Interview Questions for Manager/Supervisor - College Project Assignment

You will interview a first or second level supervisor/manager for this deliverable.  A list of interview questions will be provided by your instructor – see the assignment in Canvas for more detail.  I would HIGHLY SUGGEST starting this assignment early. Doing it at the last minute is a formula for disaster since supervisors/managers are very busy.

 

If you don't know a supervisor/manager, you can talk with someone you know that works in a company who you should talk with or give your local company a phone call.  Many will be glad to get your call.  Of course, tell them you are doing this as a College Project assignment. If you are a Stephenville student, there are a number of companies in your area. Contact your instructor if you are having difficulty.

 

The manager/supervisor you use must have at least 5 people reporting to them.  They cannot be a family member.  While not a requirement, they should have at least five years of experience as a supervisor/manager.

 

In conducting your interview, you MUST practice Center for Disease Control (CDC) Covid 19 safety protocol. If you can conduct the interview via the phone or video conferencing, that should be your first choice.

 

Note: Some managers/supervisors may not want their name mentioned or want to answer certain questions.  If this happens, honor their request.

 

Background - You should also record the name of the manager/supervisor, title of the person, how long a manager/supervisor, company name and contact information

 

Interview – Note some questions have a “***”.  These are required questions you must ask?  You will pick seven (7) other questions from the list and ask them during the interview. 

You are expected to get details and specifics in the interview.  If they give you a short answer, you can use the “tell me more about _______” technique.

 

1. In general, what are your responsibilities as a manager/supervisor?***
2. How many people report to you?***
3. Why did you choose to become a manager/supervisor?***
4. What do you like about being a manager/supervisor?***
5. What do you not like about being a manager/supervisor?***
6. What would you say is your biggest recurring problem(s)***
7. How would you characterize or describe your management style?***
8. How do and/or your organization promote safety?
9. What are your challenges in managing your time?
10. What distracts you from getting your work done?
11. Are meetings generally productive? Why? Why not?
12. How do you orient new employees?
13. Describe your on-the-job training? Is it effective? Why? Why not?
14. How do you make your expectations clear to your subordinates/team members?
15. How is the work done by your team prioritized? Do you every have conflicting priorities?
16. How do you monitor the work of your subordinates/team members?
17. How often do you give feedback to subordinates/team members on their performance?
18.When a subordinate/team member has English as a second language, how do you handle giving instructions?
19.What issues, if any, do you have with different groups/departments in working together?
20. When a subordinate/team member has a negative attitude, how do you handle them?
21.When a subordinate’s/team member’s performance is below expectations, how do you handle the situation?
22.When you have an idea for improvement, how do you sell it to your manager/supervisor?
23.How do you get to the root cause of problems that you deal with?
24.How do you recognize and reward your subordinates/team member?