26 Essential Hiring Manager Interview Questions + Expert Answers

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During the job interview, a hiring manager asks multiple questions to make sure you are the right fit for the company and role. Your success in the interview process often depends on how you answer these questions and if your responses are aligned with what the hiring person expects from a successful candidates.

Topics	Details
General Questions
1. Tell me about yourself.	details...
2. Walk me through your resume.	details...
3. Why do you want to work here?	details...
4. What do you know about this company?	details...
5. What are your salary expectations?	details...
6. When can you start?	details...
7. Are you willing to relocate?	details...
Experience and Skills
8. Tell me about your work experience.	details...
9. What is your greatest professional achievement?	details...
10. Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills.	details...
11. Tell me about a challenge or conflict you've faced at work, and how you dealt with it.	details...
12. What are your greatest strengths?	details...
13. What are your weaknesses?	details...
Personal attributes and characteristics
14. Tell me about a time you made a mistake.	details...
15. How do you handle stress at work?	details...
16. How do you prioritize your work?	details...
17. What motivates you?	details...
18. How do you like to be managed?	details...
Cultural Fit
19. What type of work environment do you prefer?	details...
20. How do you interact with a team?	details...
21. What makes you unique?	details...
22. What do you like to do outside of work?	details...
23. Do you consider yourself successful?	details...
Career Goals
24. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?	details...
25. Why did you choose this career?	details...
26. Can you explain why you changed career paths?	details...

To help you feel more confident during the hiring process, we prepared a list of the most common questions that hiring managers ask with hints on how to respond to them. Go through them to ace your next job interview!

How to use this list? We grouped popular interview questions by categories for your convenience. Click on the question that interests you and jump to its description.

Job interviews are the place to make an impression on a recruiter and learn more about the role and the company. Here are some statistics about the interviews that will help you prepare better:

73% of job-seekers state that job interviews are one of the most stressful situations in life;
The typical interview success rate is 20%. It means that 1 in 5 candidates will get a desired job offer after the interview;
67% of hiring managers believe that not making an eye contact is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make during the job interview.
49% of employers know within the first minutes if the candidate is a good fit for the position.

According to surveys, over 70% of hiring decisions are made based on interview performance. Many applicants make common resume mistakes you should avoid, even if they are qualified. One of the best strategies to use is to prepare answering typical questions that a person in an HR manager position might ask.

There are typical questions that you will hear at every HR manager interview, and by doing the homework, you'll boost your chances for success. Below, you'll find the most popular questions with strategies for building an effective response. Go through the questions, plan your answers, and head to the next job interview with confidence!

General Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.

This is the most popular interview question. 93% of hiring managers ask them when interviewing someone for an open position. When answering it, be sure to present your skills and experience to give the interviewer a big picture about your areas of expertise. An interviewer also wants to see your passion, energy, and enthusiasm.

Your answer should reflect accomplishments and use powerful resume words to show value. Example:

"I am a certified Digital Marketing Manager with 7+ years of experience, focusing primarily in driving rapid online growth and brand awareness for retail brands. In my previous role as Senior Digital Marketing Manager at ABC Company, I developed and executed a digital marketing strategy that resulted in a 40% increase in organic website traffic and a 35% boost in lead generation. I've also consistendly delivered results in SEO, social media marketing, and paid advertising".

2. Walk me through your resume.

This is one of the big picture questions where the interviewer wants to understand your career path and the logic behind your transitions. They want to hear your career story and see what projects/experiences you focus on to gain insights for the conversation. Plus, it helps them verify what's on your resume to make sure you're not stretching the truth.

3. Why do you want to work here?

An interviewer asks the potential team member this question to understand your motivation for joining the company. They also want to see if you've researched the company and team culture. When answering it, beware of generic answers. Mention something about the company that appeals to you and explain why this company is the great place to continue your career path.

Here's how to structure your answer:

Start with a brief intro that will summarize things for the HR manager interview. For example: "As you see from my resume, I've worked for 5 years for tech companies offering SaaS solutions".
Highlight key achievements. Focus on 2-3 major accomplishments relevant to the job description. Example: "I have acquired three major corporate clients in seven months".
Use the STAR method. Explain the challenging situation you faced in a previous role, task you had to achieve, actions you took, and a measurable result achieved. Example: "I was assigned to achieve growth for an underperforming region. I gathered constructive feedback from the team, analyzed market dynamics, and optimized sales team performance. In 12 months, I achieved a 45% increase in revenue."
Connect your skills to the job. Structure your own responses to focus on the needs of the target role. If they're looking to start a department from scratch, focus on this skill to look like a perfect candidate.

4. What do you know about this company?

This question is similar to the previous one. They want to make sure you've researched the company and its goals, not just read the job description. If you bring up some interesting facts about the company, its goals and challenges, your chances for success will skyrocket.

Not researching the company in detail is a common mistake that can cost you a job, as it shows low interest. Make sure to learn about the company, what they do, and their goals and competitors. Browse social media for recent news and updates to discuss them with a hiring manager.

5. What are your salary expectations?

This one is pretty straightforward - they want to see your financial requirements and whether they align with their budget. How to answer it? Understand your expectations in advance. Research the salaries in your industry and answer them with a range. Or, you can ask a hiring manager to share the range for this position.

Here are the two common strategies to use:

Giving a range. "Based on my research and experience, I'm looking for a salary in the range of $65,000 to %73,000. I'm confident that my skill set and experience align well with the job demands, and I can add value to the team". This answer shows you've done your homework.
Considering total compensation. "I am open to discussing a compensation package in full, including salary, benefits, stock options, and other perks you offer". Thus, you let the employer lay cards on the table first and discuss the details important to you.

6. When can you start?

Be honest and set realistic expectations. Show your enthusiasm to start with a new position. If you are unemployed, tell them that you can start within one week (or at their earliest convenience). If you have a job and need to give notice to your current employer, be transparent about it.

7. Are you willing to relocate?

If you apply for a job in the different state or overseas, an employer can ask this question. If you are not ready to move instantly, don't just answer "no". Suggest the time frame when you will be ready to relocate or offer the alternatives, for instance, working remotely or at the local office.

A successful job interviews takes more than answering questions from the hiring manager. Read our guide for comprehensive interview preparation - 20 Tips for a Successful Job Interview.

Experience and Skills

8. Tell me about your work experience.

When answering this question, share the highlights of your experience in the last job and go backwards. The hiring manager wants to understand your career progression, relevant skills, and experience in the field. No need to list everything you've done - give examples of the most relevant projects and how you contributed to the employer's success.

Use a STAR method to highlight your analytical skills and how you're solving problems with examples. Focus on experiences and achievements which are most relevant for the target job.

9. What is your greatest professional achievement?

The hiring manager asks it to understand your value proposition and see what you can bring to the table. Plus, they want to see if you are a high-performer who is eager to exceed expectations. Share your successes in the current job and past roles, and be sure to give figures, percentages, and details of your achievements.

Example: "My coworkers describe me as an ideal problem solver. One of my most significant achievements was during my time with ABC Corp. The team was struggling to meet a critical deadline on the launch of a software platform. As a team leader, I restructured workflow management using Agile, updated team roles, and used online collaboration tools. We launched the platform according to the schedule, exceeding performance expectations by 12% and generating $300,000 in new revenue in Q1."

10. Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills.

If you are a manager with direct reports, they want to see your leadership style: how you motivate and guide others, your approach the feedback process, and how you reward great performance. If you're not a leader, focus on experience when you trained others, took the initiative, or contributed to the team's success.

When answering leadership questions, don't focus on managing people entirely, but rather focus on how you got something done. Here's how you can answer:

"At XYZ Company, I was assigned to lead a marketing department that mostly comprises recent grads. I developed a new motivation system, introduced regular coaching sessions, and created a professional development plan for everyone. As a result, the department efficiency increased dramatically which helped increase brand awareness by 55% in one year".

11. Tell me about a challenge or conflict you've faced at work, and how you dealt with it.

This is one of the most insightful questions as it reveals your problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Be honest and tell about one difficult situation you had at work, and how you resolved the conflict with the coworker or boss. Mention what you've learned from this experience.

Avoid answering that you didn't have any conflicts. Misunderstandings occur, and this is okay. During the HR manager interview, they want to see your overall strategy when dealing with tough situations in a work environment. They want to see that you didn't avoid the conflict and didn't badmouth anyone, but rather used open communication and research to handle it.

12. What are your greatest strengths?

This question helps the recruiter access your self-awareness and your key skills and competencies. Don't just list the skill names. Mention 2-3 strengths and explain how they helped you succeed with the current company.

Answering interview questions like this is quite simple. Name your real strengths and back up them with examples. Use strengths that the job posting asks for. Example: "As a registered nurse, I believe my emotional intelligence helps a lot. I managed to improve patient outcomes by 15% higher than other nurses in my department by actively listening to and addressing patient concerns".

13. What are your weaknesses?

It is one of the tough questions that help access your ability to reflect, understand your weaknesses, and work on them. Avoid simply admitting your greatest weakness or denying that you have weaknesses whatsoever. Mention the weakness you're really struggling with (i.e. difficulties with time management) and steps you are taking to improve.

Naming your weaknesses shows you're self-aware. Yet, never name skills or traits important for the role as weaknesses, i.e. attention to detail for a finance manager. Be sure to show your progress in overcoming the weakness. Example:

"One area I'm actively working on is improving my time management skills. I sometimes struggle to prioritize tasks, which cases delays in less urgent projects. To handle it, I am using a Pomodoro technique to gain focus and the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. I am also using time-blocking apps on my phone, which helps me be more productive".

Want more interview advice? Read our guide on how to answer behavioral interview questions.

Personal attributes and characteristics

14. Tell me about a time you made a mistake.

It is best to respond to this follow up question with a story. For example, you can tell that you made a mistake in budget calculation in your first job that led to a project delay and how you worked to improve the situation. A good answer should contain the details of the situation and the lesson you learned from it.

15. How do you handle stress at work?

Everyone feels stressed and overwhelmed at work at times. The recruiter wants to know your coping mechanisms and whether you are nice to others even when stressed. Share specific strategies you use for stress management, i.e. meditating, using mindfulness techniques, or physical activity.

16. How do you prioritize your work?

A hiring manager wants to know how you stay focused at work. Give them a real-life example of how you manage your workload, prioritize tasks, and other aspects of daily and monthly planning. Share specific strategies and tools you use, i.e. time management apps, to-do lists, and more.

17. What motivates you?

While this might seem a tricky question, an employer just wants to know if the position aligns with your work style and ethics. Pick one example of a motivation (a sense of achievement, quick professional growth, training others) and tell a story of how it motivated you in the past.

18. How do you like to be managed?

By asking this, an employer wants to hear your management style preferences and see if it aligns with their style. Ideally, you want to do research and adjust your response to their team values and management approaches. You can reply that regular feedback, flexibility, and support helps you achieve personal goals faster.

Cultural Fit

19.What type of work environment do you prefer?

Recruiter asks this to understand your ideal work culture and whether it aligns with what the current position offers. They want to hear whether you thrive as a team player or prefer working solo, and what workplace values appeal to you. Also, you can mention if you prefer a fast-paced, competitive environment or supportive environment and collaborative work with different departments.

20. How do you interact with a team?

This question reveals your communication style and how you collaborate with the team. Give examples of 1-2 situations when your effective collaboration skills helped find common ground with coworkers and helped successful project completion.

21. What makes you unique?

This is your opportunity to sell yourself to the employer. They want to hear what makes you different from other candidates and why you will make an ideal candidate. So, focus on your key qualifications that are relevant to the position, and list unique strengths that can help you stand out.

22. What do you like to do outside of work?

Employers want to know what you do in your free time and get a sense of your personality. List your favorite hobbies and activities, and share how you maintain a healthy work-life balance. It will give them a broader idea of who you are.

23. Do you consider yourself successful?

This is one of the thoughtful questions recruiters use to understand how you define success. To answer it, mention 1-2 your biggest successes that demonstrate skills relevant to the job you're interviewing for. Explain them why you consider yourself successful and a great candidate for the position.

Career Goals

24. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

By asking this, a hiring manager wants to understand your career goals and ambitions. They also want to see if they align with their company's growth potential. So, be honest about your ambitions for the future, but be sure to connect them with the company and the role you're interviewing for.

25. Why did you choose this career?

In this question, the interviewer wants to understand your underlying motivation and whether you're truly passionate about the field. It is a great idea to answer with a story about what inspired you to start this career in the first place. Specify what you particularly enjoy about the filed and that you're excited to continue your career with a new company.

26. Can you explain why you changed career paths?

This question should give the employer a better understanding of your career journey and whether you're committed to the new career path. It is a good idea to explain the change, share your long-term goals, and highlight transferable skills that can be used in a new field.

These are the most common questions you'll hear during job interviews. Now, let's look at the specific strategies for building your responses.

Looking up for the ready answers to the HR questions is not the best idea, as you should describe your unique experience and skills. Here are the top strategies for organizing your responses:

Research the company and the role. To keep your responses relevant to the target company and the position, research them in advance. Browse the company website, social media, and other resources. Take the time to understand the company's culture, mission, values, and products/services.
Speak through examples. When answering interview questions, avoid giving brief, generic responses. Instead, give examples of situations where you demonstrated the needed traits or overcame challenges.
Use the STAR method. To structure your responses, describe the situation you were in, the task you had, actions you took, and the positive outcome. Quantify your achievements where possible.
Be honest. Don't stretch the truth or bring up non-existent skills to get hired. When the truth reveals, you will lose the job and might also damage your professional reputation. Be honest about your weaknesses or the lack of skills.
Follow up. Only 1 in 4 candidates send follow-up letters after the interview. Be sure to send the letter to express gratitude and show continued interest in the position.

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Here are the responses to the most common interview questions for your inspiration:

Where do you see yourself in five years?

"In five years, I see myself as a Senior Marketing Manager who can launch digital marketing strategies from scratch and has a track record of success in generating leads and boosting sales. I'm committed to continuous learning and growth, especially in areas like data analytics and content marketing. I'm excited about taking on more leadership responsibilities and mentoring junior marketers. I envision myself as a key player in a company like [Company Name], where I can utilize my skills to create innovative marketing campaigns that drive brand awareness and increase client engagement."

What are your salary expectations?

"I have been working as a Marketing Manager for 5+ years and have a track record in launching social media campaigns that boosted client engagement and led to a 20% increase in sales. Based on my experience and industry research, I am seeking a salary within the range of $70,000 - $80,000. However, I am willing to discuss the issue further during the negotiation process."

What are your weaknesses?

"Currently, I am working to improve my public speaking skills. As a senior sales rep, I believe it would help me communicate with my clients better. Recently, I joined a public speaking club online and started practicing presentations in front of my coworkers. I have received positive feedback on my speech delivery. While I still have room for growth in this area, I'm still honing my skills and believe to become a confident public speaker quite soon."

Can you explain why you changed career paths?

"As a professional with experience in finance, I had strong data analysis and problem-solving skills, but I felt that I wasn't fully utilizing my potential. This urged me to continue my career as a data analyst. I took a one-year training course to enter the profession and now I am pursuing junior-level roles. I am excited about the potential of the data analytics field and I am confident that I can make a tangible contribution. This role requires obtaining, processing, and systemizing data, which aligns with my long-term career goals."

Can you tell me about your experience?

"In my most recent role as a Marketing Coordinator at ADC Company, I oversaw all digital marketing projects targeting a younger demographic. We achieved a 35% increase in organic traffic within a year after implementing the strategy and an increase in sales. Before that, I worked as a Social Media Manager at Z Corp., and I drove engagement across multiple platforms. The top result I achieved was doubling the subscribers in three months. I can go into further detail on how each role helped me develop the skills essential for this role".

Tell me about a time you made a mistake.

"As a Customer Service Manager with my previous employer, I got a complaint from a long-term customer about a billing error that had been unresolved for two weeks. I first sent them a scripted apology letter, but it made the customer even more frustrated and they promised not to work with our company in the future. Then, I changed tactics, investigated the billing error and honestly told the client that we recently hired a new associate who made a mistake and didn't communicate it on time as she was afraid of getting fired. I also offered an apology and a generous discount. Honesty and transparency helped me save a loyal client for a company".

What type of workplace environment do you prefer?

"In my career, I've worked in diverse environments, from high-pressure and fast-paced corporate positions to independent and stable roles as a contractor. I discovered that I can adapt to any workplace environment. What matters for me most is the opportunity to quickly communicate with the team, openness for collaboration, and internal professional growth programs. As I've found out from a quick research, this is exactly what your company offers. Could you tell me more about the workplace environment in your office?"

As you see, all the examples give specific examples of skills, and provide relevant information and context to employers. Even if the interview questions assumes a yes or no response, try to give details and explanations to make your responses sound grounded and well-thought-of.

To make a powerful impression, it is important to ask your questions, too. When the hiring manager says "Do you have any questions for me?", don't stay silent. Here are the examples of questions that will help you learn more about the position and the company. Plus, these additional questions will show your motivation and interest in joining the team, setting you apart from other candidates:

What professional development opportunities do you offer?
What is the management style in the team?
How do you measure success for this position?
What do you want me to achieve in the first three and six months?
What is the most challenging aspects of this job?
What is the history of this position?
What does the typical day in this job look like?
How would you describe the team dynamic and working environment?
What do you enjoy most about working here?
How does the company encourage creativity and innovation?

Why ask your questions during the job interview?

Asking your questions during the job interview can provide you with important insights about the opportunity, how the organization treats their employees, and their values. Here are the main reasons to prepare your questions:

Learn more about the position and company. By asking to describe a typical day in the organization and KPIs, you can gain insights about the role you won't get from a job posting. You can understand their expectations early and decide whether the role is a good fit for you.
Show you're truly interested. Candidates who not only answer but ask their questions as well make a better impression on recruiters. It shows that you've done your homework, researched the company and the position, and want to understand how comfortable you'll be working there. Employers value such a meticulous approach.
Understand their values and work ethics. By asking about their values, mission, and workplace culture, you can see if their approach aligns with yours. It often happens that the role is great and the compensation is lucrative, but working there is completely unbearable because of bureaucracy or an authoritarian boss. By asking about culture and values, you can find a company with a matching culture.
Make an impression. When you ask questions, you create a dialogue with a recruiter, which creates a better job interview experience. You can own the conversation and show your initiative, which will surely impress a potential employer.
Gather information for negotiations. By learning the tiniest details about the company, KPI's, role, and collaboration, you can lay foundation for successful salary negotiations with this employer.

Phone interviews have their specific features. They usually last 10-15 minutes only and focus on the most essential questions about the experience, skills, and fit for the role. The purpose of such an interview is to get an overall first impression about the candidate before scheduling a regular interview with them.

During such an interview, you can and should ask interviewer questions, too. Yet, focus on generic questions like "What are the expectations for this position?", "How is success measured?", or "Can you describe your company culture?". When invited to a traditional interview, you can ask more specific and focused questions.

An HR manager interview is usually the final step of the hiring process. During this interview, you will hear more focused, personalized questions about your experience, previous projects, and relevant skills. You may also hear behavioral questions about your actions in specific workplace situations and results you delivered for previous employers.

The reason for conducting such an in-depth interview is to evaluate your fit for the role. A hiring manager wants to make sure you'll work effectively with their current employees, share company's values, and deliver results as expected.

Here are some tips to help you ace this type of interview:

Expect an in-depth, structured talk about your experience, skills, and achievements. Recall relevant projects at home to sound more confident and prepared.
Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to showcase your achievements and problem-solving skills.
Prepare thoughtful questions about the role, corporate culture, KPIs, and compensation to show your initiative and interest.

To find a suitable candidate for an open role, a recruiter should discuss it with the hiring manager in detail. A recruiter typically asks a lot of questions to determine what the role entails, what type of person the organization is seeking, and the details about the company.

Here are examples of interview questions recruiters ask people in HR manager position to hire people successfully:

What does the ideal candidate look like for this role? Ask about any details, including education, professional background, software they worked with, and personality type.
What soft skills are crucial for this team? Should the person have great communication skills and empathy, or these skills are secondary if their hard skills are great?
What are the red flags to watch out for? From typical red flags such as job-hopping to more subtle ones, such as revealing sensitive information about previous employers or not sharing companys' values.

With this guide, you will easily ace the most common interview questions from an HR. But what if you don't get many interview calls in the first place?

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What questions do hiring managers ask?

Hiring managers often ask about your strengths, weaknesses, goals, and past experiences. Common questions include "Tell me about yourself," "Why do you want to work here?" and "What are your career goals?".

What are good questions to ask a hiring manager?

Some good questions include: "What are the biggest challenges in this role?", "What does success look like in the first 6 months?", and "What are your expectations for this position?".

What to expect in a hiring manager interview?

Expect a mix of behavioral and situational questions. The hiring manager will likely evaluate your cultural fit, communication skills, and technical ability if required.

What questions to ask hiring manager after interview?

You can ask: "Is there anything in my background that concerns you?", "What are the next steps in the process?", or "What does your ideal candidate look like?".

Do hiring managers ask technical questions?

Yes, especially for technical roles. They may ask about specific tools, programming skills, or problem-solving approaches depending on the position.

What are good questions to ask a hiring manager after the interview?

You can ask, "What stood out in my application?", "When should I expect feedback?", or "What are the next steps in the hiring process?".

What questions should a recruiter ask the hiring manager?

Recruiters should ask: "What is the ideal candidate profile?", "Which skills are must-have versus nice-to-have?", and "What are the top priorities for this role in the first months?".