An interview is called an extremely important event, and not only for potential employee but also for the head of the company. The first wants to get a job, the second wants to get a highly qualified employee. How to pass an interview leadership position- later in our article (what to look for, and what questions the recruiter will ask you). We will also tell you about what answers should be given to the questions posed to you and what should not be done in any case.

First, let's say a few words about the preparation stage on the eve of the interview - what can you do for yourself in advance (while still in your home)?

Preparatory stage before the interview

Of course, any person before going to an interview strives to be as prepared as possible for him. This is the right decision, because only in this way can you impress a potential boss, show him your best qualities that the company needs. Therefore, one should start preparing for this event in advance - and not “feverishly” and indistinctly think what to say, already in the employer’s office. In fact, this is the most common mistake among job seekers - not taking this or that interview very seriously.

When an institution conducts interviews for a managerial position, the selection is subject to the most stringent criteria. Only the most outstanding of all possible candidates will be selected. Work in any position requires the availability of relevant knowledge and skills. But one who wants to become a leader must have other virtues - just having knowledge is not enough. The potential manager must show his personal qualities, solid work experience and achievements in this field. It should differ (for the better) from the applicant applying for an ordinary position (for example, a consultant).

What is a recruiter interested in?

What is a recruiter interested in?

When conducting such an interview, the recruiter will try to carefully study the candidate from every available side. The applicant will have to answer great amount questions from a variety of fields. Most of all, in such cases, they study such qualities of a candidate as:

  • intellectual level;
  • qualities inherent in a leader (does this applicant have them);
  • innovative thinking (will he be able to offer any new ideas that will contribute to the development of the company);
  • the ability to influence others;
  • views and ideas;
  • commercial savvy;
  • strategic vision;
  • attracting resources from outside;
  • effectiveness;
  • ability to negotiate with a third party;
  • the ability to attract attention and lead in relationships;
  • solid work experience.

Questions from the candidate

The interview often goes like this: first, a potential boss talks about the position itself, lists responsibilities, likely prospects and career growth. Further refinement of details and details follows. Only after that, the candidate himself has the right to ask the recruiter his questions at the interview.

A small but important clarification: the applicant not only has the right, he is obliged to ask such questions! If he has nothing to ask his potential boss, then he has no interest in future work and positions. There is no need to prepare a huge list of these questions - you can limit yourself to two or three.

Do not forget that the main purpose of the interview is to reveal as many details as possible about each candidate. In other words, we are talking about their "probing", testing abilities and skills. You can take an interest in all other issues that concern you only when you are already offered to conclude an employment agreement.

Sometimes at the very beginning of the interview, the employer asks the candidate to report on his position in life, tasks and plans for the future. In other words, what would he like to achieve in his career. These questions require clear and comprehensive answers, so it is best to prepare for them in advance - while still at home.

Of course, any applicant cares next question How to successfully pass an interview for a managerial position?

Questions from the candidate

What is the manager most often asked about?

What questions should someone who wants to get into a leadership position answer?

The interview includes not just standard questions for each case (a story about yourself, the company, about your strengths and weaknesses, and so on). It also asks questions related directly to future duties. They sound like this:

  1. What leadership qualities do you have?
  2. What professional mistakes have you made in the past? What conclusions were made?
  3. Can you influence employees?

Another recruiter often offers the candidate to come up with a specific case and ask how the applicant will solve the current situation.

Since the main purpose of the interview is to find a leader, the following question may also be asked: “What (in your opinion) qualities are inherent in a great leader?” You will have to list them.

Don't forget the following important point: competent management of working personnel assumes that the manager has the following qualities:

  1. He should give the impression of a person who is confident in himself and his abilities.
  2. Must be brave.
  3. Have an outlook.
  4. Possess communication skills.
  5. Must be able to introspect.
  6. Should easily create a cohesive team (who will listen to him without unnecessary objections).
  7. Must be able to provide support to any of his subordinates.

All of the above qualities of an excellent leader are distinguished when answering a question posed by a manager. Of course, when answering the questions of a manager or employer, there is no need to fall into demagogy at all. That is, you should not start lengthy explanations and explanations - this will definitely not lead to anything good for you - the interlocutor will simply get tired of you and consider you a talker (and will try to “get rid of you” as soon as possible under any euphonious pretext).

At the same time, the “dry” circumstances of your experience will also not produce the most best impression, since competent and beautiful speech is extremely important for a leader - in compliance with the "golden" mean.

If you are talking about your own experience, be sure to explain how you solved the problem that arose, what tasks you dealt with at the time and what you managed to achieve. Here it is necessary to remember such an important point: make sure that your story is consistent (step by step). In this case, you should not regularly insert the word "I". The manager may consider that you are an upstart, an egoist, which will not increase your chances of getting the desired position.

Questions and answers: how to give competent answers

So, you are going to be interviewed because you have a desire to get a job in a managerial position. You enter the office and see the manager (or direct employer) who invited you earlier for an interview. Now everything depends solely on you - how you will show yourself and build your future career. How to build a competent dialogue? How to answer manager's questions?

What do you need to pay attention to? to the following features.

Feature one: listen to your interlocutor's questions carefully and with concentration. No need to be distracted by anything and think about something extraneous. This is completely redundant. Did you listen to the end of the question? Great, now quickly conduct a mental analysis: what answer would you like the employer to receive from you? If something is not entirely clear to you (the question asked to you is not completely clear), it is better to apologize and ask to ask it again. This is much better than a vague or incorrect answer to the question posed.

Try to provide the manager with evidence that the most important thing for you in your work is the achievement of your goal and the result!

Candidate Qualities

What qualities do you need to have to be hired?

What qualities should a potential candidate for a leadership position have? Naturally, any boss prescribes specific criteria for himself, according to which applicants for a vacant job will be selected. workplace. At the same time, there is a list of those qualities that in without fail must have a candidate passing any interview (regardless of the level of the desired position).

The candidate must:

  1. Don't doubt yourself and your abilities.
  2. Look neat and tidy on the outside.
  3. Have letters of recommendation- for example, from a previous job from a satisfied employer.
  4. Behave culturally.
  5. In addition, the applicant must be distinguished by sociability - to be moderately sociable and not clamped, otherwise he will never become a leader. This quality is extremely important, since a person working in such a position must be able to find a common language with different people - including his own subordinates.

It is worth noting that all of the above qualities are considered standard for any candidate for a leadership position. But there are those that should be inherent directly to the leader himself. He must:

  1. Be able to manage, work with the team entrusted to him.
  2. Know how to work with a team.
  3. Offer your initiatives to achieve the desired result.
  4. Be able to solve several cases at once, and not just one.
  5. Be not only responsible and serious, but also with a good sense of humor.

In other words, he must be able to laugh where it is appropriate - and concentrate where it comes to serious work.

Summarizing

Summing up, we want to note the following: be sure to read and learn all of the above criteria before going to an interview for the job of your dreams. What should you do if it seems to you that you do not have all the above qualities at all? Is it really worth giving up and not going to a leadership position? Not at all.

Sometimes we show our best qualities after we start our official duties. Just do not forget all these characteristics and try to match them! You will definitely make it!

In our article, we told you about how to get a managerial position (how to pass an interview) - what points to pay attention to so that the employer makes a choice in your favor! We talked about what questions are asked most often in interviews and gave recommendations on how best to answer them. We hope that the information provided has been useful to you!

What to say in an interview

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

When answering a candidate's question, pay attention to the following: - formally sets out biographical data or immediately lays out "trump cards", emphasizing his desire and opportunity to take this position; - states only the main thing, that is, speaks about his qualifications, experience, responsibility, interest, diligence and decency, or cites irrelevant facts; - speaks briefly, precisely, clearly or mumbles for a long time and does not express his thoughts well; - carries or speaks calmly, confidently or insecurely.

2. How do you look at life: what difficulties do you see in it and how do you cope with them?

Some people speak out in the sense that life is difficult, there are a lot of problems, most of which are insoluble, that people are evil and unfriendly, that there are few joys in life and everything is decided by fate, chance or other people, but not himself. So, in front of you is a passive person, unsure of himself, not trusting others, pessimistic and unhappy (loser). Other people speak positively about life: there is no life without problems, difficulties can be overcome, the fate and career of a person are in his hands, people are friendly and ready to cooperate, a person is the blacksmith of his own happiness. So says a person who takes an active life position, aimed at success, ready to take responsibility, successfully interacting with people and able to enjoy life.

3. What attracts you to work with us in this position?

It’s bad if they answer with common phrases: “I am attracted by growth prospects, interesting job a reputable company... I must give serious and specific arguments: the desire to apply my qualifications and experience where they can give the greatest return and will be appreciated, the attractiveness of working in a strong team of professionals.

4. Why do you consider yourself worthy of this position? What are your advantages over other candidates?

This best question for a candidate to name his main advantages over other applicants without false modesty. At the same time, he must demonstrate his ability to convince, emphasizing his advantages. It is bad if the candidate answers this question with weak arguments and gives his formal biographical characteristics.

5. What are your strengths?

The candidate must emphasize first of all the qualities that are required for this job, and provide convincing evidence on specific facts. But you can hear clichés repeated thousands of times: “I am sociable, neat, efficient,” etc. Ask him to clarify what his sociability, accuracy, diligence are manifested in, what is his manner of listening to the client, what he has achieved thanks to his strong qualities.

6. What are your weaknesses?

From a smart candidate, you are unlikely to hear repentance for sins and a long list of his shortcomings. He will try to turn the answer in such a way as to increase his chances even more. For example, he will say: “Many people consider me a workaholic” or “I don’t know how to relax, I feel good only when I work” or “I am too demanding of myself and others.” If the candidate is showing off too much and you want to lead him into a frank admission of his shortcomings, you can tell him such a joke. In such a situation, the candidate characterizes himself: “Conscientious, hardworking, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke ...” Then he is asked in surprise: “Do you have any shortcomings?” “There is one,” the candidate admits, “I like to lie.”

7. Why did you leave your previous job?

It’s bad if the reason for leaving was a conflict, if the candidate scolds the orders that were there and his own former leader. Leaving work because of a conflict is an escape from difficulties, an admission of one's own defeat, which leaves an imprint on the self-esteem of the individual. A negative attitude towards people, the habit of conflict with employees, and especially with management, is a stable characteristic of a person and will definitely manifest itself in one form or another on new job. A good candidate will highlight the positives in their previous work and relationships, and will name such worthy reasons as the desire for a more interesting (highly paid, professional growth opportunities) work and the desire to realize their potential to the fullest.

8. Why did you decide to change jobs?

This question is asked to someone who is working at the time of the interview. As in the answer to the previous question, not with better side characterize the candidate's story about the conflict. Whereas the desire for professional growth, expanding the scope of one's knowledge and skills, and raising salaries is respected and welcomed in all developed countries.

9. Have you received any other job offers?

The credibility of the candidate will increase if he talks about other job offers, but notes a special interest in this particular one. Well, if he expresses a desire to get maximum satisfaction from his work. His mood not only affects his health and moral climate in the team, but is also the most important necessary condition high labor productivity, the most reliable guarantee against mistakes, negligence and marriage, and ultimately the main guarantee of the prosperity of the company.

10. How well have you been interviewed in other places?

It is important to find out for what reasons did not pass the interview in some places and successfully passed in others. If he convinces that your competitors are interested, then you try to keep him.

11. Will your personal life interfere with this work associated with additional loads (irregular working hours, long or distant business trips, constant traveling)?

This question is often asked to women. In some firms, trying to circumvent the law, they put tough conditions, such as not having children for a certain time, not registering sick leave to care for a child, not to issue unpaid leave, etc.

12. How do you imagine your position in five (ten) years?

Many people without initiative, who do not plan their careers and lives, answer that they do not imagine such long-term prospects. And a person aimed at personal success will readily talk about his planned professional growth and possibly for personal purposes. Max Eggert in his book Brilliant career spoke about the importance of career planning. One famous school business on the first day of class, students were asked who formulated the stages and goals of their personal career in writing. Only 3% of them raised their hands. After 10 years, it is these 3% who have achieved financial success more than all the others combined.

13. What changes would you make in your new job?

Well, if he shows his initiative, familiarity with the situation of innovation and reorganization. However, this is permissible only with a deep knowledge of the problems in the firm. It is bad if the state of affairs does not know too well, but strive to redo everything in its own way.

14. Who can you contact for feedback on your work?

Must readily provide phone numbers and addresses of former colleagues and leaders. Withholding such information will immediately reveal the lack of positive recommendations or the inexperience of the applicant.

15. What salary do you expect?

A Russian proverb says: "He who does not know his own price will always sell cheap." Good specialist always knows his own worth and expects a high salary. It is better for the candidate to overestimate the expected pay for his work than to underestimate it. If the salary offered, don't forget to "blow up the pie" and list the benefits available to the organization: bonuses, medical insurance, children's preschool institutions, free travel and meals, free professional development and other manifestations of care for the staff. [...] If a candidate is obviously bluffing, you can “knock him out of his role”, cool his ardor by sharply lowering the offered salary and benefits. Remember this joke? An arrogant young artist in a demanding tone puts forward his conditions for the chief director of the theater when applying for a job: “Salary 500 dollars, main roles, 8 performances a month and the provision of a separate apartment.” To which the chief director calmly puts forward his own: "50 dollars, daily performances, extras and a dorm room." - "Agree".

5 more questions can be added to the main ones.

16. What are some of your professional connections that you could use in your new job?

17. How do you improve your professional qualification?

18. What do you like to do in free time?

19. When could you start a new job?

20. What questions do you have?

V. Polyakov
excerpt from the book "Technology of Career"

The purpose of each interview is to identify positive and negative qualities applicant and make a decision on his employment or refusal. Interviews with a candidate for a managerial position can be quite specific. In this case, it is required to determine not only the professional qualities of a new employee, but also the level of competence in the field of personnel management. Therefore, the interview for the position of the head is quite difficult.

Questions that a future leader may be asked at an interview may affect various aspects, and not only perspective thinking, organizational characteristics. First of all, you should define parameters such as:

  • leadership skills;
  • level of influence on other people;
  • way of thinking;
  • strategic planning skills;
  • performance.

First of all, personnel officers touch upon the topic of the prospects for this position, explaining not only the functions of the manager, but also general direction company activities. At this stage, applicants are encouraged to ask more questions to determine if the position is right for them.

It is very important that during the interview the employee of the personnel department noted such basic qualities as:

  • sociability;
  • confidence;
  • the ability to analyze their own activities;
  • the ability to introduce innovations that are positive for the company's activities;
  • the ability and desire to maintain a positive attitude of subordinates.

In addition, the future leader, whose task is to determine the ability of the applicant to think creatively. As a result of the interview, the personnel officer should see in the applicant for the position of the head of a person focused on achieving a positive result.

Most Common Questions

An interview for a managerial position includes a number of typical questions that are most often asked to job seekers. First of all, the task of personnel officers is to determine the level of competence of the new leader. The applicant must talk about his past activities, as well as show his ability to change profile and apply skills in another field of activity.

The leadership qualities of a leader are important. You need to show your ability to manage staff, talk about the merits and at the same time not overpraise yourself too much.

The main indicator of skills is the result of past activities. Therefore, all statements should be confirmed by concrete figures and facts. It is recommended to constantly emphasize that high level results were achieved thanks to teamwork and team cohesion.

To answer the question of how the applicant is going to achieve success in a new position, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the requirements for the vacancy in detail in advance. After analyzing the information, an experienced manager is able to outline at least an approximate direction for the company's development.

One of the key topics that will have to be discussed at the interview is employee management. In particular, the applicant will be asked about the ways to motivate staff, which he knows about and which he used earlier. This aspect should concern not only a certain period of time: an experienced leader should know how to further develop the system of relationships between employees and how to increase motivation.

Questions about the former failures of the applicant for a vacancy are natural. In this case, you need to tell not only about punctures and mistakes, but also inform the personnel department about how the problems were solved. As for the development of personnel, in almost all cases it is necessary to insist on the need for trainings, seminars, various training sessions aimed at increasing the level of qualifications of employees.

According to the answers and the information provided, the employees of the personnel department sum up, while taking into account the possible actions of the manager in the future. Therefore, every question, especially such an important one as, should be thought over very carefully.


The Executive Hiring Interviewer must meet the following requirements:

  • know the structure of the company, its profile direction
  • have information about the state of affairs in the company and why there was a need for a new leader
  • have communication skills
  • master stress relief techniques
  • understand verbal and non-verbal cues
  • study the requirements of the company 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 the applicant for a leadership position is already a leader who is different from the rest. He must understand that he is in demand and independent, so such an applicant always has a choice. Therefore, to interest the company of such a candidate is one of the tasks of the recruiter.

Leader - what is he?

Unfortunately, not every applicant for a managerial position meets all the requirements. It is rare to find a person who fully corresponds not only profile direction enterprises, but also possessing proven skills in personnel management.

The most that most so-called managers are capable of is to expound the bearded functions of personnel management from management textbooks. Also, often in the 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 position of the head. What qualities, skills and knowledge should a person who can really be an effective leader have:

  • High level of intelligence, initiative, self-organization, non-standard thinking.
  • Making independent decisions and being responsible for them.
  • Optimum use of new knowledge, innovation and commercial situations.
  • Quick adaptation to drastic change market conditions and labor organization.
  • Adequate behavioral responses to extreme situations and conflicts.
  • Ability to plan, define goals, set tasks and provide conditions for their implementation.
  • Possess communication skills at all levels.
  • Possession of communication skills for interaction with partners, clients, subordinates and company management.

Step by step interview plan

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


When conducting the interview itself, you must remember the rule: attract and retain the best leader.

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 an applicant for a managerial position. For this, various methods are used, including several types of interviews.

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

A situational interview involves setting a candidate a work task or situation that he must solve. The level of efficiency in the implementation of the problem posed will allow you to find out professional and analytical skills, 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 quite often used by employers, but it is completely ineffective for selection to managerial 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 the set task shows the level of interaction with the company's employees, compliance professional qualities setting goals and allocating responsibilities.

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

Top 5 Tricky Questions

A person with all the qualities and courage to assert himself as a leader most likely knows exactly how to answer a series of standard questions that the employer will try to confound the candidate. It is much more interesting to know how to react to tricky questions:


When asking questions for a candidate, the employer must take into account what he first of all wants to receive from the future leader - leadership qualities, professional skills, or both.

Recommendations for a candidate for a managerial position

Most interviews are conducted by ordinary line managers, and they follow standard patterns. If an experienced recruiter or senior management of the company took up the matter, here you need to prepare for surprises. In any case, the most sincere behavior will set the interlocutors in the most benevolent mood. When answering tricky questions, the future leader is expected not to find out the essence, but to see the reaction and trace the analytical skills. Therefore, the candidate should not be shy and even embellish reality a little, but approach the answer creatively.

During the interview, it is recommended to remain calm, confidently look into the eyes of the interlocutor, and ask questions. When preparing for an interview, you should as much as possible, its professional direction and principles of work. This will give you a better idea of ​​what the future employer can expect.

At the end of the interview, you can sum up your own conclusion by asking the interviewer whether he received all the necessary information. This will create the impression of self-confidence and capabilities.

Write your question in the form below

Discussion: there is 1 comment

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

    Answer

We all know the common phrase: "The soldier who does not dream of becoming a general is bad." Let us disagree with her, because in the pharmaceutical market there are often examples when successful specialists are not at all interested in career growth due to a change in responsibilities. After all, for example, for a medical representative, a higher position of a regional manager implies a new level of responsibility and a large number of business trips, and for the first-time pharmacist, the position of head of a pharmacy can mean an increase in the length of the working day, managerial functions and financial responsibility. Nevertheless, this article is aimed at those specialists in the pharmaceutical market who are interested in increasing.

Possible career development options

There are two options to consider separately. career development: Promotion within your own company or promotion to a higher position in a new company.

The “promotion within your company” option may seem easier: it is enough to be an effective employee and grow within your competencies, indicate your career ambitions to your immediate supervisor and wait for the appropriate position to appear. However, this is not always easy to implement in practice for a number of reasons.

Firstly, the structure of the company may not imply the existence of an appropriate position, especially if we are talking not about the central Moscow office, but about working in the regions.

Secondly, the leader may not always be interested in the fact that an effective specialist who consistently fulfills the plan leaves his team.

Therefore, it often turns out that it is easier to advance in a position in a new company. However, in this case, we suggest that you be patient, since not every company that announces a competition for a managerial position is ready to consider candidates without experience in the relevant position. Nevertheless, such positions periodically appear on the market. Consider how to prepare for the competition for a leadership position.

Find a mentor

First, enlist the support of one of the current managers - this may be your current leader, if you have developed a trusting professional relationship with him. It often happens that an experienced and competent manager, seeing that an employee of his team has grown professionally, but the regional structure of the company does not provide an opportunity for his career growth, he himself is internally ready for a dialogue on this topic. After all, a professionally burned-out employee who is no longer interested in his functionality often ceases to bring results to the team. In this case, you can act openly: indicate your career ambitions to the manager and agree that he will help you develop the relevant competencies. In turn, you will continue to work without compromising efficiency in your current position until you have the opportunity to leave the team with a promotion. However, this is an ideal option, which is not so common in practice. If, for one reason or another, you do not want to discuss the issue of career development with your immediate supervisor, then a manager from a third-party company, for example, your supervisor from a previous job, can become your mentor in this matter.

Contact a professional recruiter

You can get useful advice at a recruiting agency. Make a professional acquaintance with a consultant who selects employees for the positions of regional managers. Not a single competent recruiter will refuse to help you and give advice on how best to get an interview in a particular company, what competencies are important for the position you are applying for, how best to “sell” your experience and skills. In addition, he will talk about what is known in the market about this company, whether there are any "pitfalls". After all, every consultant of a recruitment agency understands that today you are a candidate, and tomorrow you can become his client.

Read specialized literature

Not possessing practical experience performing certain (in this case, managerial) tasks, you need to ideally prepare theoretically in order to clearly understand the entire scope of the functionality during the interview. Refer to professional literature. S.V. Paukov, widely known for his "Guide for a Medical Representative of a Pharmaceutical Company", is also the author of the book "Regional Management". Of course, there are other books and publications on this topic, which can be found both on the Internet and in the relevant sections of bookstores. We also recommend reading the relevant forums and thematic sections of pharmaceutical sites.

Do you want to know what skills you need to "pump" in order to become a good leader? Take part in the webinar What qualities should a real leader have? November 23 at 13:00 Moscow time!

Expand your functionality

Preparing for an interview for more high position And don't forget about practice. If this is correct in your case, ask the manager to delegate some of his duties to you. Many managers will gladly hand over some of their tasks to you, as this allows them to offload themselves. For you, this is an invaluable opportunity: in an interview, you can say with confidence that you have necessary skills. In addition, part of the competition for a managerial position in pharmaceutical companies is often an assessment center (a method of comprehensive personnel assessment, which includes tests and business games), where, as a rule, the skills of applicants are tested on specific cases. In this case, you will need personal experience performing a number of managerial tasks.