The right questions to ask when hiring a manager

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Recruiting the right managers is crucial for the success and sustainability of any organisation. A good leader inspires and motivates a team, and can also drive strategic initiatives. But finding the candidate who combines technical skills, leadership qualities and a fit with your culture is often a real challenge.

By asking the right questions, you can better assess the skills that matter for your organisation. Whether you are looking for a transformative leader or an operational manager, these questions help you hire not just a good manager, but the best one for you.

How to use these questions

What the questions cover

They are designed to help you go deeper into a candidate’s management skills. So they don’t cover previous experience, technical skills or strategic vision for your industry.

Target the most important themes

Choose 2 to 3 of the seven themes below, depending on the role.

Ask your questions the right way

Select 3 to 4 questions from the list.
Ask all candidates the same questions.
When the candidate answers, probe deeper with follow-up questions.
Always ask for specific examples to illustrate the answers.

Judge objectively

Asking the same questions makes it easier to compare candidates.
Probing with follow-up questions gives more concrete answers that are easier to assess.
Only give a positive opinion if, after the interview, you would personally want to work with the candidate.

Growing a team

Who was the most talented person you’ve managed? How did you help them progress?
Your latest team success: how did you celebrate it?
What was the last piece of negative feedback you gave to someone on your team?
Can you give me an example of someone you’ve managed and helped advance in their career?

Managing conflict

Have you ever had to manage conflict within your team? How did you resolve the situation?
Have you ever faced a situation where team members disagreed with your decisions or initiatives?

Making decisions

Can you describe a difficult decision you had to make as a manager, and why you made it?
Which tasks do you not delegate to your team members?

Communicating well

Tell me about a complex message you had to convey to your team. How did you make sure it was well understood?
What does a team meeting with you look like?

Adapting quickly

Have you ever had to adapt quickly as a team to a change? How did you approach the situation?
Tell me about a mistake you made as a manager.
Tell me about your previous team: its strengths? Its weaknesses? How did you adapt?

Driving performance

How do you track and evaluate the performance of your team members?
Have you ever had to manage an underperforming employee?
What management rituals do you put in place with your team to maximise its performance?

Leading by example

As a manager, how do you contribute to the company’s culture?
What is your greatest pride as a manager?
What do you enjoy about being a manager? What do you enjoy less?
Who was the best manager you’ve ever had? The worst?