Managers wield a significant influence on a company’s success, impacting everything from productivity and adaptability to talent retention. Yet, surprisingly, 66% of managers have never received formal leadership training, resulting in the phenomenon of “accidental managers.” Selecting the right leadership interview questions—and spotting potential red flags—can help you evaluate if a candidate is truly prepared for a management role.
Not carefully vetting management candidates can lead to serious consequences, including increased turnover and low morale. However, when hiring is done well, employees are 2.5 times more likely to stay engaged and put in extra effort under exceptional managers. Here’s how to structure leadership interview questions that can help you hire outstanding leaders.
Five Core Leadership Qualities to Evaluate in Interviews
A significant number of managers step into leadership roles without actively seeking them, often due to company need. This can leave critical gaps in the skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively. Below are five essential attributes every strong manager should possess, with interview questions to help assess each one.
1. Visionary Thinking
Exceptional leaders can connect day-to-day tasks to long-term goals, enabling them to guide teams toward broader objectives. Visionary leaders know how to inspire collaboration and support initiatives that align with the company’s mission.
Visionary Thinking Interview Questions
How do you prioritize tasks that are important but not urgent?
Can you communicate your strategy to executives, peers, and direct reports?
How do you consider the impact of your work on other departments?
How do you maintain a long-term vision amidst daily operational demands?
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about pursuing a vision?
2. Growth Mindset
A growth mindset—believing that skills and intelligence can be developed—is crucial for leadership. Leaders with this mindset are more resilient, persistent, and open to learning, enabling them to handle challenges better.
Growth Mindset Interview Questions
How do you respond when a project doesn’t yield expected results?
What approach do you take to learn new skills or unfamiliar technologies?
What role has mentorship played in your career growth?
How do you encourage others to take ownership of their growth?
Describe a time when you learned something valuable from someone with less experience.
3. Strategic Decision-Making
Strong managers align their decisions with company goals and adapt as conditions evolve. A strategic approach requires balancing immediate needs with long-term goals and making thoughtful choices that support both the team and the organization.
Strategic Decision-Making Interview Questions
What factors do you consider when creating a growth strategy?
Tell me about a time you conducted a competitive analysis. What did you learn?
How do you involve others in developing a strategy?
How do you balance short-term objectives with long-term planning?
What’s your approach to resource allocation like budgets, people, and tools?
4. Team Building and Empowerment
Effective managers set the direction and create an environment where team members can thrive. They protect their teams from external pressures and advocate for their development, building a strong and supportive workplace culture.
Team Building and Empowerment Interview Questions
How do you provide feedback and coaching to your team?
What’s your approach to managing stress within your team?
How do you navigate workplace politics?
How do you recognize and reward team success?
How do you set and manage performance goals for your team?
5. Results-Driven Leadership
A results-driven manager keeps teams focused on common objectives, adjusting support and expectations to help achieve these goals. They understand when to push harder and when to provide extra support, ensuring that results are sustainable and the team is motivated.
Results-Driven Leadership Interview Questions
Describe a time you redistributed work to meet a tight deadline.
Tell me about a decision you made based on data analysis.
Share a time you took ownership of a mistake and how you resolved it.
How do you set and monitor progress on goals with your team members?
Describe your approach to improving underperforming processes or systems.
Assessing Cultural Fit in Leadership Candidates
Hiring leaders who align with your company’s values is essential for maintaining a strong, positive culture. Here are some tips to help evaluate leadership candidates for cultural fit, along with questions tailored for this purpose.
Tips for Evaluating Cultural Fit
Establish clear criteria: Document cultural attributes you want to assess and include them in the interview scorecard.
Use open-ended questions: These can help reveal a candidate’s genuine feelings and allow you to pick up on nonverbal cues.
Implement a structured interview process: Ensure fairness by asking the same questions to every candidate for the same role.
Identify and manage biases: Take bias training or read up on DEI practices to neutralize biases.
Use a scorecard: This helps standardize evaluations and allows hiring teams to compare candidates objectively.
Culture Fit Interview Questions
What does work-life balance mean to you?
Describe the work environment in which you perform best.
How do you integrate new team members?
How do you manage a diverse team?
Can you give an example of upholding company values in previous roles?
Recognizing Leadership Red Flags
Alongside positive attributes, it’s essential to watch for warning signs that indicate a candidate may not be a fit for a leadership role. Here are some red flags to look out for:
Inconsistent Body Language or Tone: Pay attention if a candidate’s tone or body language seems forced or mismatched with their answers.
Pro tip: Be mindful of neurodivergent candidates who may have unique nonverbal communication styles.
Being Overly Specific or Long-Winded: Detailed answers are great, but over-prepared responses or a “dissertation” approach to every question can indicate a lack of adaptability.
Being Vague or General: Candidates who lack details may be unprepared or misaligned with the role.
Pro tip: Use follow-up questions with the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to encourage clarity.
Contradictory Answers: Inconsistent responses suggest poor attention to detail or even dishonesty, qualities that undermine confidence in a leader.
Bonus Tip: Empower Leaders to Make Better Hiring Decisions
When you hire managers, remember that they, too, will soon make hiring decisions. Give them the tools to build effective teams from the start. An AI-enabled hiring system, like SmartRecruiters, can streamline tasks such as scheduling and candidate discovery, helping leaders to make efficient, data-driven hiring choices. For example, JYSK, a global retailer, empowered their managers with SmartRecruiters, reducing their hiring times by 64%.
