Firstly, who is a performance manager? This is an individual whose main work is to monitor and evaluate employees’ performance according to how they are performing their duties. Below are the top 20 Performance manager interview questions and answers.
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
The interviewer is asking you why you are interested in working in that particular role. Talk about why you need the job. Consider showing them that employing you will be a win-win situation.
Sample Answer
“When I learned that there was an opening in this role, I decided to apply for it since I wanted to put the skills I learned from my university into place. In addition, I also thought that my previous experience in performance management would benefit your company. I believe my skills and experience will benefit this company as far as good performance is concerned. Also, I would like to get a source of income through my skills so that I can earn and support my family. Lastly, as you can see that I am still young and energetic, I would like to learn more from your company in this field and improve my career skills. As I was researching your company, I observed that there was a great performance in the employee performance. I wouldn’t hesitate to be part of this team.”
2. What Are The Roles Of A Performance Manager?
When your interviewer asks you this question, you need to mention the key duties and responsibilities that a performance manager is entitled to. Talk about the primary duties and responsibilities of a performance manager.
Sample Answer
“To my knowledge, a performance manager is expected to perform the following duties;
· Develop efficient systems for collecting information on performance.
· Gathering and analyzing cross-functional performance data.
· Presenting statistical performance analysis and recommending solutions.
· Design and review policies related to employee performance.
· Setting performance objectives and updating as necessary
· Lead, develop and inspire teams
· Identify, report, and resolve workplace or interpersonal barriers to performance
· Provide training services and development to managers on best practices.
I believe that I have the ability to perform all the mentioned roles and responsibilities. I would be delighted to exercise them in your company.”
3. What Are The Qualities That A Performance Manager Needs To Have To Be Successful?
The interviewer wants to know what qualities you think can help you be successful in this role. Tell them the qualities that a performance manager should have and their significance in this role.
Sample Answer
“Besides having all the academic and potential skills and experience that can help me succeed in this role, I should have personal qualities that will guide me to achieve my goals in this career. A performance manager should have leadership skills whereby they can be able to lead others professionally and effectively as well. Again, a performance manager should be accountable for their decisions, manage time well, have good communication skills, have very strong problem-solving skills, and make strong decisions. I believe that I have all the qualities needed for this position.”
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face In Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?
Having worked in this industry before, your interviewer wants you to share the difficulties that you came across in your previous role. Talk about the main challenges you encountered, and how you solved them.
Sample Answer
“Having worked before in this role, I must say that I encountered challenges, but still I was able to solve them. Lack of cooperation and having a distant relationship with other employees was one of the main challenges I experienced. Sometimes, the other employees would see me as a spy and have an attitude of knowing that I am there to watch over them. This would bring a disconnection with the employees. To stop this, I had to work with them and ask them to share their views and I would take their concerns seriously. That was the major challenge I have come across working as a performance manager.”
5. Describe Your Daily Routine As A Performance Manager.
The interviewer wants to see how you will perform your daily duties. Give them a very organized schedule from the first task you would perform up to the last task of the day.
Sample Answer
“After getting into the office, I would check on what tasks are to be performed that day and have a briefing with the employees to notify them about what they are expected to do. I would then motivate them, encourage them. Next, I would assign duties to specific employees and get to work. This time, I would be checking how the employees are performing their duties and helping them whenever they needed my help. After completing the day’s tasks, I would meet the employees again to motivate them, encourage them, record their working hours, performance, and work rate. This would be a very busy day at work.”
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience.
The interviewer expects you to share with them the experience you have had previously in this post. Talk about how you have grown in this career and the number of years you have worked as a performance manager.
Sample Answer
“After completing my university studies, I was employed to work for a packaging company as an intern. This was my entry-level, but I learned a lot since I interacted with many people. After working as an intern for a year, I was employed on contract by the same company where I worked as an assistant performance manager. I worked in this position for two years and was promoted to a performance manager position in the same company. As a performance manager, I worked for three years, and my contract ended. That gives me a score of six years of working experience in this field.”
7. What Kind Of Strategy And Mindset Is Required For This Role?
Here, the interviewer wants to know your attitude towards the role and the strategies that you would use. Talk about the positive attitudes that a performance manager should have.
Sample Answer
“A performance manager should focus on making sure that all employees are working towards customer satisfaction. They should also focus on employee well-being at all times. When making decisions and implementing strategies, they should ask themselves whether the decision will affect customer and employee satisfaction positively or negatively. The same case will apply to the treatment of the company employees. A performance manager should respect every employee and consider their views equally without favoring any party. One should also solve problems professionally without taking sides.
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job?
Since you have experience in this field, your interviewer wants you to share the big problems that you think might affect this industry in the future. If possible, suggest a solution for the challenge as well.
Sample Answer
“As we all know, motivation is very important in workplaces where there are many employees. However, many performance managers undermine the fact that every employee of the company needs to be heard and given a conducive environment to work in. In addition, recognition of their efforts is also essential. In order to make sure that all the employees are working effectively, you need to recognize their efforts for motivation. Failing to motivate and award our employees might bring a very big challenge in the future. Consider awarding them and recognizing their efforts.
9. How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work?
The interviewer wants to know what makes your morale high while working. Here, consider talking about achievements that you have attained in your career as your motivations.
Sample Answer
“Achieving my goals is what keeps me motivated daily. Nothing motivates me more than successfully solving issues in my career. By this, I mean ensuring that there is productivity since all employees are working in a conducive environment. When I solve problems in this field, I always feel that I have solved an issue that could have a negative impact.”
10. Describe A Time When You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learned.
Since the interviewers already know that you must have made a mistake in your career, they expect you to tell them about it, and the results which were not as desired. Also, tell them about what you learned from the failure.
Sample Answer
“In my previous work, I never used to value an employee’s concerns. This was a very big mistake that I was making. They would raise an issue and I would find them a short solution without getting into the matter. I came to realize that I was making mistakes when I realized that productivity was starting to demoralize me. It was a nice experience since I learned that it is important to respect other people’s opinions no matter what rank they are in society.
11. Why Do You Feel You Are The Most Suited For This Role?
The interviewer wants to know the unique qualities that make you feel the best for this role. Talk about the unique qualifications and skills that you have.
Sample Answer
“This is a very crucial post that requires a highly experienced candidate. I have six years of experience in this field. It will not be entry-level for me. Once I get this job, I will start working as before with immediate effect and not forget about the skills and qualities I learned throughout the experience. That would make me the candidate you are looking for. I hope that you will consider my experience as an added advantage.”
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievements.
The interviewer wants you to tell them the most significant goals that you have attained in your career. Share with them the main award, promotion, or goal achieved.
Sample Answer
“In my third year working as the performance manager in my previous role, I was chosen as the best staff of the year. This was well determined by the top management who evaluated every employee’s performance in the company. It was a great honor for me to get this title for three consecutive years. I would say that that is my greatest achievement in my career.”
13. Tell Us About How You Would Use Technology In This Role At This Time.
When the interviewer asks you about this, talk about how you would use technology tools to maximize the company’s productivity.
Sample Answer
“Technology has been used in this industry, and it’s advancing day by day. Especially at a time like this when the world is experiencing the world Pandemic, social distancing and working from home has been encouraged to curb the spread of Covid-19. As a result, I would use this technology to help some workers work from home. They can use computers to complete their tasks at home and the performance of the company will not be affected in any way. At the same time, I will be able to monitor their performance even if they are working from home.”
14. What Are The Key Performance Indicators That You Know Of?
Your interviewer is testing your knowledge of the key performance indicators. Clearly mention and explain them.
Sample Answer
“There are several key performance indicators. Among them are;
· Timeliness
· Attention to detail
· Initiative
· Creativity and innovation
· Consistency
· Ability to perform in all key areas of the role
·!– /wp:paragraph –>
Those are the key performance indicators.”
15. What Are The Ways In Which Employees Exhibit A Strong Sense Of Team Commitment?
There are several activities that employees can show that they are committed to working together as a team. Mention them.
Sample Answer
“These activities would be;
· Participating in group brainstorming
· Taking up the slack when necessary
· Volunteering in roles of team projects
· Sharing credit
· Supporting others’ ideas and approaches
· Being willing to step into roles that others don’t want.”
16. How Would Ensure That Employees Are Treating Customers Well?
The interviewer wants to know how you would know about a specific employee’s customer service.
Sample Answer
“I would develop customer feedback strategies where customers would rate the service of a certain employee out of five stars. With this, I would get the best customer feedback ”
17. As A Performance manager, Tell Us Five Factors To Consider When Assigning Duties To Your Employees.
The interviewer wants to know what you would look into a specific employee before assigning a specific task to them.
Sample Answer
“In order to assign a task, I would consider;
a) The employee’s ability to complete the job
b) The employee’s knowledge of the task
c) The employee’s level of motivation
d) The employee’s professionality
e) The employee’s level of interest in certain tasks.
It is very important to consider these factors to ensure that each employee is super comfortable while performing their duties.”
18. How Did You Learn About The Job Opening?
The interviewer expects you to tell them where and how you got the information that there was a vacancy for this position in their company.
Sample Answer
“Since I read the newspaper a lot, I came across a newspaper page where you had advertised for this position. I did not hesitate to make an application since I had all the qualifications listed, and I am glad that I was shortlisted as one of the candidates to attend this interview today. ”
19. What Made You Quit Your Previous Job?
The interviewer wants you to tell them why you are actually jobless right now. Be honest, but you don’t want to criticize the company or staff that you worked for.
Sample Answer
“In my previous workplace, I was employed on a six-year contract which was non-renewable. The contract ended two months ago and I would like to work in the same field in a new environment to gain more skills and knowledge as well.”
20. What Kind Of Environment Do You Like Working In?
This question should be answered as per the nature of the environment of the recruiting company. If it is a quiet one, consider answering it as quiet. Also, support your answer why you prefer working in that kind of environment.
Sample Answer
“As far as the nature of this job is concerned, I have spent so much time working in a super busy environment. I have adapted to this kind of environment, and now it’s my best. I would still be interested in working in a busy environment as before because it brings motivation and morale among the employees working together. No one would love to work in an environment where other employees are idling around while you are busy doing your job. It is better to work in an environment where you see everyone else around you is as busy as you are.”
Conclusion
Being a performance manager is one of the best positions you would imagine falling into. Make sure you are clear in your interview questions and be confident and show leadership skills. All the best in your interview.