Cracking the Code: 10 Must-Have Traits for Management Success in Modern Interviews

Last interview tip of the week!!! This one is for anyone going for a management interview, and hopefully you will clearly see that 'people' skills resonate throughout each one of my tips!!!

Here are 10 must-have qualities for management interviews in the modern workplace. I spoke with several employers over the last few months and asked the question 'where are you struggling most with recruitment?'

These 10 areas were highlighted and were the most common responses:

1 - Might be cheeky but ask for the questions before the interview because it shows you’re prepared and want to prepare some more! If you get the questions, come up with some innovation and some creativity to the answers.

2 – They’re not after your ability to think on the spot by asking clever questions. Many people I speak with think the hiring manager out to get them. They just want to hear about your ability to plan effectively. They like to see people come in with a good understanding of the company. They want you to talk about the company vision, strategies, what you think is working well and what you think might need some attention, from an outsider’s point of view.

3 - Be prepared for the common type of questions that get asked in management interviews. Things like:

• Walk me through a project that you led successfully and what made it successful.
• How would you describe your leadership or your management style?
• Tell me about a decision that was difficult to make and how you made it
• Tell me a time about where you've had to give difficult feedback to someone and what was that like for you?

4 - Review your personal skill set. What type of things are you already good at? They want to see things like people management skills, project management skills, leadership, coaching, mentoring, good effective feedback skills, presentation skills, the ability to problem solve, and the ability to empower others to problem solve as well.

5 - Review your areas for development.

• What are you doing already to push those areas?
• Are you reading anything?
• Are you watching anything?
• Have you gone to any seminars, webinars or training on the areas that you're developing on?

Hiring managers want to see self-awareness and how you address your own knowledge and skills gaps. No-one should ever respond with ‘Actually, I don’t have any areas to work on right now’ – who in this world is perfect and a 100% match for every job?????? We’re people, not robots and despite AI taking over, there is still very much a human element needed in most roles, and that’s where your focus should be. How can you improve on ‘being a great human?’

6 - Have suggestions in mind of how you might be creative and innovative and stretch the team that you're coming into. (Networking with others already working there will help with this one)

7 - Have a good idea of what type of management and/or leadership style that you generally work towards. Now, if you're not sure, the safest bets are ones that revolve around coaching. They want to see that you're not going to take the limelight. They want to see that you're going to shine the recognition in the praise on other people, that you're going to empower and enable your team to get it right rather than be the one that is right in the first place. Those types of skills are where hiring managers are struggling to recruit.

8 - Really emphasise your leadership skills at every opportunity.

9 – Emotional intelligence is everything. If you’re not that person, my advice would be to get yourself on some EI/EQ training before you apply for management positions.

10 - Have at least one good closing question for the interview. Something like, “What are your priorities over the next year, and what barriers do you think I might need to tackle to exceed your expectations?”

#interviewtips #managementinterviews #emotionalintelligence