IT Manager Interview Preparation Guide

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Management interview questions like this are asked to find out what kind of leader you are. Should you ever get placed in a management role, how will you delegate the workload or teach your co-workers.
I believe the main goal of any management position is to get things done by evenly distributing the workload to the most qualified members of the team. They also make sure that each member of the team has all the resources and training that are necessary to complete the job.

The interviewer is looking for work related examples of how you measure success and when know you have reached accomplishment. Use a work related example and keep your answer short and to the point.
In my opinion and as it relates to the workplace, success is a measurable variable. If you don't measure your accomplishments, success is lost. Success can be tied to everything you do each day.
If I plan to accomplish 3 tasks before the end of the day and I do so, then I have been successful. Success simply means accomplishing what you set out to do within the parameters you specify, whether they be time, money or learning, etc.

This question is really just the opposite of your definition of success. What does failure mean to you and how do you know you have failed within a given time frame. Keep in mind that failure is just a perspective.
For starters, failure is an event and not a person and you only fail if you quit and I'm not a quitter. I may not complete a project on time or miss an important deadline, but that does not qualify as having failed in my book. If I complete a task, but miss a deadline, I still consider it a success because I finished, but without the desired result.

Obviously, your answer should reflect that you are a self starter and never put things off. They want to hear that you set goals for your work and how you prioritize them.
I only have so many hours in the day to get my work done and I have found that if I don't create daily, weekly, and monthly goals, it seems like nothing ever gets done. I keep track of all my responsibilities and goals in spreadsheet and review them daily.
I mark down when I am first assigned a task, how long I think it will take, when it needs to be completed and how much time I will need to spend on it each day to complete the job on time. This helps me in so many ways, but mainly it keeps me on track with what is important. It also helps me from getting overbooked and promising more than I can deliver. Now, I can always deliver what I promise and be on-time.

IT management is the discipline whereby all of the information technology resources of a firm are managed in accordance with its needs and priorities. These resources may include tangible investments like computer hardware, software, data, networks and data centre facilities, as well as the staff who are hired to maintain them.

Focus on your planning and organizational skills. Describe your ability to establish objectives, set priorities, plan proper assignment of tasks, allocate resources effectively, use appropriate organizational tools and follow up on work and task status.

Demonstrate how you communicate information effectively to an individual or group, adjusting your approach according to the situation. Include your ability to see the other person's perspective, to listen properly and establish a constructive relationship.

Show how you have facilitated the development of knowledge and skills, how you adjust your approach according to the individual and provide support where needed. Discuss how you are able to assess the needs of your staff, establish a plan for improvement considering available resources and the individual requirements and gain agreement to this plan.
Key to success as a manager is communication. Prepare for manager interview questions about your communication skills.

show how you determine the appropriate motivation strategies for your staff members by understanding their different needs and perspectives.
Include the communication of goals and visions to your staff, gaining commitment to these, establishing appropriate reward and incentive structures and supporting and leading staff to success.

focus on how you assign tasks and responsibility to the appropriate people, how you clarify exactly what is expected, communicate confidence and ensure adequate resources are available for successful completion of the task. Include follow-up procedures and setting deadlines.

Show how you are able to review the relevant facts, consider alternatives and decide on the most appropriate action. Discuss how you take into consideration the available resources and any possible constraints.

The management job interview will focus on questions that look for evidence of management competencies. You will be asked to provide specific examples of when you have demonstrated the required competency. Reflect on your past experiences, select appropriate examples and plan your response using the following structure:
★ Describe the specific situation or task you were involved in
★ Detail the action and steps you took in the situation
★ Outline the results and outcome of your actions
Go through these manager interview questions that explore the essential competencies for a management position. Use the answer guidelines to help you prepare your own excellent interview answers.

★ What is your methodology for team building? How do you select team members?
★ What strategies would you use to motivate your team?
★ How would you describe your team management style?
★ Share a rewarding team experience?
★ How do you empower team members you oversee?
★ Why should I hire you as team leader?

★ Tell me about a team project you successfully managed?
★ What is your philosophy for delegating responsibilities?
★ In your experience, what makes a successful team?
★ Have you ever managed a team where there was a strong disagreement between team members? How did you handle it?
★ What is your strategy for resolving disagreements?

★ Provide examples of creative solutions you relied on to solve major problems?
★ Explain how you've delegated responsibilities and coordinated tasks during previous projects?
★ Explain how you've adapted to project changes in the past?
★ What skills and knowledge do you still need to develop? Explain what you've done to increase your business knowledge and skills?
★ How do you manage large workloads? What do you do to prioritize daily responsibilities?
★ Explain how you've dealt with past failures?
★ How do you determine what colleagues should have key project roles?

★ Describe an example of how you've demonstrated leadership in a previous job?
★ What specific strategies have you used to lead a team?
★ What are the key attributes of a successful leader?
★ How would past coworkers and team members rate your leadership skills? What would they say about your leadership style?
★ What factors do you consider when faced with tough decisions?
★ How do you make a decision when important facts are unavailable?
★ What methods do you utilize to resolve problems?

★ How do you communicate expectations to team members?
★ How do you communicate to an employees that he or she is not meeting expectations?
★ What is your preferred communication style?
★ Describe five things about communication within a team that must be present in order to have a productive environment?
★ On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 representing excellent, please rate your communication skills. Provide me 3 examples from previous work experiences that show the number your selected is accurate?
★ Explain how you develop relationships with managers, clients, and other colleagues?
★ Explain in detail steps and actions you've taken to build relationships with new clients?
★ What types of people are difficult to persuade? How do you motivate others?

★ What will you do to retain valued employees?
★ What non-monetary factors to you feel help motivate employees?
★ What kind of work culture do you think increase moral and employee motivation level?
★ What type of incentives or rewards work best for motivating team members?
★ Describe a time when you successfully motivated an employee who didn't want to take on a new assignment?

★ What is motivation?
★ Share a work related experience that demonstrates your ability to encourage and motivate another person?
★ Pretend you were the recipient of a coveted award three years from now. What is the reward? Why did you receive it?
★ Describe time when you and your team were lacking moral and explain what you did to raise spirits?
★ How do you make employees feel valued?

★ What method do you employ for delegating tasks to your team members?
★ How do you ensure that tasks are successfully completed? Are there any steps you take?
★ What type of instructions do you provide your staff when you decide to delegate?
★ Are there times when you shouldn't delegate?
★ What should you assume about a team member if you want to delegate successfully?
★ Tell me about an important task or assignment that you delegated?
★ Is there a difference between assignment and delegation?
★ What types of tasks can be delegated? What types cannot?
★ How do you decide which tasks to delegate to which employees?

★ What is the process you typically follow to make a decision about a plan of action?
★ When given two or three equally viable paths to achieve an object, how do you decide which path to follow?
★ Please explain the process you used to select the college you attended.
★ What is your process or methodology for making important decision?
★ When faced with several options, none of which is sufficient to accomplish your goal, how do you decide with option to pursue?
★ When is it important to make a decision quickly? When should you take time to make a decision?
★ Have you ever delayed any decision-making? What were the consequences for your company?
★ Do you make decisions on your own without input from others? When do you seek advice from others when making decisions?

Most of us are a little of each, but be careful how you tailor your answer. If you come across as a risk taker, you may be prejudged as one who will disregard corporate policy in the future. It is best to come across as one who generally plays it safe, but is not afraid of taking risks as long as everything has been done to mitigate the risk.
I believe that taking risks is part of life but by mitigating the risk, I believe the best possible solution presents itself. I'm not afraid of taking risks; I just make sure that I have considered all the facts and possible outcomes my decision will have.

This question is basically asking if you panic when problems arise. So make it clear in your answer that you make all attempts to anticipate problems before they arise so you can deal with them in a more controlled environment.
I don't react to problems, but acknowledge their existence and respond to them in a calm manner. Reacting to a problem causes a panic and the problem does not get resolved until everyone calms down, accepts the situation and then focuses on a resolution.

You want to tailor your answer to match the job or their corporate culture. For example, if you're interviewing to be an airline pilot, don't tell the interviewer that you like to sleep on things before making a decision.
Or, if you're interviewing for a medical position, you don't want to come across as one who makes decisions on a hunch.
Before I make any kind of important decision, I first consider all the surrounding facts, possible outcomes and the desired goal. I won't hesitate to seek an outside opinion and I generally do, but I am the one who makes the ultimate decision.

This manager question is best answered with an example from one of your past jobs that casts you in the spotlight showing and demonstrating your capabilities of handling change.