How to pass an interview for a leadership position?

Each hut has its own rattles. Each company has its own technology and personnel selection procedure. It may include a different number of stages. The stages may vary in duration, content and methods of implementation. Today we will talk about an interview, the main characters in which will be a new employee and the CEO. Our review will be useful both to candidates who will have to communicate with the top person of the company, and to the top managers themselves conducting the interview. So, how to pass an interview with a manager successfully? Job seekers will get information about what to expect from managers, and interviewers will be able to glean some new ideas on how to test the competencies and motivation of their future employees.

Be a manager

Managing means assigning feasible tasks to subordinates and monitoring their performance. The most sought-after qualities of a candidate for a high position:

• competent communication;
• delegation of authority;
• conflict resolution;
• team building;
• planning;
• time organization;
• leadership;
• creativity of thinking;
• loyalty.

The purpose of the interview when applying for a job is to reveal the potential of the listed skills of the applicant.
When discussing any topics, even those related to personal life, it is undesirable to stray too far from management indicators.

Leader - what is he like?

Unfortunately, not every applicant for a leadership position meets all the requirements. It is rare to find a person who fully complies not only with the profile of the enterprise, but also has proven personnel management skills.

The maximum that most so-called managers are capable of is to expound the bearded functions of personnel management from management textbooks. Also often, in pursuit of a better and more paid position, candidates tend to exaggerate their achievements or professional merits.

The main objective of the interview is to make a reliable assessment of the abilities, personal qualities and suitability of the manager for the position. What qualities, skills and knowledge should a person have who can truly be an effective leader:

Selection of applicant

• High level of intelligence, initiative, self-organization, innovative thinking.
• Making independent decisions and the ability to take responsibility for them.
• Making optimal use of new knowledge, innovations and commercial situations.
• Quick adaptation to sudden changes in market conditions and work organization.
• Adequate behavioral responses to extreme situations and conflicts.
• The ability to plan, define goals, set tasks and provide conditions for their implementation.
• Possess negotiation skills at all levels.
• Possession of communication skills to interact with partners, clients, subordinates and company management.

About the benefits of information

At the preparation stage, you should study the company’s website, its structure, names of top managers, and field of activity. Useful information for a successful interview is contained in the job description in the job responsibilities section, listing the personal qualities of the future employee.

You shouldn’t ignore the standard requirements: ambition, sociability, activity, desire to develop. The information received will help you navigate, speak and ask specifically about the topic.

A person in an assessment situation inevitably experiences emotional stress. Maximum awareness of possible employment opportunities reduces stress levels.

Top 5 tricky questions

A person who has all the qualities and courage to assert himself as a leader most likely knows exactly how to answer a number of standard questions with which the employer will try to stump the candidate. It’s much more interesting to know how to respond to tricky questions:

1. “What can you give to our company?”
   This is an open question that allows the interlocutor to express himself. Questions that require extended answers provide an opportunity to get a clearer picture of a person and understand his thinking. Tricky questions
2. “What will they say about you at the company where you previously worked?” In answering this question, you can understand the true reasons for leaving your previous job; the candidate will look at himself from the outside.
3. “If you were offered to become a superhero?” Allows you to understand what human qualities the applicant considers most valuable.
4. “Explain to a nine-year-old child what ... is in a couple of sentences?” and name any concept related to the professional activities of the company. How quickly a person can orient himself and present the essence of this concept, we can draw a conclusion about his professional competence.
5. “Name three accomplishments in the last three years that you can attest to that are a source of pride.” A very simple question that will allow you to draw a number of conclusions about the qualities and abilities of the applicant.

When asking questions for a candidate, the employer must take into account what he primarily wants to get from the future manager - leadership qualities, professional skills, or both.

Discussion or cases

Employers typically choose one of three interview categories:

1. Structured;
2. Situational;
3. Mixed.

In the first case, the conversation proceeds according to a certain plan. Most of the questions concern information from the resume, reasons for dismissal, motives for activity, desired salary level, and ideas about prospects. The applicant should be calm about the need to repeat the main points of his biography, emphasizing similar management experience.

The second category involves solving practical problems of real business or cases. They may ask the candidate himself to tell interesting cases from his practice, both positive and disastrous. It's hard to talk about your failures. But the most wrong way to behave would be to say a phrase like “my entire experience was successful.” This does not happen, and this answer allows one to suspect dishonesty. You need to consciously remember your strengths and weaknesses in advance and be willing to talk about them.

A big advantage of the applicant is his positive attitude. A story about an unpleasant event must be concluded with a positive remark, for example, “thus I acquired a useful skill.” A mixed type of conversation combines a discussion of a resume with the proposal of situational tasks. There are more complex tests: business games, comprehensive assessment, multifactor psychological testing. They are warned about them in advance and given additional information for training.

How to pass an interview successfully

So how do you interview for a leadership position? And most importantly, how to properly pass an interview for a leadership position? In order to get a management position, you should prepare for the interview and adhere to simple rules :

• get acquainted with information about the activities of the organization that has opened the vacancy, its history, prospects, partners, management;
• study the requirements for the candidate in detail;
• think through answers to expected questions based not only on professional knowledge, but also on personal experience, select possible examples from your practice;
• prepare short, accurate, non-clarification answers about your biography and previous place of work;
• make a list of 3-4 questions to a potential employer, showing interest in future work, awareness of the state of affairs in the organization;
• delve into the essence of the question, assume the most desirable answer for the employer, answer as sincerely as possible, focusing on your actions as a leader, a professional in successful and problematic situations;
• watch your speech. The answer must be logically structured, specific, and comprehensive;
• It is necessary to observe business etiquette and adhere to the corporate dress code. Adhere to a tactful, polite, confident demeanor even with provocative, harsh interviewing methods;
• At the end of the interview, clarify the timing and form of the answer.

Be prepared that a second interview with your supervisor may be scheduled.

Incompetence

Stereotypical behavior, lack of self-confidence, lack of independence, and high suggestibility hinder a career in business.

The most common mistakes of applicants for the position of chief:

• They don’t reveal their skills;
• Cannot remember personal achievements or failures;
• They do not enter into dialogue, do not ask about anything;
• Speak poorly about past places of work;
• Interested in bonuses and benefits;
• Refer to preliminary agreements with the HR manager;
• Get stuck on unrelated topics.

The listed errors are evidence of insufficient qualifications. Good preparation will eliminate any unfortunate moments.

Telephone interview

The first stage of employment for any job begins with a phone call. In other words, the first interview takes place over the phone. It is best to call before lunch, since very often it is possible to come to the office for an interview on the same day.

As for how to conduct a conversation, here is a minimum set of tips:

• Clear voice.
• Lack of excitement.
• Attentiveness.

Here are, perhaps, 3 basic rules that you need to remember. Also, a big advantage of a phone call is that you can immediately clarify some questions regarding the work schedule, wages and official employment.

Confident behavior

Examples of management decisions should be based on knowledge of management. It would be correct to describe in detail what specific tasks were accomplished through delegation or planning.

You should not mention the preliminary conversation in the personnel department, appeal to the support of the HR manager. A candidate for a senior position will be interviewed with the CEO or Commercial Director. A professional of this rank is interested in getting answers to his questions, and not listening to a story about a meeting with a subordinate. Seeking support during negotiations means showing a lack of leadership qualities and lack of confidence in yourself and your experience.

Senior managers involuntarily associate themselves with employees of the same level, so all the negativity that an applicant inadvertently displays in relation to their previous place of employment makes an unfavorable impression.

Discussion of bonuses, salary increases or the availability of an assistant is inappropriate and refers to the period after completion of the probationary period. The answer to a simple question about marital status should contain 2-3 words, and not a detailed story about buying an apartment with a mortgage.

Algorithm

How to behave during an interview for a leadership position? What questions to ask a manager during an interview? An interview with a future manager requires more thorough preparation than the procedure provided for workers and employees.

Preparation for an interview for a manager or assistant manager includes::

• compiling a profile of an applicant for a vacancy;
• collection of detailed information, feedback on personal, professional and leadership qualities, implemented and failed projects, previous places of work;
• study of resumes, recommendations;
• choosing the type of interview, interviewer and interview strategy, drawing up a questionnaire;
• preliminary telephone conversation with the applicant;
• creating comfortable conditions for carrying out, assigning time, duration and place.

The interview procedure itself consists of meeting the candidate , interview, announcement of preliminary results, informing the candidate about the time of making a final decision or additional tests.

Business etiquette

1. Punctuality. Arrive at the meeting 5-10 minutes before the start. If you are likely to be late, be sure to call the personnel department.
2. Turning off your mobile phone. It is unacceptable not only to answer calls during a conversation, but also to turn off the ringing phone, thereby interrupting the interlocutor.
3. Correct greeting. In business life, the one who is higher in position is the first to extend his hand.
4. Constructiveness. The reception conversation is a dialogue. The ability to listen is as important as speaking specifically, while respecting the working hours of those present at the meeting.
5. The end of the dialogue occurs by mutual agreement or on the initiative of the employer.
6. A very good solution is to prepare several questions for the final stage of the interview. It is advisable to ask about tasks, goals, and availability of resources. This expresses interest in future responsibilities.

Recommendations for a candidate for a leadership position

Most interviews are conducted by ordinary line managers, and they follow standard patterns. If an experienced recruiter or senior management of the company has taken on the matter, you need to prepare for surprises. In any case, the most sincere behavior will put your interlocutors in the most friendly mood. When answering tricky questions, the future leader is expected not to find out the essence, but to see the reaction and monitor analytical skills. Therefore, the candidate should not be shy and even slightly embellish the reality, but approach the answer creatively.

During the interview, it is recommended to remain calm, confidently look your interlocutor in the eyes, and ask questions. When preparing for an interview, you should obtain as much as possible all available information about the company, its professional direction and operating principles. This will allow you to better navigate what a future employer can expect.

At the end of the interview, you can sum up your own conclusion by asking the interviewer whether he received all the necessary information. This will create an impression of confidence in your own strengths and capabilities.

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