Interviewing sales managers: how to choose the best one. How to successfully pass an interview for a leadership position, what questions are asked during it

Good afternoon, dear friend!

In cab The candidate comes into the General's Internet. General: “I can only give you five minutes! We already know something about you, everything is clear to me.” “Of course, of course... I won’t detain you.” — the candidate became noticeably nervous. What are such lunges and hard attacks used for? interview questions for leadership position, today we’ll talk.

The dialogue described above is a real situation from the practice of the author of these lines.

After the meeting, the general, in my questioning glance, said the following:

“Why so tough? My friend, we are selecting a candidate for the position of Director of Operations. I need to know who I'm dealing with. Did you see how he flashed? The heads of the workshops will simply peck him and all the issues will have to be resolved by me.”

We must be prepared for such twists and turns during interviews. Especially if we are applying for a leadership position.

Please understand that the tough interview stage has nothing to do with how qualified or experienced you are for the position. It relates to you personally.

Typically, a manager (less often a recruiter) uses tough tactics for one of two purposes:

Test your strength. Is it possible to deal with you as an equal partner or can you dictate terms now and in the future?
Make you weaker. If you don’t act out the attack, fall into a stupor, or show excessive emotions that will interfere with you, you become weaker and can be pushed through, for example, over salary. To the very bottom.

They negotiate with the strong, dictate terms to the weak.

Typical psychological attack techniques

Personal attack.

“Are you even competent in this topic? How are we going to talk to you?”

Status pressure

Long waits in the corridor, limited conversation time (as in the example I gave).

“You were still in kindergarten when I was sorting out issues like this!”

Creating an uncomfortable situation

A low or too high chair, light in the face from the window.

When you experience awkwardness at the body level, you do not gain strength. The lion's share of your energy goes into maintaining this uncomfortable position.

Silent dialogue

“Well, you tell me first, and I’ll listen and see what your level is.”

To be fair, I will say that the tough part of the interview is precisely the part, the initial test.

The content of the business part of the conversation largely depends on how you go through it.

Rules of the game

To survive a tough interview, you need to correctly play the games that are offered to you.

At each point in time, you should test what stage the interview is at and what state you are in.

It is important to separate emotion and technology.

The main principle of a tough interview is to create uncomfortable emotions.If you are led, you become weaker.

If you understand: yes I have negative emotions, but that's part of the game - you can move on.

If you know that status attack is an emotional game, you simply play by those rules.Try to win back the attack.If you didn’t win back, you were demoted one rank lower.

Know that after the first attack, a second one may follow until you reach the bottom.

Try not to start the main part of the conversation if you have not regained emotional balance.

Provocation is part of this tough interview technique.

Response Strategies

It's important to understand here:

1. What is this game for?.

What type of person does a leader select for his team? Or why the recruiter does this.

If this is just a test of your emotional stability, you can simply ignore the attack.

2. What status in further conversation and possibly relationships will suit you?. If you want to show the personal strength of a person of equal level with whom you need to negotiate, I recommend avoiding the following mistakes:

A) Ignore the attack. You will immediately be counted in the weaker category. If a suitable answer doesn’t come to mind, use it. Make a joke? You can try it if you are sure it will be funny.

b) Make excuses. “Oh, I’ll explain now, the thing is... you see...”

You are giving up your position.

V) Go into conflict

Argue, prove, if you understand that this is an attack on you, and not an ordinary fair question.

This is very important to share.

Worst response strategy — carry on a conversation from a state of need. Neediness is the fear of failing an interview. Dependency on the outcome, vulnerability to the final outcome.

You seem to become so small and dependent on the person opposite.

Markers of state of need/fear:

verbosity - as if you are afraid of being late, that they will not hear you, will not understand you.
no pauses or questions
talk more about yourself, and not about the tasks of the company and partner
rejection of the answer “no”. You make concessions because you are afraid of getting a “no” answer.

Best Response Strategy — save dignity, inner contact with your value and the benefit you can bring.

Conviction of your value and usefulness for the people with whom you communicate is a state of dignity. And there is no need to prove or convince anything.

It is from this state of dignity that one should communicate. Like Vysotsky: “You can’t rummage through something like that...”)

Markers of the state of dignity:

You are talking with the interlocutor, and not with your internal dialogue.
Ask questions.
You can start talking freely about him and his needs. If necessary, you really want to talk about yourself.

One of the markers of this state: can you say the phrase: “You can refuse...”?

Just make an offer: “You can say no and you and I won’t waste our time.” In a state of need it is very difficult to say this phrase.

Techniques for repelling a psychological attack

In this article we said that you have a preliminary offer. This is what you go to the manager with.

If not, these may be your advantages, the answer to the question “?”. This is your strong point.

Deflecting an emotional attack is not a substantive response.

This is not an excuse, a rebuttal, or an argument.

This is the bridge to your skate.

The answer in most cases begins with the words “You are absolutely right...”, or something like that. Accompanied by a slight smile at the tips of the lips. Just not to your ears and God forbid with laughter.

1. Strengthening the attack

- I can only give you five minutes!

We take a pause, “You’re absolutely right, I think 4 minutes is enough to understand whether it’s worth continuing to communicate.” That is why I will be brief and get to what I would like to say...

2. Breaking the pattern

- No need for a portfolio, tell me quickly... And he expects you to fuss and apologize...

- You are absolutely right. Don't show it. If you're willing to make a decision based on a short verbal conversation, great. It is important that this will be your decision...”

The main thing is that you have shown that you have value and that you value your time and are not afraid to leave.

3. Clarification of content

— I heard your managers are dishonest...

— You are absolutely right, sometimes employees are dishonest (remember?). I hope you have strong arguments and evidence. We can devote time to analyzing them or move on to what I would like to say.”

You have no need, you are not afraid that work will elude you. And when you're not afraid, you're much more likely to get it.

4. Compliment the attack

“You are absolutely right, Lev Abramovich. Thank you for clearly and most importantly loudly conveying your position. Now please listen to my..."

5. I'm flattered

“There are rumors that you need to be kept on your toes...”

“I am flattered that a person of your level is interested in me, but I am surprised that he stands on other people’s opinions. That is why we can give each other the opportunity to discuss this issue in today's conversation.”

It is very important that your answers do not contain irony, let alone mockery.

6. Game in the fog

Read more about this technique. You can also use other techniques from this article to relieve anxiety.

So, let's summarize:

Distinguish between the business side and the tough emotional part of the conversation.
In the tough phase of the interview, there are rules and response strategies.
It is important to constantly monitor your condition and what phase of the interview you are in.
Reflecting any psychological attack is not a meaningful discussion. This is a way to jump on your skate.

You may find the techniques for fending off emotional attacks difficult. Especially if you are not one of those who won’t go out of their way to say a word. Indeed, people often get lost in the event of unexpected collisions.

But the very understanding that this is just a trick is an important step towards the ability to repel attacks and behave with dignity. The skill will come gradually. And it will serve you faithfully not only at the interview.

Thank you for your interest in the article.

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So, you are applying for a management position in a successful company and are discussing the possibility of an interview with a recruiter. Your future responsibilities and work seem to you to be fully consistent with your competencies.

It's easy to say, but easy to do... A job interview is one of those events where you have to show your best self. You need to present your track record to its best advantage, but it should not be too long or too detailed. You need to behave relaxed, but at the same time not allow yourself to become overly relaxed. You should prepare in advance for typical interview questions, but your answers should not seem rehearsed. Each of your remarks must hit the mark. And achieving this is very difficult.

Naturally, you should try to find out as much as you can about the company and the people you are likely to talk to during the interview. How more information If you manage to gather information about the hiring agent, the more comfortable you will feel during the conversation. And the more you learn about the company, the easier it will be to ensure that your answers meet the requirements for the candidate.

In this article we will try to describe the entire interview procedure, from preparation to its actual completion. We will give you tips that will help you make a favorable first impression and correctly answer the questions asked. You will gain an understanding of verbal and non-verbal methods of communication that make sense to adopt or, conversely, avoid. We hope that thanks to our recommendations you will be able to score as many points as possible during the interview.

Preparation

The interview is designed to answer the question to what extent the candidate meets the requirements set by the company, whether he will cope with the responsibilities assigned to him, whether he will be able to adapt to corporate culture and methods of work of the management team. When preparing for an interview, you need to think in advance about what questions might be asked and formulate competent answers. You should be prepared to answer the following questions:

What do you see your strengths? It is necessary to emphasize those of your advantages that will help the company solve the problems it faces.

How would you characterize your management style? You might say something like, “I tend to favor top-down management, but I've noticed that if I involve people in the decision-making process, it's easier to get their buy-in, and the end result is almost always better.”

Why should we hire you? Re-explain how your strengths meet the company's needs.

What salary are you expecting? Be careful when answering this question. If you ask for too much, you will be removed from the list of candidates. And if you ask for too little, you will obviously sell yourself short. A good option in this case is to quote the results of an independent study and indicate a specific range. Even better, ask the person you are talking to talk about the nature of the compensation provided by the company.

You'll likely be asked about failed projects, too, so don't try to dodge when the hiring manager starts asking for details. Answer honestly, without trying to make excuses or become defensive. Avoid answers like: “It wasn’t really my fault” or “I warned them it wouldn’t work.”

When talking about projects that didn't go according to plan for one reason or another, be sure to mention the actions you took, the end results, and the lessons learned. You can recall, for example, your appeals to other participants: “Having realized that we were not meeting the deadlines specified by the client, I immediately organized a series of meetings, talking with all the project executors. We were able to discuss the situation with the client and minimize losses. Ultimately, the client appreciated our frank position, and we were able to jointly develop a solution acceptable to all parties involved.”

Your interlocutor will probably ask what you see as your most serious shortcomings. Touch on just one flaw and tell us what measures you are taking to get rid of it. For example: “I’m not very good at speaking in public, but I try to take part in presentations to executives, which has improved my speaking level.”

You should not mention shortcomings in the fight against which you have not achieved any success. For example, if you say that you avoid conflict in any form, your interlocutor may think that you do not know how to manage conflict or that your management style is expressed in “burying your head in the sand.” Likewise, when you are asked if you have implemented at least one application program, but you do not have such experience, do not say that you do not have such experience, but that you can always learn if necessary. This is an unfortunate answer.

Remember that merely stating facts when answering questions is not enough. You need to describe everything so that the facts are presented in the most favorable light for you. When assessing applicants for a leadership position, the recruiting manager looks for good communication skills, the ability to offer design options decisions at meetings of the board of directors, willingness to take responsibility and lead a subordinate unit. Instead of describing the areas for which you were responsible, tell us better about the incidents that took place. Illustrate your ability to solve emerging problems, find a successful way out of a difficult situation and achieve the desired result. Describe the current situation, the people involved and your actions, but to eliminate unnecessary digressions and details, adhere to the ODR model:

ABOUT- what circumstances or challenges did you have to face?
D- what actions did you take?
R- what results were achieved?

Try to supplement your answers with testimonials from trusted people who would emphasize the confidence and professionalism of your actions. It is advisable that it look like improvisation, and not like a rehearsed home preparation. Answers like: “I belong to the category of managers who are able to effectively solve any issues in the company” or “I am a workaholic, and until the project is completed, I am ready to work day and night without rest” sound too pompous. Don't cross the line that separates a great answer from an embellished one. In other words, don't try to make yourself look like a superhero, starting every sentence with "I," "me," and "my," and emphasizing your personal role.

Remember key events and dates relating to both the company you came to apply for a job and your own track record, so that you don’t have to reach into your briefcase for information every time.

And finally, don’t think of yourself as a job applicant. vacant position. you are unique remedy solving business problems facing the company. Presenting yourself as a solution will give you confidence that you can help the company achieve its strategic goals. And your confidence will be an additional factor for the hiring manager conducting the interview. Presenting yourself as a solution will help you define your role in the new company, successfully negotiate the compensation package you deserve, and participate as an equal member of the management team.

The most important day

On the day of the interview, you must arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time. While you wait, think of yourself as the solution the company needs and be prepared to the interview will take place Fine. You can also observe employees entering and leaving the premises to understand how comfortable they feel there.

When entering the office where the interview will take place, smile, raise your head and straighten your shoulders. Firmly shake the hand of the person you will be talking to. When introducing each other, repeat his name with a smile. At every opportunity, address your interlocutor by name. Any person is always pleased to hear him. This will put your interlocutor in a friendly mood.

Don't sit down until you're asked to. If given a choice, avoid the sofa. You will fall into it like quicksand. Give preference to a hard chair. Sit up straight with your hands on your knees. Do not cross your arms or legs, as this indicates that you are becoming defensive.

While your interlocutor is speaking, show your attention by nodding your head from time to time and repeating the phrases he said. Make sure you understand the question correctly. Do not show that the answer has been prepared in advance. Try to guess what lies behind each question. The interlocutor, for example, may ask if you have ever taken part in the process of implementing an SAP system, but in fact he is interested in how smoothly the implementation went, whether it was completed on time and within the allotted budget.

If you don't know how best to answer a question, pause or make a clarifying comment that allows you to gain time and better formulate your answer.

Behave naturally during the conversation. Gesture. Smile at the slightest provocation. Smiling will help you feel confident. Look directly into the eyes of your interlocutor. If you are talking to a whole group of people, linger for a long time on each of them, without allowing your eyes to constantly move from one face to another.

The interview should start off well and you should be able to relax a bit. But don't take unnecessary liberties by making ill-considered comments or being overly familiar. During the interview process, it is necessary to maintain distance and show respect for the interlocutor. Don't say anything bad about your current employer, even if you are encouraged to do so. Only bring up the topic of salary if you are asked about it directly.

At the end of the conversation, the interlocutor usually asks if you have any questions. Regardless of whether you are asked to ask them or not, ask about the following:

What does the company expect from candidates for this position?

How will your performance be assessed?

What tasks will you have to solve first?

Don't ask anything about the company that can be found in open sources Internet.

When the procedure comes to an end, ask whether your interlocutor received all the information he was interested in. Suggest additional information, especially if you haven't been asked questions that you think are important for the position. Don't offer any reference information until you are asked to do so.

At the end of the interview, you have one last chance to show that you really want the position. Suppressing any hint of despair in your voice, demonstrate your sincere, positive interest. You might say, for example: “The opportunities here are extremely important to me. Do you still have any questions regarding my candidacy?” Ask what will happen next. And remember: the first impression made is the most important during an interview. The idea that your counterpart will have by the end of the conversation plays a secondary role.

Summarize the meeting immediately after it ends. Make note of the areas where your answers were not convincing enough so that you can correct this impression in subsequent correspondence. Plus, if you're planning a sequel, you'll probably want to remember who said what.

Send the employee who conducted the interview a letter of gratitude for the attention paid to you, additionally argue why you are a good fit for the specified position and express your readiness to provide any other information that interests the HR manager at the first request.

Continue to remind yourself regularly, but not intrusively. And remember: the person who wants it most often gets the job.

Kevin Daly and Dale Clamforth are among senior management Communispond company, specializing in teaching its clients the art of management and sales, preparing presentations and improving communication skills.

Kevin Daley and Dale Klamfoth. How to Ace an Executive-Level Job Interview. CIO Magazine. March 11, 2008

The more responsible the position, the more carefully candidates are selected. Very high demands are placed on managers of all ranks. These people will have to manage the team in conditions of constant change and development of the market.

How to pass an interview for a manager position?

To successfully interview for a leadership position, create a self-study plan. Determine the exact goal of your job search, how to achieve it, and move on to studying the labor market.

Select a sector of activity, evaluate the prospects for business development in the region or country. Select the types of companies, the management level you are applying for (higher or middle). Rate general level salaries, professional requirements. Then move on to researching specific vacancies.

Do you have a goal to pass an interview for a management position?

Interview questions for managers: what is being assessed?

Any interview will be built around basic management functions:

Planning
Organization
Motivation
Control
Delegation/Coordination

Planning

The employer is interested in your ability to create an effective work plan for yourself and your employees. Typical planning questions:

“What methods do you use to make plans?”
“What planners do you use?”
“Do you know how to work in accounting and project management programs?”

Remember what happened in your previous position. Maybe you were just implementing the plans of your superiors? New job may require more independence.

Many firms practice collegial planning. Team members make their proposals, discuss them, and the leader approves the project. The approach is typical for young, creative companies and start-ups. Consider whether you are ready for such planning.

Pay attention to task managers (computer schedulers). A mandatory requirement is to know project management programs (examples: Bitrix, Megaplan), CRM systems for working with clients.

Each area of business has special management and accounting programs. Find out about them, select the ones you need. Have you never used something like this or are you lagging behind the market? Take training courses. Establish useful communication in social networks and forums, subscribe to specialist profiles.

Organization

Being a good organizer is the first commandment of a manager. Key interview questions for a leadership position:

“How did you organize your work at your previous place, what did you achieve?”

A business employer will definitely ask how quickly you can respond to changes. For example:

“During task B, difficulty b1 arose. What will you do to achieve goal A?

Motivation

Motivate – answer a subordinate’s question “Why should I do this task?” and push him to work. You will need remarkable knowledge of psychology, the ability to communicate effectively, apply different styles guidelines depending on the situation.

Questions about motivation:

“What methods of motivating employees do you consider effective? Why?"
“Which management style is closer to you: authoritarian, democratic, liberal?”
“While working on task C, employee A failed to complete the plan for the day. How will you motivate your subordinate?

Here the recruiter can ask clarifying questions and put forward additional conditions for the task.

Do you want to successfully interview for a management position in a company? Participate in motivational trainings, subscribe to online publications and newsletters on psychology and management, watch webinars and videos on the topic.

Control

Knowledge of control systems is a mandatory requirement for those who want to interview for the position of head of a department or organization. The employer is interested in what, when and how you will supervise employees within a specific task.

Coordination and delegation

A good coordinator's team acts as a single, well-coordinated mechanism. No one gets out of line, no one pulls the blanket over themselves. All actions are coordinated and subordinated to a common task. Are you capable of achieving such department performance? Then the interview for the position of director will go well.

A question about delegation might sound like this:

“Goal A, tasks B, C, D have been set. How will you distribute them among employees 1,2,3,4?”

Effective communication

Your ability to be a good manager will be noticed already during preliminary communication. A portrait of a future manager – a well-written resume, completed profiles on social networks. Make sure there is no compromising information there.

Study vacancies carefully. Keep an eye on quality email correspondence with employers. Save information about resumes sent: to whom, when they were sent. Anything you need to clarify, clarify without delay.

Before communicating by phone or video, make a plan for the conversation. Get plenty of rest and groom yourself to look confident and calm.

Prepare your own questions to ask during an interview for a management position. Maintain balance confident behavior and goodwill. The interlocutor should feel in you a person capable of controlling the communication situation.

The person responsible for conducting the hiring interview must meet the following requirements:

know the structure of the company, its core area
have information about the state of affairs in the company and why there is a need for a new manager
have communication skills
master stress management techniques
understand verbal and nonverbal cues
study the company's requirements and determine the desired psychotype of the candidate
have experience in conducting interviews for senior positions in various structural units

A responsible recruiter must understand that a candidate for a leadership position is already a leader, who differs from the rest in this way. He must understand that he is in demand and independent, so such an applicant always has a choice. Therefore, getting such a candidate interested in the company is one of the recruiter’s tasks.

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.

– perform 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:

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.

Step-by-step interview plan

Conducting an interview for a managerial position involves going through several stages from before hiring an employee to the company's staff. All stages must be planned and agreed upon by those responsible for its implementation. Traditionally, when selecting candidates for responsible positions, the following algorithm is followed:

When conducting the interview itself, you need to remember the rule: attract and retain the best manager.

Interview for an effective interview

At the stage of developing an interview strategy, it is necessary to choose a certain tactic and follow it in order to obtain structured data about the applicant for the position of manager. For this, different methods are used, including several types of interviews.

Behavioral interview allows you to find out about the candidate necessary information of a biographical nature and track his behavior, sincerity, reaction to unexpected questions.

A situational interview involves presenting the candidate with a work task or situation that he must solve. The level of effectiveness in completing the problem posed will allow you to determine professional and analytical abilities, communication skills, interaction in a group, etc. Such interviews are conducted using pre-prepared or template cases.

A structured interview follows a prepared list of questions with precise wording. Unfortunately, such an interview is often used by employers, but it is completely ineffective for recruiting for management positions.

A carousel interview is conducted with the involvement of a group of people from future subordinates, management, and other departments. A task is posed that requires a collective solution. The process of solving a given task shows the level of interaction with company employees, compliance with professional qualities, goal setting and distribution of responsibilities.

A stress interview is a fairly aggressive method for identifying applicants who will not only have certain leadership qualities, but also fully comply suitable psychotype. It consists of creating uncomfortable conditions for the candidate, for example, a conversation while rushing to the parking lot or while solving current issues. In a distracting atmosphere, provoking or awkward questions. This method will perfectly show how stress-resistant the future leader is.

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 his 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 focus as much as possible on your professional direction and principles of work. 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 results by asking the interviewer whether he received everything necessary information. This will create an impression of confidence in own strength and possibilities.

Write your question in the form below

Discussion: there is 1 comment

Much in the selection process for a leadership position depends on the recruiter. From his competence, understanding of the candidate’s profile and behavior. I worked in a recruitment agency and most candidates for management positions did not take young recruiting girls seriously. Many asked to meet with the director, considering it beneath their dignity to be interviewed by a simple recruiter. Company directors need to keep this point in mind

Answer

An article about how to successfully pass interviews and answer questions from a potential employer.

Obtaining relevant knowledge and education
Search possible options work
Interview
Hiring for the desired position

If there are usually no problems with the first two points, then at the interview you should prove yourself to the maximum. Sometimes, having good education, a person can sit without work for months because he simply does not know how to communicate and present himself correctly.

As a result, during the interview they directly show him the door or tell him on duty: “We’ll call you back.” This situation can arise with any unprepared person. To avoid it, you need to prepare in advance.

What do they ask at an interview? Questions when applying for a job

The employer is primarily interested in your professional qualities, your education and work experience. Few people are interested in your personal life, household chores and the breed of your dog, even if it is the rarest. Speak clearly and to the point, avoiding unnecessary “water” in the text. It is very important to behave correctly:

Be extremely polite and correct
Don't argue again. Don't sort things out. Your job is to get that job.
Maintain eye contact and posture
Correct “evasion” of a question is also an answer
Sometimes you can ask the employer a question. But this right is not given to everyone, but only to people who understand human psychology well and know how to “catch” the right moment.

You may hear questions about your previous job, relationships with future colleagues, and desired salary. Also, you may be asked about what you know about the employing company.

Here important point: Before you go anywhere to get a job, try to find out as much as possible about the company. Even if the information is negative, come up with something that could pass for the truth.

How to answer awkward questions at an interview?

Awkward questions are every potential employer's favorite part. It is by this that they determine hidden sides potential employee that he did not mention in his resume.

One of the most inconvenient is the question asking you to tell about yourself. People begin to get nervous and most often talk about their hobbies, views on the world order, and relatives. To avoid embarrassment, say 3-4 sentences in general outline about your qualities and a few words about hobbies
Women are often asked about their personal life and whether it will interfere with work. After all, there is a certain danger that a woman may go on maternity leave or sick leave. Answer firmly that it won’t hurt
The next question is about achievements. Don't talk about first place in the intra-school long jump competition. This is unlikely to apply to yours. current work. Talk about how you have grown professionally. Restrained, natural
It may sound strange, but some employers are genuinely interested in your zodiac sign. And if they don't like him, they'll show you the door. It's stupid, but it happens. Don't lie when answering this question. If you are refused, thank them and silently leave the office. A serious company will never be interested in such things

How to successfully interview for a leadership position?

Job interview.

You should prepare in advance for an interview for a managerial position. You should leave behind the impression of a knowledgeable and confident person in yourself and your actions. Choose a suitable suit, be sure to ensure that the tie matches the shoes
Although this is no longer relevant now everyday life, But business etiquette dictates its own rules. If you are a woman, do not dress vulgarly or very brightly. Choose discreet colors in clothes, makeup, manicure
You should look confident and calm. Show emotion in situations where it is appropriate. Gesture, but not too actively. This indicates excessive emotionality. Always let me finish the sentence, don't interrupt
It is important for you, more than anyone else, to show yourself with the best side. Try to demonstrate as many qualities as possible that a leader should have. Your potential employer should understand from the interview with you that you are a reliable person. Employers do not tolerate criticism of themselves at the interview stage. This also needs to be taken into account

Interview questions for a management position

Employers like to ask future managers these questions:

“Tell me about ways to improve the efficiency of the department you led in your last position.” - Even if you are a so-so leader, do not rush to declare it. Think about situations in which you took initiative successfully and usefully. Tell us about them
“What methods of motivating employees do you actively use?” — This question should be answered very thoughtfully. Don't rush to talk about salary increases. There are other equally effective ways
“Tell me about your worst mistake at work. What lesson did you learn from it?” - Do not deny the presence of this error. Then the employer will immediately decide that you are lying and you will not see the desired position. If there was some huge disaster in your career, don't mention it. Tell us about serious problem and how you deftly overcame it
Question about finances and your desired wages. Don't give a specific number. Let them know that you are ready to work for the fee offered to you by the company
The answer to the question about improving professional skills is given above in the article

Interview questions for the head of the sales department

The main list of possible questions asked during an interview is given in the article above. However, there is a chance that the employer will want to actually verify your sales skills. He may ask the following questions:

“Try to sell me this pen right now.” — A rather banal question, but it is the one that will fully reveal the candidate’s sales skills. Turn on your creative thinking in this matter
“You have come across a very dissatisfied and scandalous client, calm him down and sell something.” - This task is much more difficult. Even every fourth person cannot cope with it. As a rule, the role of a capricious client is played by the employer himself, so the candidate for the position of sales manager will have to act very carefully and smoothly. The client must be immediately reassured and spoken to as politely as possible. Listening to your polite, calm tone, the buyer will switch to it himself
“You are very overworked. There are a lot of orders, the employees can’t keep up. Everyone wants to go home, no one wants to stay at work late. How do you motivate your subordinates to work? — Say what has worked effectively based on the experience of previous years

Interview questions for a sales manager

The sales manager is a lower rank than the head of the sales department. The requirements for it are lower than for the latter. Most likely, the employer will not ask you to simulate the situation, but will ask the following questions, in addition to the basic ones:

“Rate your level of sales knowledge on a scale of 1 to 10.” — Tell it like it is, but sometimes you can raise the bar a little. But only if your sales skills are not very high.
“Name the main qualities that a sales manager should have.” - Your logic will be needed here. It is better to prepare for such a question in advance. Remember your best qualities and the qualities you lack to become a successful salesperson. Name them
“Why should I (the employer) hire you?” — One of the most provocative questions. Talk about sales and your successes in this area. Prove yourself
Interview questions for an administrator

The administrator must be able to talk with people and resolve controversial situations that arise. His main qualities are sociability and the ability to quickly find the right solution.

An employer has the right to ask you about communication skills. He is not interested in any sales, because the main thing for you is consultation on service issues and monitoring the activities of employees.

Interview questions for employers

Oddly enough, it is possible and even necessary to ask questions to a potential employer. The main thing is to understand at what point you need to do this. Above in the article there are several options for similar questions.

Do not ask the employer about his personal life, do not invade his personal space. Nobody will like it. You may have questions about career growth, work schedule, vacation, weekends. A question about bonuses and a direct question about salary would not be correct.

Job interview test

Pre-employment testing is carried out by employers quite often. Especially in cases where the company is interested in hiring the most suitable employee for the position, and not a person from the street.

There are two types of tests:

To test professional knowledge
For review general knowledge

Tests to test your professional knowledge contain questions directly about your profession and related areas. To prepare for such a test, think about what you do poorly or not at all at work. Read books or articles on the Internet about this. A seminar or detailed video well.

The General Knowledge Test is very similar to a regular school test. You are required to have knowledge of school subjects and a broad outlook. Of course, the employer will not ask you to solve the most difficult problems from the Unified State Exam, but the level of your knowledge should be appropriate for the position you want to get.

To successfully pass interviews, meet the following requirements:

Act a little reserved, but not constrained
Never cross your legs or cross your arms over your chest.
Talk to your employer as equals
Tell us about yours best qualities as a specialist
If the employer's question seems too personal to you, change the topic if possible or ask a counter question
Watch your speech. Pronunciation must be correct
Your clothing sets the overall tone of the conversation and creates a certain impression about you. Take your clothing choices seriously

Reviews:

Marina, 31 years old, Ufa

I was interviewed at a reputable company for the position of accountant. It was difficult, I was constantly bombarded tricky questions. The only thing that helped was the innate feeling of the interlocutor and the suit, oddly enough. I was wearing a strict pencil skirt that day white, the jacket was more or less strictly cut, also white. Blouse blue color. Makeup is natural. Throughout the interview, my future employer carefully assessed me and my image. Judging by the fact that I was hired immediately after the interview, she liked everything.

Irina, 24 years old, Moscow

It was difficult for me to find a job in Moscow, but I was used to fighting to the end. My self-confidence helped me get the position of office manager with a large company. I answered questions briskly and didn’t pour water.” I’ve been shy since childhood, but at that moment fear paralyzed me so much that I stopped being afraid altogether. But then, after the interview, I broke out in cold sweat. She showed herself to be confident and had to live up to this opinion about herself in a new place. Now there is no trace of shyness left.