about management and supervisory skills enable you to assess your candidate’s skills in management and supervision. Feel free to use these job interview questions in your own candidate interviews. Or, use them as a base to develop your own.

Management Job Interview Questions That You Always Ask

Always ask these management interview questions. The interview question answers give you valuable knowledge about the candidate’s experience. Ask:

• How long have you worked as a manager?
• How many employees reported directly to you in your management job? (You are asking about the number of employees whom he or she directly supervised with performance assessment and compensation assignment responsibilities.)
• Describe the exact responsibilities and activities over which you had oversight for these employees.
• Describe the overall responsibilities that you experienced in your management role.

Behavioral Management Interview Questions

• If I were to interview your reporting staff members, how would they describe your strengths and weaknesses as a manager and supervisor?

• Give me an example, from your past work experiences, about a time when you had an underperforming employee reporting to you. How did you address the situation? Did the employee’s performance improve? If not, what did you do next?
• Rate your management skills on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 representing excellent management skills. Provide three examples from your past work experiences that demonstrate your selected number is accurate.

• Describe the management style of your manager that would bring out the best in your work—your capabilities, ability to contribute, and your daily engagement.
• Tell me about a time when you had a reporting employee who performed very well. The employee exceeded goals and sought more responsibility. Describe how you handled this situation day-to-day and over time.
• What factors are crucial within an organization and must be present for you to work most effectively?
• Tell me about a time when you reorganized a department or significantly changed employee work assignments. How did you approach the task? How did the affected employees respond to your actions?
• One of the jobs of a manager or supervisor is to manage performance and perform periodic performance reviews. Tell me how you have managed employee performance in the past. Describe the process you have used for performance feedback.

• When you have entered a new workplace in the past, as a manager or supervisor, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.
• As a manager or supervisor, one of your jobs is to provide direction and leadership for a work unit. Describe how you have accomplished this in the past.
• What are the three to five most significant contributions of the role of a manager in the workplace? How have you demonstrated these in your past jobs as a manager?
• If you had to pinpoint the most significant contribution needed from a manager in the workplace, what would you identify as the key contribution?
• Please describe the significance of your three most important core values to the role of the manager in the workplace.