Behavorial
With the average hiring process consisting of three interviews (some going up to six), it’s important to remember that finding a job is a marathon, not a sprint. That’s why we like to break down the experience into smaller, achievable goals so you can laser in on what will make you successful for each stage.
If you’ve been offered a hiring manager interview then congratulations. You’ve made it through the application process and recruiter screen. You obviously have some relevant experience and now all you have to do is showcase your skills and personality to your potential future manager. If you’ve already done your hiring manager interview and have now been invited to an executive interview then double congratulations. In that case, it’s likely that the hiring manager has given their seal of approval and this is your last step before being sent an offer. In this interview, you will talk about your skills and likely some higher-level topics such as industry and company knowledge.
To help you bring your A-game to either style of interview, we have compiled some of the most common interview questions with insight and examples for each one. Prepare these, and you will be able to focus on nailing the spontaneous questions that come your way. However, before we dive into practice, let’s take a look at what the hiring process will look like and the purpose of these interviews.
Common hiring process
Sometimes the hiring process can just seem like a barrage of interviews, but there is a method to the madness. Most hiring processes follow a certain order of operations that you can get to know. Familiarize yourself with the following steps but keep in mind they will vary by industry or company size.
Recruiter screen: Phone interview between the candidate and recruiter to ensure the candidate’s experience and goals are a good fit for the role.
Hiring manager interview: Video or in-person interview between the candidate and manager to talk more in-depth about the needs of the role and the working culture of the team.
Team interview: The team gets to know the candidate, sometimes this takes place in the form of a test working assignment or a less formal get-together over lunch.
Skip level/executive interview: Final round of approval from an executive to ensure the candidate is on board with the culture and goals of the company.
Offer: The recruiter contacts the candidate to let them know their application was successful and talks about salary and other contract details.
What hiring managers look for during early screen vs. late-stage interviews
Beginning stage interviews tend to focus on skills and competencies. The recruiter wants to know that you have the right experience for the job and that you are enthusiastic about working for / staying with the company. Late-stage interviews tend to focus on behavior and culture fit, this is the time to demonstrate your familiarity with the company values and emphasize your x-factor as a candidate.
How are these interviews structured?
These interviews will run the gambit from specific skills questions to broader questions about your goals and industry trends. Here are some specifics...
Hiring Manager Interview: This interview typically happens after the screening call with the recruiter. Usually, you will meet one-on-one in person or over video chat and the hiring manager will fill you in on the specifics of the role and their team. You will then share your relevant experience, why you want the job, and your working style.
Executive Interview: An executive interview generally happens right before the offer stage and is a last check to be sure you are the right candidate. Most often, you meet with the executive in person or over video to discuss more high-level behavior, goals, and industry knowledge.
Common questions asked by hiring managers?
Hiring managers want to know about how you will function on the team, from the way you work to the skills and attitude you bring to the table.
Tell us about your experience.
Describe how you work on a team?
Why do you want this role?
What’s your greatest strength?
What’s your greatest weakness?
How best to answer common interview questions?
Tell us about your experience.
This is a basic question to show you have the skills necessary to perform the job. You can take this opportunity to show how your experience relates to the job in question and why this job is an exciting next step. Be sure to use examples and talk about your experience in terms of what you achieved.
Example: I graduated with a business degree and I knew I wanted a job where I would work with lots of different people, so Sales felt like a good fit. In my first year as an SDR with a small software startup, I created 10 K in opportunities for the company and got promoted to junior account manager. In this new role, I was part of 3 record-breaking deals for my company. I am most proud of how the team supported each other. For example, I have a strong grasp of Salesforce report making so I could help source important data to show investors. Now I’m looking for a new challenge where I could grow my management skills and take on bigger accounts. This job seemed like an exciting opportunity as it carries some new responsibilities but I feel I have the core competencies to really hit the ground running.
Describe how you work on a team?
Because the hiring manager will be your direct supervisor they will want to know how you will fit into the team and their management style. In general, you want to highlight both independent and collaborative traits so they know you can get your work down on your own but are open to feedback.
**Example: **I think of myself as an independent collaborator. What I mean by that is I own my own work but I understand how it fits into the big picture. My goal is always for the project to come together on time in a way that exceeds expectations, if that means asking for or offering help, that’s what I’ll do. For example, I was recently part of a team launching a new product. We didn’t have a project manager so I made sure to set up a timeline and automatic reminders to keep us all accountable.
Why do you want this role?
Hiring managers want to see a strong reason why you want this role, it shows you will be a motivated and positive team member. You want to explain your career goals and how this job is a stepping stone and why you like the company culture.
**Example: **For the last few years I’ve been working in PR agencies, so I’ve gotten the opportunity to get to know a lot of brands and have a good overview of the industry. Now, I really want to go deeper into one brand and create long-term goals and results. I thought your company would be the perfect place to do that because of your reputation as an innovator in the field. When I read how sustainability is one of the company’s values, it really spoke to me on a personal level and inspired me to apply.
What’s your greatest strength?
This is a hard question because you don’t want to sound braggy or overconfident so the key is relaying examples and framing strengths as the feedback you’ve received from managers/teachers/colleagues. Be sure to mention how the positive feedback motivated you.
**Example: **In my last review, my manager said she appreciated how I was always finding things to do and pick up the slack. That meant a lot to me because I really try to be proactive about my job and motivated me to do even more. For example, I noticed that Sundays are slow in the morning so I always take that time to clean the windows and organize menus.
What’s your greatest weakness?
Your hiring manager wants to know that you are self-aware and willing to work on your weaknesses. Choose a weakness that isn’t related to the core competencies of the job and share what steps you have taken to work on it.
**Example: **I’m glad you asked this question because I think it’s important to recognize and work on areas of weakness. As a data scientist, I am really comfortable communicating one on one, but I get nervous when I’m presenting in front of big groups. It’s something I’ve wanted to improve so I decided to sign up for an improv class to help me feel more comfortable speaking in front of crowds. We started two weeks ago and I already felt more confident sharing learnings in last week’s all-hands marketing meeting.
Common questions asked by executives?
Executives tend to ask more thought leadership questions, they want to know how you will grow with the company and the big picture knowledge and values you can offer.
Why are you the best person for this position
How does this job fit into your five-year plan?
What’s been your biggest career challenge so far?
What drives or motivates you?
What are you most looking forward to about this job?
How to best answer common executive interview questions?
Why are you the best person for this position?
It’s unlikely that the executive has been intimately involved in the hiring process so they don’t know your specific resume and qualifications. They want to know you have the core competencies and that you can carry yourself well to make a good impression for the company.
_**Example: **Having worked in construction and project management for five years, both independently and, more recently, as part of a company I’ve learned all the ins and outs of the job. Beyond the basic know-how for this role, this experience has given me the opportunity to build a strong network in the industry. I think these relationships are invaluable in this business and really make me stand out as a candidate. _
How does this job fit into your five-year plan?
Executives take the long view, and they want to understand how you could fit into the company not just now but going into the future. This is a good time for you to demonstrate some industry knowledge as well.
**Example: **My long-term goal is to be a plant manager. I want to get to know how the factory works from the ground up. I worked on the production line for a year before moving up to shift manager and then assistant floor manager. Now, as the night manager, I will build on the responsibilities I already have but be acting with more independence. I think my knowledge of the plant will be really invaluable to this role and I’m excited about taking this next step towards my end goal.
What’s been your biggest career challenge so far?
Leaders want to know their employees are resilient and resourceful. Brainstorm times when you’ve created a solution to a tricky situation so you can demonstrate your problem-solving skills. Even though you’re talking about a challenge, you want the tone to be uplifting.
Example: During the pandemic, my team went remote, and it was a big challenge at first. We are working in customer service so we often depend on our manager to provide answers to trickier questions or situations. To help with this more independent transition I suggested we do a daily team check-in to talk about the hardest/most common questions with the group so we could all be on the same page about COVID-related questions especially. It really helped to be more efficient during the day and keep morale up with human interaction.
What drives or motivates you?
Motivation plays a big role in performance and productivity. The executive wants to know two things: 1) If what drives you fits in with the company culture. 2) If you have the awareness to self-motivate or communicate your needs to your manager
**Example: **I’m project-oriented so I like to see how my work has contributed to the bigger picture and goals are super important to me. I always feel a big boost of energy after a department meeting, because I get to see how the work from all the teams come together to push us to our goal. When I read your company website and it said one of your values was collaboration, I knew that it was going to be a place where I could thrive because to me, working together is how people accomplish big things.
What are you most looking forward to about this job?
Upper-level management and executives generally have a long history in the industry and are passionate about what they do. They want to know you have that same passion and will bring a positive work ethic to your role in the company.
Example: I saw your company recently launched a Green Initiative and I am really excited to be part of an organization that values conservation as that’s an issue near to my heart. As a data scientist, I see this as a project I could contribute to long-term. As far as my day-to-day, this is my first time working at a company of this scale. I’m looking forward to being on a team with the resources to really dream big and implement. After meeting with the manager, I really feel we are on the same page as far as innovation and that’s inspiring to me.
Questions you can ask your future manager or manager’s manager in return:
You receive so much information in an interview, that by the end of the meeting your brain might be too tired to come up with questions to ask the team. That’s why it’s important to prepare a couple in advance to show that you are listening and curious.
Manager questions:
What’s your management style?
What deliverables do you want to see from this role in the first six months?
Why did you choose this company?
What’s your favorite part of working for this company?
What learning and development opportunity will I have at this company?
Executive questions:
Who’s your business role model or icon?
From your point of view, what’s the biggest challenge facing our company and/or industry?
What do you look for in the employees you hire?
Where do you want the company to be in five years?
What advice would you go back and give yourself at the beginning of your career?
Additional resources
Want to delve further into this topic, then check out some of these articles with even more question and answer samples to help you study. Note that for executive interviews we added some articles that outline questions executives get asked in interviews so you can better understand the purview and concerns of upper management.
General interview questions:
How To Ace The 50 Most Common Interview Questions
Your Ultimate Guide to Answering the Most Common Interview Questions
27 Most Common Job Interview Questions and Answers
50 Most Common Interview Questions
The 5 Crucial Interview Questions Of 2021 (And How To Answer Them)
Executive interview questions:
23 Executive Interview Questions (Plus Example Answers)
Common Interview Questions for Executive Level Jobs
15 Outstanding Executive Interview Questions
15 Executive Interview Questions & Answers
Top 25 Executive Interview Questions & Answers (2021 Update)
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