How to Answer: Tell me about your experience with managing others. Who have you led, and how would you describe your management style?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Security Manager job interview.
34. Tell me about your experience with managing others. Who have you led, and how would you describe your management style?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
The interviewer asks this question to determine if your management style and leadership skills align with the company culture. When you walk the interviewer through your existing management or leadership experience, you may want to approach the question using the Past, Present, Future framework.
- Past: Provide a brief overview of your management journey.
- Present: Discuss your current management responsibilities related to the job opportunity.
- Future: Talk about your leadership aspirations and how this future opportunity is a fit.
This framework will help you keep your answer to this open-ended, multi-part question highly targeted and on track.
If you have experience supervising staff, writing performance reviews, coaching employees, hiring, interviewing, terminating, scheduling, or motivating teams, discuss these experiences and how you have approached them in the past.
Written by Krista Wenz on February 24th, 2022
Focus Your Answer On
Think about the aspects of management in which you excel and the factors that have contributed to your success as a manager and leader. Focus on any management or leadership training courses you have completed that contribute to your ability to manage teams successfully. Show that you are ready to take on the management challenges of this role.
Written by Krista Wenz on February 24th, 2022
What to Avoid
If possible, find out the company's management style you are interviewing with and match your style with the organization's. If you know the company's general management style and culture, you can then avoid saying your style is the opposite.
Written by Krista Wenz on February 24th, 2022
Entry Level Example
"In University, I displayed management and leadership by leading many group projects, study groups, and even a couple of campus community volunteer efforts. I enjoyed the chance to put groups of people together to make a difference in the lives and habits of others. Currently, I lead a small team of security officers. I train them on best practices and ensure they are fully onboarded and comfortable in their role. I also act as a point of contact should they have questions about policy and procedures. Moving forward, I am excited to join a firm like yours in the role of Security Manager. I will bring my best management and leadership skills to this role, which include listening openly and showing a dedication to the growth and learning of others."
Written by Rachelle Enns on July 22nd, 2020
Answer Example
"I have been a part of leadership teams since I was young. I was the captain of my soccer team, and in high school, I put together a team of volunteers to do neighborhood clean-up on the weekends. When I was a Security Lead for a small firm, I guided teams of security officers deployed to festivals, concerts, and large sporting events. I felt challenged by the sheer scale of the events and met these challenges by using open and consistent communication with my team of eight security officers. I am currently coaching a self-defense program for youth in my community. These experiences have taught me about effective leadership, and I am eager to take on even more management responsibilities as a Security Manager. Overall, I describe my leadership and management style as transparent, actionable, and honest. I know that with everything I do, someone is watching my example. For that reason, I am sure to exude discipline and good character. There's a principle in management that I live by, and that is, 'what gets measured gets managed.' So I make sure to measure everything necessary, such as team and individual response times, the time it takes to resolve or contain a situation, and the number of incidences in a shift. This kind of information enables me to continually improve my knowledge as a Security Manager but also provide better-targeted training to those I lead."
Written by Krista Wenz on February 24th, 2022