New Manager Mock Interview
Practice 40 New Manager interview questions covering leadership transition, team dynamics, and first-time management challenges.
Question 8 of 40
Managers should be strong problem solvers. Talk about a time when you solved an important issue in the workplace.
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
When approaching this question, it's important first to understand what makes a strong problem-solver. A great problem solver can quickly assess an issue, identify the factors at the core of the issue, brainstorm options for repairing the issue, implement a plan to solve the problem, and assess whether their course of action was the most suitable. From that point, a great problem solver will know how to avoid the issue in the future. They can also adapt their solution as needed to ensure a suitable outcome.
Provide the interviewer with an example of a time when you solved an important issue in the workplace. When giving your story-based example, try using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) answer method to form a response that is clear and easy to follow.
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"When I first started as a Sales Associate for Company XYZ, I inherited a neglected client portfolio. In addition to repairing client relationships, I was also required to build the portfolio through new business development activities. As a new associate to the team, I wanted to make a strong impression on my boss and team members. I prepared a call schedule to ensure I touched base with every existing client within my first 10 days. I also allotted a fair amount of time to new business development activities such as cold calling and emailing. For the first 10 days, I worked twelve hours a day to ensure that I met my ambitious goals. By quickly reaching out to every neglected client, I built trust. I introduced myself and showed that I was a go-getter rather than just 'telling' the client that I was there for them. I solved my portfolio backlog in no time. My new manager expressed great enthusiasm for my ability to take the issue, engineer a solution, and work hard to repair this broken book of business. Now, I look forward to taking my ambition and ability to strategize solutions as a manager for Company ABC."
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