Management Interview Questions & Answers

The application was in various stages.

1: Online application and competency based questionnaire.
This was your average competency questionnaire ('Give an example of when you demonstrated leadership?' etc), along with questions such as 'Why Aldi?'.

2: Several weeks after filling in the online application I was invited to the regional HQ for a group interview.
This was with the regional MD and about 10-15 other applicants. It was very informal; and was a question and answer situation. A word of advice is to make sure you speak up and be heard. It's too easy to fall into the background in formats like this, and as the MD is only choosing a few of you, you should aim to make him remember you. I heard back the next day saying I had been selected to advance to the next round, and was asked to fill in an online psychometric test. This basically is looking to see if you fit the role they're looking for. So a tip: answer all the leadership questions as very relevant to you!

3: I was then invited to a 2:1 interview with the regional MD (from the first interview) and their logistics director.
Before the interview began, I was given some numerical and verbal reasoning tests to complete. You get 20 minutes for 3 pages of tests. No calculator, so I suggest brushing up on maths involving fractions, percentages and decimals!
Next, the interview. Again, this was very informal; and was a bit of a CV run through, but mostly a general chat about my background and reasoning behind my application.
Again, very prompt return and heard back in 2 days.

3. The final interview was with a current Area manager in store.
At this point, you are down to about a 1:3 chance of getting the job. This was again very informal. They give a run through of their lives and career and then ask for the same. Then it's a bit of a Q and A, to see if you have any questions you need answering. I suggest getting a few ready!

I heard back about a week later, and got offered two starting dates; one in Sept and one in Feb. I shall be taking the February date.

'Your degree was in .... and your masters was in.... so why Aldi?'
I find this a difficult question as most people's degrees aren't in business or a related field, so you have to be able to convince them that you want the job.

'What attracts you to the retail market at the moment?'

Again, just brush up on current news.

I would suggest before going into the initial interview, to get a good grasp of background knowledge of Aldi, but also what makes their business model different, and their current offers etc. If you can visit a store, that would be best. There are a lot of competitive candidates and you need to be able to stand out.

With regards to the second and third interviews; just be yourself, and be confident. They want you to instil confidence that you would be the right choice, and they want leaders. So when they ask why you want the job/why they should hire you, you need to be able to answer that.

Q and A. Numerical and Verbal tests.

I orginially found out about Enterprise-rent-a-car at a graduate fair at my University. I went over to the stand the women there were super friendly and they advised me to apply online. Once you have applied online your application is accepted or declined, mine was accepted and I was informed I would have a telephone interview. The telephone interview was to get to know me and look at my experience, and how my experience would help in the role. At the end of the telephone interview my interviewer told me she would like to meet me at a face to face interview at the regions headquarters. The interview was relaxed yet formal. She asked me competency questions like 'tell me a time where you have gone beyond expectation to help a customer', there were lots of these types of questions. At the end of the interview she said she would be in contact with me if I had been successful. By the time I had got home she rang me and told me that I had indeed been sucessful and she had arranged a branch visit. This included watching other members of staff and how the branch worked. After this I met with the branch manager and had a 30 minute formal interview with him. There was a lot of competency based questions. A week after the branch visit I was told they wanted to see me at the assessment centre.

Competency questions. In each interview they ask the same questions just worded differently. Make sure you have plenty of examples for them.

Know your stuff! They will ask you what you know about the company and what particular things you like about their values.
Be prepared with your examples for the competency questions, there are lots of them so be sure you know your information so you won't trip up on your own information.

When we first arrived we were put in a presentation room and we watched the talent acquisition manager give a short presentation about the company.
After this we were spilt in to two groups to have a discussion about a charity and we had to push our charity to get picked. I would recommend to be heard but do not take the lead and be too loud, the interviewers do not like this at all.
We had a short break then we were individually taken in to a room by an area manager for a role-play in an every day situation, this was fun as you get an insight in to the company.
After lunch time we had a test where we were given information about a branch and we had to prioritise tasks and find logical solutions for everyday problems. Finally we had another interview with an area manager, they asked us how we thought the day went and what roles we took in each of the tasks.
At the end of the day we were told we would be told within 24 hours if we were successful.

The full recruitment process involves answering numerous application questions, attending a centre interview, and then attending a full assessment day at the Head Office in Guildford. The centre interview involves being shown around one of your selected centres, and then being interviewed by two current directors. The interview is quite long and involves scenario questions, as well as competency questions. You are then observed tutoring the children for around 20-30 minutes. If you are successful, you are invited to their Head Office. This is a full day of assessments with around 13 other candidates, including a marketing presentation, a role play, a maths/english assessment, an interview, lunch at Zizzi's with the interviewers, and a group task with a presentation.

We were given scenario questions and asked what we would do in certain situations, many of which we may not have encountered before.

Ensure that you are very interactive with the children during your centre interview - don't be afraid to get stuck in as if you are their tutor. The key is to build a rapport with the children in the zones you are assigned to. Be enthusiastic and make sure you know a lot about the company, and are prepared to think on your feet on be creative on the assessment day.

Aside from interviews, we also had tasks that required confidence and thinking on our feet. One of these was all having to write a word on a piece of paper, putting them all into a bowl, and then picking one of the pieces of paper and immediately talking non-stop about that word for a minute in front of the group and assessors. We also had a group task to agree on an order of importance for specific items and then presenting our ideas to the assessors, whilst answering their questions about our decisions.

The interview was conducted by a Manager who was previously a Graduate trainee and a HR officer. The Manager did most of the talking whilst the HR Officer made some notes. The questions started off fairly simple, what do you know about National Express. Then when they got into the competency based questions, they were predominantly based on teamwork, organisation and project management. One thing I noticed was that the questions are very similar to each other. I found that I had answered the questions in previous questions. They are pretty much what is expected: why do you want to work for us, name a time when you got someone to share your thoughts, name a time when you persuaded someone to follow your views etc etc. It was a fairly laidback interview. It was more of a conversation, the interviewer was engaging in dialogue when I responded.

Name a time when you've gone above and beyond the call of duty?

When compiling the presentation, make sure you know what you are talking about and then make sure you know what you are talking about. Relax and enjoy the day, make the most of the resources. There are a lot of exec members there on the days, as well as current and previous graduates. Use them and their knowledge!

the day was staggered for each of us, at different points of the day we were taken to do different things. The day started off with an introduction from the one of the Exec Team, briefing us for the day and National Express. The group task was essentially a situation based case study, we had 15mins individual time to read the case study, then 30 mins to discuss as a group and reach a conclusion with 10mins to feedback.

We had to give a 15 min presentation on the pre-allocated topic that was highlighted in the invite email.

At this stage of the process there was no formal interview with one candidate at a time, but there were some individual and group tasks to complete. We were given about ten minutes to do the first individual task before moving on to discuss it in a group of about five people. This stage lasted about 40 minutes, and there were members of staff in the room watching each of us, taking notes on our interaction. They were not able to speak or give guidance during that stage. After that, we were each asked to prepare a presentation individually, then deliver it to one member of staff.

There were no questions asked directly in the normal interview format.

There are several positions available around the country, and Network Rail hires a fresh intake every year so there are always new graduates. It is worth getting to know something about your local rail networks and stations, such as by observing whatever you can about difficulties or potential challenges. This will help you with examples when dealing with some of the questions that are asked.

About 60 graduates were invited to the new Network Rail building in Milton Keynes. We were welcomed very well, and required to do a few assessments. The first was to think about as many solutions as possible to a potential railway problem. Then we had to discuss them in a group and come up with a strategy for solving them. The second half of the day was preparing for and delivering a presentation on one of those issues to one assessor.

It began with a tour of the Explore Learning Centre before sitting down with 2 of the 3 managers and having an interview. The atmosphere was informal, although be sure to dress appropriately. The interview was about 40 mins long, beginning with questions about experience, the part of the job you think you'll succeed in most, and your chance to ask any questions.
Lastly, There's the opportunity to interact with the children and you're observed while doing this.

The role play was most difficult for me. The topic was given the day before (via email) - I had to sell a gym membership. A tip for this is to bring your own material, eg business card, flyer, etc.

The environment is relaxed and informal, it really puts you at ease. Be sure to check Explore Learning's website prior to the interview as some questions are there to nite your preparation for the interview.

After the interview there's an assessment centre, however I did not get through to this.

The process began with an online application with competency questions and motivations for the role and working for Mercedes-Benz.

Secondly, candidates completed online numeracy tests.

The third stage was a first round of interviews at a MB site, lasting for half a day. These were conducted by an external recruitment company and focussed on competencies. It was a very guided interview, essentially ensuring your interests and experiences could tick boxes on the interviewer's record sheet.

The next stage was an assessment centre, again held at a MB site.

Afterwards, there was a phone interview with the CAReer team at the MB headquarters in Stuttgart. Again, this interview focussed on competencies and motivations for the role and also included some questions in German for candidates who had indicated German language skills on their application.

Successful candidates were then due to be sent a further set of online tests before final selections were made, however I withdrew from the process before reaching this stage.

*Please note that the 2013 process was highly unsatisfactory, extending over a period of 8 months*.
I submitted my original application at the end of January and received no further correspondence from MB until mid-June when the online tests were sent. The interviews and assessment centre took place in July and further phone interviews and testing were in August (NB. the assessment centre was supposed to be the final stage - MB added additional stages at the last minute). The role was due to begin at the start of September, leaving candidates with little more than a fortnight to make arrangements. Nobody was able to answer my questions about the progress of my application and the reasons for the unacceptable delays. The staff running the hotline number provided on the website do not seem to have real knowledge of the scheme (I was given the impression that they were reading from a script to answer candidates queries and struggled to help me when I deviated from a question they expected).

The role play element of the assessment centre was most challenging, particularly weighing up the protection of company profits against providing outstanding customer service.

Do not set your heart on the MB Graduate Scheme as they can very quickly change their requirements (e.g. one of the other schemes was cancelled last year and they also changed their minds about the overall number of graduates they would take on (4 instead of 6)) and be sure to make contingency plans in case you are unsuccessful. The process was dragged out right up until a couple of weeks before the anticipated start date, therefore unsuccessful candidates could very easily be left without plans at a very late stage in proceedings.

This was an extremely demanding day involving a presentation about the company and the scheme, Q&A sessions with the previous year's graduates, a group exercise, an individual interview, a presentation and a role play (about customer service).

The website about the graduate scheme stated that the assessment centre was the fourth and final stage of the application process, however, candidates were informed at the conclusion of the assessment centre that Mercedes-Benz had in fact extended the process this year, with an additional phone interview and further online tests.

It was a test online to get through to the assessment centre then once passed there were various tasks on the assessment day. Only about 9 people on my course started with a quick presentation and then given two booklets one for answering the other with scenarios.
The booklet had rota questions numerical questions, personality questions, competency questions and customer care questions. The task was to prioritise and only do so many tasks that were required.
Then everybody took turns in different scenarios, one was like an interview on to one and then a role play with customers and then a team task.

The numerical questions and the rota questions, if you haven't done Rita's for a large number before. You had to be quick and think of boots expectations constantly.

Be prepared and know about boots and be really really critical of their stores when going in as pre-work to see what you think
I did get offered role as an assistant manager though.

Great day was put off by how many of the guys on my day already worked for boots

First I sent away my application online, and then found out I had an online assessment to complete, composed of 3 elements: numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and logic. Then a couple of days later I found out I had got through to the next stage which was an e-tray exercise. This was a system simulating an email inbox with emails coming in, and I had to prioritise them, using a set of rules given to me. A couple of days later, I had an email telling me I had again been successful and I had 3 days to complete a video interview. It was my first time doing a video interview so it was very daunting! I researched Morrisons, the role and matched my skills to the company's values, and made sure I had revised competency questions. The actual video interview was very surreal as all I could see on the screen was the questions and my own picture, but if you just keep calm, don't waffle on, and seem confident and show a bit of your own personality, you'll do great.

In the video interview, I had a couple of situation-based questions which are fine if you keep in the mindset of a manager. I then had one asking why I wanted to work for Morrisons, which again is fine if you've fully researched the company.

Always be very confident, friendly, make your personality shine through. Show your passion and how hard-working you are and you will not go far wrong.

I was very nervous but I was only with 6 other candidates who were all really nice, and the 4 senior management panel and 2 graduate resourcing team were also friendly. We had an icebreaker, then preparation for a presentation. We then delivered our presentations individually, infront of 2 members of Morrisons and two other candidates. After this, we had our one-on-one interviews with a member of the senior management team. For this interview, I recommend matching your skills with the company's value, and having examples to back up your claims. If these are well-rehearsed and concise, and you are able to convey them confidently, then I have no doubt you will do well. We then had an in-tray exercise where we had to prioritise the work of a trainee manager on a piece of paper, and articulate why. Lastly, we had a group exercise where we had to decide out of a group of 12 people on a sinking boat, who we would save, arguing our points among us, then delivering a short presentation to the team. In this, it is essential you take a leading role from the very beginning, including everyone, not simply dictating.

The online application was straightforward. Personal details, education, work experience and any additional information (achievements, training etc..).

The next stage was a 30-minute telephone interview with a talent acquisition manager (this person was also at the assessment centre). We discussed the main points on my CV and then moved on to competency questions. These were in line with the jobs competencies (leadership, team work, sales, customer service, decision making...) so have some examples prepared!

The next stage was a branch visit. At the start, I was set a task by the branch manager to obtain specific information from all the employees at the branch (time at company, likes/dislikes of the job, hobbies etc...). This was an exercise to measure communication skills and get an idea of my personality. I then sat down with the manager and talked about the interview process and a normal day in the role amongst other things.
As this stage takes place at a working branch, you get to experience day-to-day tasks of the job. I experienced a complaint and went to pick up a customer during my visit.
After this, I completed an interview with the branch manager, which lasted around 40 minutes. There were several competency-based questions for each core competency of the job.

The next stage was the assessment center.

Be fully prepared for an expansive range of competency based questions which are designed to test both your prior experiences and how closely aligned these are with the core competencies of the position.
Take time to compose your answers as any gaps will be picked up on and scrutinised irrespective of your academic achievements and transferable work experience, knowledge and skills.

Assessment day activities. Make sure you practice them!

Research the company and the industry fully. They don't expect you to know everything but the more you know the easier the process will be.

Be sure to use a range of examples from your past work experiences and use the STAR model (situation, task, action, result) when answering, as this will ensure your answers are concise and you actually answer the question!

Prepare for how to act in the activities during the assessment day. The outcome of activities is not necessarily the most important aspect (although you should meet the objectives!). But rather what role you play within the group, how you justify your actions in the individual activity and how you act in the role-plays.
I've been to a few of these now and I see how some people struggle to perform well in a group activity, as they were uninvolved or too aggressive!

A full day that consisted of; a group exercise, an individual exercise, role-play scenarios and a final interview.

Group exercise- We were all given information of the organisations background along with its core values. Also, we were each given a different business initiative and had to argue why our own should be chosen. We had a budget (meaning only a couple could be chosen) and had 30 minutes to decide which the group would choose, along with reasoning???s to be presented to the finance board (area managers).

Individual exercise- I was given 30 minutes to organise a day in the life of a branch manager. Of course, this was not made straight forward as employees had called in sick, cars were not ready to go out, the correct type of cars were not available for customers etc... I had to address this and draw up a fleet plan, employee duties plan, deal with customers and other issues.
As was explained, there was no one correct way to complete this, but I had to justify my plan.
The assessor was quite thorough and went through my whole plan, ensuring there was no holes in it. Probably the most difficult part of the day for me!

Role plays-2 different scenarios.
1. A customer service scenario, where a customer had not taken out the insurance waiver thus had to pay £500 before they left to cover damages that had incurred while they had the car.
2. A sales scenario, where a customer had booked a basic car with zero extras. I had to encourage sales through upgrading to a higher category car and get the insurance waiver.
The assessor played the part well (must have seen it too many times!) and made both scenarios difficult for me!

Final interview: Again, a competency based interview to measure experiences against competencies of the job role. Lasted around 40 minutes.