Give the hiring manager an example of a time when you were able to flawlessly manage a large crowd or line in your bakery.
2. Explain me what behaviors do the people who struggle most on the team exhibit?
First, you'll get an idea of what poor performance looks like, which will help you set expectations for the position. Second, you'll learn how the hiring manager handles a tough question like this -- which can teach you something about how office politics are handled in general.
3. Tell us what does this team's role hierarchy look like? How does this position fit into it?
This is another big-picture question that HR should be equipped and eager to answer for you. You might not want to bluntly ask "who would I report to?" It can show resistance or insecurity before you ever set foot in the role. But, it's still something you might want to know.
Phrasing your question the way it's phrased above is a professional gesture that can reveal who your boss would be and indicate to the company that you're mature enough to put your role in context of your department (an admirable move).
Cap off your phone screening with this confidence play. Asking HR what they're skeptical about with respect to your application can show them you welcome feedback and you can take criticism. It also helps you better prepare for your next interview.
5. Tell us how would you fire someone?
I would put them on a performance review first. They have a right to know what they are doing wrong. But first I would consult the KFC guidelines.
6. Explain me how is the feedback process structured?
Asking this question in an interview has been critical for me as a candidate. Feedback is how humans get better. Excellence and mastery have always been important to me, and I am aware that they are impossible without regular feedback. Does this company limit its feedback cycle to the annual reviews? Does the hiring manager make it a priority to deliver just-in-time acknowledgment and suggestions for improvement?
7. Tell us do you enjoy decorating cakes and cupcakes?
Do you fully enjoy decorating cakes and cupcakes? What do you enjoy about it, and what do you find most challenging? Tell the hiring manager if decorating cupcakes and cakes is something that you enjoy.
If you do enjoy decorating: 'I really do enjoy decorating cakes and cupcakes and most people that I have worked with consider it my forte. The detail and attention that needs to go into a properly decorated cake is quite surprising to some. It's a highly technical skill.'
8. Tell us what behaviors do the most successful members of the team exhibit?
Because this question forces an example, the answer to this question will give you a strong idea of what success actually looks like. That way, you'll learn what it takes to impress your colleagues and be a star candidate.
9. Tell me what are you most excited about in this company's future?
Want to inject a little positivity into your phone call with HR? Ask them what has them pumped up right now. What motivates them to get up in the morning? Put yourself in HR's shoes: Wouldn't you love to answer this question, especially if you love the company you work for?
Asking the HR rep what they're most excited about shows them that you, too, thrive on enthusiasm. It also brings the best out in your interviewer -- a good headspace for HR to be in as they hand you off to the hiring manager.
10. Explain me what is the history of this position?
This is an important question to ask in an interview because if you are offered the job, you will have to work in the environment affected and shaped by your predecessor.
Perhaps this opening was recently created to support company growth. If that is the case, ask a follow-up question about who owned the responsibilities up to this point, and how the duties will be transitioned.
If you are interviewing for a position left vacant by someone's departure, get a sense for what happened. Why did the predecessor leave the job? Was he or she promoted or internally transferred? If the predecessor left the company, ask about the circumstances.
11. Tell us what is the most challenging part of your job? What is your favorite part of your job?
Your hiring manager's job is different from the one you are interviewing for. However, insight into his or her challenges and favorites can offer a glance into the support and assistance you can offer.
12. Tell me have you ever done any marketing for your former or current bakery?
Do you understand how to market on social media platforms, locally, and within your current database? Talk to the hiring manager about the types of initiatives you have taken on within marketing.
13. Explain me do you have any questions or concerns about my qualifications?
This question shows that you're not afraid of critical feedback -- in fact, you welcome it. Interviewers tend to make note of red flags -- whether it be something on your resume or something you said -- to discuss with a colleague following the interview. This question gives them the green light to ask about any of the things that are holding them back from being 100% on board with hiring you.
14. Where do you see yourself in five years as Manager Bakery?
The next logical step is to become a franchise owner one day. If you are lucky enough to work in Louisville, Kentucky have a look at their corporate jobs and see if there is a position for you.
15. Explain me what would you want to see me accomplish in the first six months?
All too often, job descriptions present routine tasks and responsibilities. Asking about specific expectations and accomplishments can allow you to tailor the conversation to demonstrate your fit for the position. It also shows your commitment to adding value.
16. Tell me how did you get to your role?
Asking deeply personal or intrusive questions won't get you high marks on the interview. However, most professionals enjoy sharing their career journey. Ask what first attracted the hiring manager to this company and what the career progression has been like.
Asking this question at the close of the interview can feel terrifying. After all, you are asking whether there is any reason why the hiring manager wouldn't want to extend you an offer. However, if you have the courage to ask this, you stand to gain a better sense of the next steps in the process and an opportunity to address any reservations that the hiring manager might have about your candidacy while you still have his or her attention.
For some jobs, learning the technology or the internal company procedures is the most challenging aspect of coming on board. For others, it is about understanding the human network. Any guidance on how to speed up the learning process and make you effective and productive quicker can give you a significant advantage.
19. Explain me why should I hire you?
For this question, you need to reread the job description and find key skills they are looking for and restate those skills. After rereading the job description below is what I found:
☛ A natural leader, you want to be captain because you can bring together a winning team (skill: leadership).
☛ We have a GREAT culture and look for GREAT people to add to our family. You know who you are –honest, energetic, motivational and fun (skill: motivational skills).
☛ The Restaurant General Manager has the overall responsibility for directing the daily operations of a restaurant and ensuring compliance with company standards in all areas of operation (skill: attention to details)
20. Tell me what is something the company is still working on getting right?
As a flip-side to the seventh question above, also consider asking HR what they think the company's greatest challenge is right now. While other candidates might be skittish around a business's weaknesses, this question shows HR you're willing to accept the current negatives and join them on righting the ship.
21. Explain me how do you deliver negative feedback?
If you would be working with the person interviewing you, this is another tough question that can give you some insight into how the team works. It pushes the hiring manager to think about how he or she would handle an uneasy situation, while at the same time showing your level of maturity in that that you (realistically) expect to receive tough feedback sometimes.
Talk to the hiring manager about your organizational skills and how you remain on schedule.
23. Tell us what are the main things HR does to assist the department I would be working for?
Similar to the first question on this list, this question shows you know HR is more than just the company's first line of defense during the recruitment process.
Take your phone screening as an opportunity to become acquainted with the human resources department and find out how you'd interact with them on a regular basis from your department. It's a friendly question and one that shows your interest in how the whole company operates -- not just your own team.
This is an important question to ask in an interview because it can help you get insight into the position and how it fits into the network of the company. Who will you support? Who will you supervise and guide? What skills are critical for success?
25. Basic Manager Bakery Job Interview Questions:
☛ How do you make sure that the goals of your organization are aligned from top to bottom?
☛ How do ensure results are measured in real time?
☛ How many people have you fired? How do you go about it?
☛ How do you keep up to date on new laws and regulations to ensure compliance?
☛ Discuss your experience with creating employee recognition and rewards programs.
☛ Discuss your efforts to promote disease prevention and wellness.
☛ How would you define a successful administrator?
☛ Describe a time you had to compromise your ethics.
☛ If I called a member of your current staff and asked them to tell me about you, what would they say?
☛ In prior positions did you have budgeting responsibilities? If so, what was the size of your operating budget?
☛ Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an irate physician. What happened?
☛ Tell us about a high-level innovative idea/change that you implemented. Was it successful?
☛ How do you ensure your organization is keeping up with the continual advances in medical technology?
☛ What do you do when trying to solve a problem and you are confronted with contradictory information?
☛ If I were to call members of your board, how would they describe your relationship with them?
