1. Tell us someone you coached or mentored. What did that process look like?
Coaching and mentoring team members will be a crucial aspect of serving as a general manager. Highlight a situation where you successfully led and influenced someone to make positive changes in their life.
"Through the 'Big Brothers Big Sisters' organization, I mentored a girl in middle school for several years. Before we formed a relationship, she struggled with her grades and making time to study, but over the course of our time together, I was able to help her make better choices in her life."
2. Why should we hire you as GM Processing?
This is another incredibly common question and it gives you a great opportunity to stand out from the crowd and really show the hiring manager how you can help the company.
The key thing to remember here is: be specific.
Leverage your company research and the job description to find exactly why the company is hiring someone for this position. What problem/pain points does the new hire have to solve? You need to show that you are the perfect candidate that can solve those problems/pain points.
3. What are your weaknesses as GM Processing?
The best “weaknesses” are disguised as strengths, such as “I dislike not being challenged at work”. Another good approach is to mention a weakness that is irrelevent for the job or one that can be overcome with training. Try to keep these to one weakness, explaining why you think it is a weakness and what you are doing to overcome the problem – a well thought out strategy you have developed to deal with the issue will turn this potentially tricky question into a positive.
One common variation on this question is to ask about any problems or failures you've encountered in previous positions. In describing problems, pick ones you've solved and describe how you overcame it. Show yourself to be a good team player by crediting co-workers for all their contributions. To distance yourself from failure, pick one that occurred earlier in your career when you were still learning. Don't blame others – simply explain how you analysed your mistake and learned from it.
4. Can you tell us what would your first 30, 60, or 90 days look like in this role?
Start by explaining what you'd need to do to get ramped up. What information would you need? What parts of the company would you need to familiarize yourself with? What other employees would you want to sit down with? Next, choose a couple of areas where you think you can make meaningful contributions right away. (e.g., “I think a great starter project would be diving into your email marketing campaigns and setting up a tracking system for them.”) Sure, if you get the job, you (or your new employer) might decide there's a better starting place, but having an answer prepared will show the interviewer where you can add immediate impact-and that you're excited to get started.
5. Explain me a Joke That Would Not Offend Anyone?
This breaks the ice, shows the ability to think on their feet and if they can enjoy working together. Whatever joke is told, it almost always leads to a story.
Absolutely! Cite specific examples using your current job as a reference point.
I ask both men and women this question and I look for body language and their verbal response. If the question was met with a smile or a slight shrug, it indicates a sense of humor and an easy-going nature. In their verbal response I am looking for an applicant willing to do whatever it takes to help the team find success but always like to hear, "I'd get it for you -- and then show you how to get it yourself the next time.
8. Tell us why are you interested in our company?
Employers want to be sure that you actually have an interest in their company and want to work for them over other companies. Highlight not only your passion for their purpose and products but also the research you've done on the company.
"I'm interested in your company because I've learned from the research I've done that you are an interdependent team of people who value leading by example and providing great customer service. Also, I admire your dedication to equal opportunity programs and giving back to the community. I know I would be a very great fit here."
9. Tell us how would you tell a team member that he/she was underperforming?
A general manager is responsible for giving consistent, effective feedback to team members, so describe a situation where you provided someone with helpful constructive criticism on their work performance.
"When I worked at the ABCD, one of the swim coaches under me began to stop showing up to practices. Instead of embarrassing him in front of the team or being harsh, I quietly pulled him aside and asked him if there was any way I could help him. He opened up that he had been going through a hard time, and together, we were able to compromise and find the best solution.”
10. What is your greatest accomplishment as GM Processing?
This is somewhat similar to the “what is your greatest strength?” question and can be handled along the same lines. You want to pick an accomplishment that shows you have the qualities that the company puts value in and that are desirable for the position you're interviewing for.
11. What sort of salary are you looking for as GM Processing?
When completing your preparations for the interview, always have this question in the back of your mind.
Have a look at the average salary for someone in this industry, area, and who possesses similar skills to yourself, and you should get a basic idea.
But remember: this is only the first interview. You haven't been offered the job. There's no need at this stage to be try and begin negotiations. Giving a broad salary range will usually be enough to move on, but be prepared to back it up if you need to.
12. Explain me how Long Would You Stay With Us As Deputy General Manager?
As long as we both feel I'm contributing, achieving, growing, etc.
13. Tell us why Should We Hire You As Deputy General Manager At Global Guideline?
This interview question seems forward (not to mention intimidating!), but if you're asked it, you're in luck: There's no better setup for you to sell yourself and your skills to the hiring manager. Your job here is to craft an answer that covers three things: that you can not only do the work, you can deliver great results; that you'll really fit in with the team and culture; and that you'd be a better hire than any of the other candidates.
14. Explain me how would you describe your leadership style?
Interviewers might ask this questions to see how you talk about yourself and whether you have prior experience in leadership positions. Take advantage of this opportunity by explaining any past experiences and then honestly and humbly expressing your strengths.
"Based on my experiences working for the ABCD as a swim coach and working at SweetFrog as an assistant manager, I would say that my leadership style consists of leading by example and being consistently participative. That is, I help with everyday tasks in order to promote unity and productivity within the team."
15. What is your greatest strength as GM Processing?
This is a fairly straight forward question to handle. Talk about a “strength” that you know the company puts a lot of value in.
We have written an in depth blog post over at: What are your strengths and weaknesses?
DO:
☛ Grab hold of the opportunity this question gives you. This question really lets you guide the interview where you want it to go. This your chance to relate your most impressive success story, so take advantage!
☛ Highlight a strength that is crucial to the position. (As I mentioned earlier)
☛ Find out from your company research and from the job description what strengths the company puts a lot of stock into.
DON'T:
☛ Don't make claims that you can't illustrate with a brief example or fact.
☛ Don't be overly modest but don't claim to be Superman or Superwoman either.
☛ Don't name a strength that is irrelevant to the job at hand.
16. Can you tell us why Was There A Gap In Your Employment?
If you were unemployed for a period of time, be direct and to the point about what you've been up to (and hopefully, that's a litany of impressive volunteer and other mind-enriching activities, like blogging or taking classes). Then, steer the conversation toward how you will do the job and contribute to the organization: "I decided to take a break at the time, but today I'm ready to contribute to this organization in the following ways."
17. Tell us what Career Options Do You Have At The Moment?
"I see three areas of interest..." Relate those to the position and industry.
18. Tell us what Was The Last Book You Read? Movie You Saw? Sporting Event You Attended?
Talk about books, sports or films to show that you have balance in your life.
19. Can you explain me how Would Your Boss And Co-workers Describe You?
First of all, be honest (remember, if you get this job, the hiring manager will be calling your former bosses and co-workers!). Then, try to pull out strengths and traits you haven't discussed in other aspects of the interview, such as your strong work ethic or your willingness to pitch in on other projects when needed.
20. Why do you want to work for us as GM Processing?
The hiring manager is trying to get at your underlying motivations for wanting this job. Are you here just for a paycheck or do you see yourself becoming an integral part of the company and growing along with it? You need to show them that you want to become “part of the family”.
At the same time however, show how your “wants” coincide with their “needs”.
For a more thorough look at this question, read our “why do you want to work for us” blog post.
21. Can you explain me what really drives results in this job?
Employees are investments, and you expect every employee to generate a positive return on his or her salary. (Otherwise why do you have them on the payroll?)
In every job some activities make a bigger difference than others. You need your HR team to fill job openings, but what you really want is for them to find the right candidates, because that results in higher retention rates, lower training costs, and better overall productivity.
You need your service techs to perform effective repairs, but what you really want is for those techs to identify ways to solve problems and provide other benefits -- in short, to build customer relationships and even generate additional sales.
22. Can you tell me what Are Your Future Goals?
Avoid, "I would like the job you advertised." Instead, give long-range goals.
23. Explain me are You Creative?
Yes. Give examples that relate to your current job.
24. Explain me about a successful work project involving multiple teams. What was your role?
Being able to effectively work on a team is essential to landing a general manager position. Employers want to know that you can not only work well with others but that you can also step up within a group by taking initiative.
"At a previous job, there was one night where the manager had to leave early for a family emergency. Since the store was new and most of us hadn't closed up alone, no one felt sure what to do. Instead of waiting for someone else to step up, I embraced the role of leader and organized the other employees into teams and then delegated the closing chores to the different groups."
25. Can you tell me why was there a gap in your employment?
This is one of the most common interview questions overall! Recruiters usually don't like to see gaps in your employment history. The best way to excuse a gap is to describe what you were up to in the meantime. A gap is not always a bad thing. You might have traveled, volunteered, started a successful blog, or learned new things through books or online courses. Always be honest. If you have a relevant reason why you were unemployed for a while, say it. Don't make excuses and by no means say you were trying hard to find a job and you couldn't get one. It's always better to say you were unemployed by choice, and not because nobody wanted to hire you. Even unemployment has its perks. You should highlight that this period was enriching and worth it.
