What are behavioral interview questions?

Behavioral interview questions are questions designed to help you gain insight into a managerial candidate’s future job performance. While situational interview questions ask candidates to share how they would respond to a hypothetical scenario, behavioral interview questions typically ask managerial candidates about how they acted in the past.

Employers often use behavioral interviews because they believe that a candidate’s past actions can help predict future performance. Behavior-based interview questions often start with, “Tell me about a time when …” or “Give me an example of …” to prompt the candidate to discuss how they handled various situations in the workplace. Open-ended behavioral questions can encourage candidates to provide more than a simple “yes” or “no.”

You might want to use the STAR format to help candidates provide clear, relevant examples to interviewers. STAR is a structured approach that includes these components:

• Situation: The candidate provides background information to give the interviewer context.
• Task: This part of a STAR response focuses on describing a task or challenge. For example, the candidate might tell you about a time they had to adjust their management style with a new employee.
• Action: Now the candidate describes the actions they took to complete the task or overcome the challenge described in the previous step.
• Result: Finally, the candidate explains how their actions led to a positive outcome. If a candidate had to change their management style, they might tell you that doing so helped them build a positive relationship with the new employee.

When candidates provide detailed answers in their own words, they have the opportunity to demonstrate effective communication skills and problem-solving abilities.

How behavioral interview questions for managers can help you find the right candidate

Managers can have a big impact on productivity, morale and corporate culture. Using behavioral interview questions for managerial candidates can help you understand each person’s management style and assess their leadership qualities to determine their potential within your company. Behavioral interview questions also give hiring managers a better understanding of a candidate’s fit for the role.

Answers to behavior-based questions can also provide you with valuable insight into how candidates have handled specific situations in the past. These questions help assess adaptability, emotional intelligence and other soft skills, which are typically helpful for effective management.

Questions about past behavior can help you understand each candidate’s process for making decisions and solving problems, which are some of the most important duties of a manager.

13 examples of behavioral interview questions for managers and Supervisors

Consider asking the following behavioral questions during managerial interviews.

1. Give me an example of a time when you adapted to a big change at work.

Adaptability and flexibility are helpful skills for managers. Leaders often have to simultaneously support new staff, implement strategic plans and respond to unforeseen challenges.

For example, adapting to new software or revised organizational processes is a significant change that managers may need to navigate. This question can give you an idea of the candidate’s mindset when dealing with changing work conditions.

2. Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with someone who had a different working style.

Effective managers typically work well with people who have different personalities and working styles. Regular check-ins with each team member can promote effective collaboration, making it easier to address conflict early on. This behavioral interview question gives you insight into a candidate’s strategies for promoting teamwork.

3. What’s an effective strategy that you’ve used to motivate others?

This behavioral interview question for managerial candidates relates to a candidate’s ability to motivate team members. Asking interviewees to describe a time when they motivated other people can help you understand how they would support positive organizational culture and teamwork.

4. Tell me about a time when you had a problem with an employee’s behavior. How did you resolve the issue?

Leaders sometimes have to engage in conflict management as part of their duties. This behavioral interview question helps determine how a managerial candidate is likely to resolve conflict among workers or between employees and management.

How applicants approach interpersonal conflicts in the workplace can reveal important information about their overall leadership style.

5. Give me an example of a time you made a mistake at work, and explain how you fixed the issue.

The answer to this behavioral leadership interview question can help you learn whether a candidate holds themselves accountable when they make mistakes. Individuals who accept responsibility and learn from their mistakes may have the potential to be excellent leaders.

6. Tell me about a time when your team had to meet a tight deadline. How did you ensure everyone completed their work on time?

Time management is a helpful skill for managers. This question provides each candidate with the opportunity to discuss their time-management skills and explain what strategies and techniques they use to ensure their team members meet deadlines.

7. How do you make new employees feel included?

Managers are often responsible for providing new hires with a warm welcome, which may include formal introductions to teammates or a workplace orientation session. Creating a welcoming work environment helps new employees feel included and supported from the start. The answer to this question can give you insight into how much each candidate values their team’s happiness and productivity.

8. Talk about a time when you had to make a difficult choice in the workplace. How did you make your decision, and what was the outcome?

One of the top goals of manager behavioral interview questions is to gain insight into how each candidate makes difficult decisions. Inviting interviewees to discuss choices they’ve had to make while working in a managerial capacity can reveal how they think through challenging situations. Consider having candidates share the toughest decision they’ve ever made.

9. Tell me about how you delegate tasks.

Leadership involves breaking down large projects into smaller tasks and delegating those tasks to team members. When delegating responsibilities, it’s helpful to clearly define each task to ensure everyone understands their role. Asking candidates about their approach to assigning tasks to workers can provide insight into their ability to plan projects, manage resources and optimize the skills of each team member.

10. When have you had to convince others to view a situation from your perspective? Can you give an example of how you explained your point of view?

Managers are often responsible for enacting changes in company policies and procedures, so persuasiveness can be a beneficial leadership trait. A manager may also need to persuade others during negotiations, especially when closing a deal or navigating the final stages of a business agreement.

The response to this behavioral interview question can tell you how your interviewee collaborates with people who have different points of view.

11. Give me an example of how you mediated a conflict between your employees or colleagues.

This behavioral question is designed to elicit real-world examples of how a candidate handles disputes in the workplace. Effective conflict resolution relies on strong problem-solving abilities, as managers must creatively address challenges and make decisions under pressure.

You might want to follow up on a candidate’s answer by asking what steps they would take if they were unable to reach a resolution on their own.

12. Tell me about a situation where you went above and beyond to improve your workplace.

Successful managers often seek out opportunities for improvement without prompting. Self-starters tend to look for ways to improve working conditions, employee retention, customer service and other metrics that impact the overall strength of a company.

Taking initiative sometimes involves leading a project to improve the workplace, which requires planning, organization and strong communication skills. When and how candidates choose to take initiative can give you an idea of how they would help grow your company.

13. Talk about a time when you had to manage several projects at once. How did you prioritize?

A candidate’s strategies for managing competing priorities can show you what they personally value in a workplace and reveal whether they can perform in a fast-paced business environment. Asking this question can also help you gather information about a manager’s approach to increasing a team’s productivity.