1. Explain me what experience do you have with presentations?
Operations managers are required to communicate effectively inside and outside the organization. They often represent companies in conferences and meetings because they are highly qualified to present the details of expansion and growth, plans and prospects, and discuss any current projects.
The interviewer wants to find out through this question how you delegate tasks to your juniors. You need to remember about the deadlines and use ways for improving the performance of the employees.
3. Tell me did You Have Any Issues With Your Previous Boss?
This is a very difficult question. You should always avoid saying that you had issues because if you say this, you will not be considered for the job. Just answer in a straight manner that you never had any issues.
4. Please explain why Do You Find The Job Interesting Or Exciting?
The assistant manager's job may be fairly routine one day and exciting the next. Assistant managers often take over the establishment (like a restaurant) in the absence of the boss. It demands multi-tasking and adaptability, problem solving, and interpersonal skills. It's a management job with a lot of people interaction.
5. Tell us if an employee was struggling to meet metrics/quotas, how would you help him/her?
Tests coaching skills.
A large part of a sales manager's job is keeping the team fully staffed with high performers. This question gives the interviewer a peek into the candidate's stance on hiring.
The skills and qualifications they deem to be important are those they'll look for when interviewing for open positions. Do the attributes they value line up with the company's standards? If so, it's a good sign. If not, this could be a red flag.
7. Please explain what do you think it takes to be a good leader?
The jobs title might be "sales manager," but that doesn't mean leadership skills fall by the wayside. Sales managers need to be able to lead through example and inspire others to action.
Although this question is last on the list, it's probably the most important of all.
An innocent question. But a question that if answered improperly, can be a deal breaker. While many individuals will be looking to a new job as a means of increasing their salary, “not being paid well enough at your last job” is not something you want to mention to your interviewer. After all, are you not likely to leave this particular job if you found you could make more down the street?
If you're currently employed and leaving of your own accord, craft your response around enhancing your career development and a seeking out of new challenges.
9. Please explain some of the tasks you've handled daily as an operation manager?
The tasks are numerous, so give a few specific examples, for example: Preparing budgets for programs, arranging facilities and ensuring coordinated movement from site to site, making inventory control and logistics, being an employees' supervisor, conducting job interviews etc.
10. Tell us are You Aware Of The Work Pressure In An Assistant Manager's Position?
There are definitely work pressures involved in an assistant manager's job. You should always answer this positively adding that working under pressure makes you work more efficiently. Work pressure will not be a difficulty for you but help you work in a better way.
11. Please explain how Will Your Co Workers Describe You?
The answer you give should be in line with the job you have applied for. You can say few words about how people talk about you like hard worker or reliable. Whatever you say must be positive and it is better to keep the answer short and to the point.
12. Tell us do You Have Experience Hiring And/or Firing Personnel?
If you do, don't hesitate to give examples of firing people, as long as you explain your decision clearly and confidently. Further, explain you decision process on hiring new employees. Be specific and confident about your past decisions on employee hiring, professional development, and retention.
13. Explain me what do you think motivates reps the most?
This is a bit of a trick question, but it's an important one. The best sales managers know that motivation is personal. While money might drive one rep to go the extra mile, another might be inspired by a development opportunity or creative contest.
The candidate who can navigate the trick and get to the right answer -- in this case, "it depends on the rep" -- possesses the motivational ability to lead a sales team to success.
14. Tell us what does a good manager need to do within this organization?
The goal of this question is twofold. First, you want to find out their management style and goals for their employees. They should touch on metrics for success, staff development, and executive communication.
You also want to understand how much research they've done about your company and the sales organization. If they make sweeping statements about attracting more enterprise business -- when your website clearly states your mission is to help SMBs grow -- it's probably a sign this candidate hasn't done their homework.
15. What are your strengths as Operations Manager?
While this question is an invitation to do some chest pounding, remember to illustrate strengths that will benefit the employer and are relative to the position. For example:
☛ being a problem solver
☛ being a motivator
☛ being a natural leader
☛ the ability to perform under pressure
☛ a positive attitude
☛ loyalty
Can this candidate distill complex ideas into simple, easy-to-understand messages? That's what this question will find out.
Part of a sales manager's job is to regularly translate executive directives and news to their sales staff in clear, digestible ways. Ensure they can do this concisely and without a patronizing tone, before moving forward.
Hiring a sales manager is a big step for any company. Don't rush the process. Instead, be clear about the role and the attributes the right hire will possess. Then, don't settle until that right person walks in the door and blows you away.
17. Explain me how important is money to you?
Yes, money is important to everyone. But as Andrew Quinn, HubSpot's director of training and development points out, money is inextricably entangled with self worth for some salespeople -- and that's okay. This attitude simply means the rep isn't suited for sales management.
Better steer a primarily money-motivated salesperson to a new territory or another opportunity at the individual contributor level rather than promote them to management.
All assistant managers report to senior management. Assistant managers keep their managers updated with oral and written reports.
19. Tell us in What Way Have You Demonstrated Your Decision Making Skill In Your Previous Job?
You need to answer this question in a very simple and brief manner. Decision making is always done after taking into consideration all the possible alternatives and then choosing the appropriate one. Also, include in your answer, that your decision will be based taking into account available resources and limitations.
20. Please explain what According To You Is The Importance Of An Assistant Manager In A Company?
Assistant manager's role is a very challenging role. Assistant managers are required to apply management skills for managing the company. They are responsible for communicating with employees, senior managers and customers also. Assistant managers are mainly responsible for assisting the senior managers. Thus, assistant managers are important in a company.
21. Can you please explain what skills do you consider crucial for success in this position?
Some obvious examples include quick learning/thinking and problem solving agility, leadership and communication skills.
Describe how you really have a background in these. For example: You've used your communication skills and leadership abilities to manage changes and to deal with all levels of personnel.
You can talk about your job skills for instructing and communicate messages clearly at all levels of the organization, from sub-contractors to senior management.
22. Tell me why Do You Think That The Position Of An Assistant Manager Is Important For The Company?
Be confident answering in the affirmative. The assistant manager's role is exciting and challenging as you work closely with an executive of the company. It is a job that is all about management and applying management skills. The assistant manager often communicates with staff, managers, and customers, and directly oversees customer service. Assistant managers play an important part in ensuring profit and a good name for the organization.
23. Tell us have you ever implemented or improved a process at work? What impact did it have?
Tests problem-solving skills.
About a year ago, it came to my attention that one of the employees in the IT department was making inappropriate jokes at the office. Another employee found this behavior to be rather offensive and threatened to file a lawsuit against the company. I managed to convince him to reconsider, and I promised to speak with the employee in question. I brought the situation to the attention of my employers, who thought it would be best to meet with the employee first before engaging in other measures. I met with the employee one-on-one at first and spoke at great length about how certain things should not be talked about at the office. We scheduled the offending party to go to sensitivity training, and at the end of it, I never heard another complaint about that worker ever again.
I believe a crucial trait for anyone in this position is a keen eye for detail to spot areas that could be improved upon. At the last company I was at, a colleague and I discovered a way to decrease the amount we were spending in the production of goods. It was only a decrease of two cents per unit, but that really added up quickly, and we ended up saving the company a lot in the long run.
