Job Interview Questions and Answers

Tag: supervisor

  • Evaluate the worst supervisor you’ve ever had?

    This question is very similar to the question that asks you to describe the best supervisor you have ever had. Both questions are quite common when interviewing, regardless of the type of job you are interviewing for. The interviewer is attempting to find out whether you are the type of employee who would blame others or who might carry a grudge when they ask this type of question.

    There are many different ways in which this question can be answered, but your answer should not focus on discussing the supervisor in a negative fashion. That is not the goal in answering this question. While you very well might be able to ramble on about how your worst supervisor was and precisely why he or she was such a bad boss, this is not the correct way to answer this question. Instead of focusing on why your boss was unsatisfactory, you should instead focus on what you learned from that experience. Even when a supervisor is not the best, there is still something that can be learned. This is what you need to demonstrate when answering this type of question.

    If you go into too many negative details about previous managers, it is going to alert the interviewer that you may have a problem with supervision and authority. This could be interpreted to mean that you might be a difficult employee. Keep in mind that even if there was something negative about a prior boss, you should always try to find something positive to focus your answer on. Also, remember that you answer should be based in fact and should not be based on just your own opinion.

    For example, you might state that your prior supervisor preferred for staff to be able to work in an independent manner. As a result, this meant that you needed to learn how to work independently quickly and learn how to find solutions on your own. This type of answer demonstrates positive facts about your supervisor. In addition, while those facts could have been negative, you are turning them into something positive while also demonstrating what you learned from that experience. Through this answer you have not criticized your supervisor but at the same time you have utilized the opportunity to focus on your own abilities and how you used that situation to grow professionally.

    This question is very similar to the question that asks you to describe the best supervisor you have ever had. Both questions are quite common when interviewing, regardless of the type of job you are interviewing for. The interviewer is attempting to find out whether you are the type of employee who would blame others or who might carry a grudge when they ask this type of question.

    There are many different ways in which this question can be answered, but your answer should not focus on discussing the supervisor in a negative fashion. That is not the goal in answering this question. While you very well might be able to ramble on about how your worst supervisor was and precisely why he or she was such a bad boss, this is not the correct way to answer this question. Instead of focusing on why your boss was unsatisfactory, you should instead focus on what you learned from that experience. Even when a supervisor is not the best, there is still something that can be learned. This is what you need to demonstrate when answering this type of question.

    If you go into too many negative details about previous managers, it is going to alert the interviewer that you may have a problem with supervision and authority. This could be interpreted to mean that you might be a difficult employee. Keep in mind that even if there was something negative about a prior boss, you should always try to find something positive to focus your answer on. Also, remember that you answer should be based in fact and should not be based on just your own opinion.

    For example, you might state that your prior supervisor preferred for staff to be able to work in an independent manner. As a result, this meant that you needed to learn how to work independently quickly and learn how to find solutions on your own. This type of answer demonstrates positive facts about your supervisor. In addition, while those facts could have been negative, you are turning them into something positive while also demonstrating what you learned from that experience. Through this answer you have not criticized your supervisor but at the same time you have utilized the opportunity to focus on your own abilities and how you used that situation to grow professionally.

  • Evaluate the best supervisor you’ve ever had?

    This is a question that you must be extremely careful with. The person who is interviewing you for the current job may very well be your future supervisor so they are looking for some critical information in your response to this question.

    Your answer needs to demonstrate that you have a solid understanding of what makes a good supervisor. By asking this question the interviewer is attempting to discover how you respond to supervision and what they can expect if they should hire you for the open position.

    Therefore, it is critical to carefully prepare an answer to this type of question. Remember that you never want to say anything negative about a former supervisor because the interviewer will naturally assume that if you are willing to discuss a former boss negatively that you might do the same to them if they should hire you for the job. Instead, you want to focus on discussing the good qualities of a former supervisor that you performed well under. For example, you might say that he or she was a good supervisor because they had an open door policy and supervised staff with a balanced and fair approach.

    It can be difficult to know what the supervisory policy is in the company where you are interviewing and exactly what they are looking for in your response, so to some degree your response to this question should be somewhat generic. You should not go into a lot of details when you are answering this question because becoming too detailed in your response can lead you into trouble.

    Instead, focus on describing a supervisor that you felt was fair and supportive. Keep in mind that you never want to leave the impression with your response that you carry a grudge or that you assess blame in any way. The key is to make sure that you indicate what you were able to learn from a supervisor. This reflects well on you and demonstrates to the employer that you are willing to listen and have a desire to learn in order to improve your abilities. Ultimately, the interviewer is not seeking information about your former bosses but more importantly information about you. Keep this in mind and you will be able to handle this question without any problems.

  • What kind of supervisor would you be?

    This question may be posed to you whether you are interviewing for management or not, but if you are interviewing for a supervisory position then you can be almost certain that at some point this question or a variation of it will be presented to you. The best way to handle this question is to make sure that you avoid using any type of labels in your response. Some of the most common types of labels that are used when answering this question include taking a consensus approach or being a progressive manager. This may sound good when you are practicing for an interview, but it can quickly land you in trouble. The reason for this is that different management labels can mean different things to different people. While a particular style might sound find to you, it could mean something entirely different to someone else and if you provide a response that the interviewer understands differently you could easily lose the interview over responding to this one question.

    Instead, you should frame your response so that it will indicate you would manage based on the particular situation at that particular time. This is a very safe answer because it is basically a response that will apply across the board. Using this tactic is also a very safe strategy when you have not actually had any management experience but you are presented with this question anyway. The situational style response will ensure that the interviewer knows you understand that every situation is unique and different and calls for discernment based on that situation. Regardless of the particular management style the interviewer prefers or is even looking for, this answer will ensure that you are able to easily steer clear of any dangerous ground and remain neutral.

    Remember when you are answering interview questions, in most cases, you want to avoid answers that could be controversial. You just never know when an answer that you provide could be the exact opposite of what the interviewer is looking for. Since you are not able to read the interviewer’s mind, the best course of action is to stick with answers that are as neutral as possible in order to avoid accidentally venturing into a mine field that could cause you to blow the interviewer and lose out on the prospect of getting the job.