We have compiled the top 20 Quality Manager interview questions and answers that might be asked in an interview to test various aspects of skills, with tips and a sample answer for each of them.
1. What Roles Do Quality Managers Perform?
Here, the interviewer will assess if you are familiar with the roles undertaken by quality managers.
Tip 1: Briefly highlight the roles that a quality manager plays.
Tip 2: Be brief and precise with your answer.
Sample Answer
“Quality managers are involved in inspecting the final products while making a comparison with the laid requirements. They provide the guidelines and inspect the technicians and other staff while giving the feedbacks where need be. Approving the products and rejecting the defectives, and devising and reviewing the specifications for processes and products are other roles performed by quality managers.”
2. As a Quality Manager, Describe Your Daily Routine?
Your familiarization with what a quality manager does is what the interviewer is testing here.
Tip 1: Demonstrate how your typical day will be like.
Tip 2: Show how you will help the organization.
Sample answer
“As a quality manager, my work will be the inspection of the final product. This is to ensure it has met all built compliance, met all the legal standards, and finally, it is meeting the customers’ expectations. I believe I have an eye for detail and am very thorough with my work. Through these as part of my daily routine, I will take all responsibility towards the existing and potential customers and the competition. My main goal is the preservation of the reputation of the company by ensuring that our services and products can bring forth sustainable growth. Moreover, I will ensure to audit the work process in order to meet set deadlines and also establish a good quality management system that ensures documentation of procedures and processes for attaining quality objectives and policies. “
3. As A Quality Manager, In What Way Can You Measure Your Success?
Having an employee who is able to gauge his or her success is very vital in every organization that is hiring. And this is what the interviewer is looking for.
Tip 1: Highlight some ways that use when measuring your success as a manager.
Tip 2: Make sure to be brief and precise
Sample Answer
“I would measure my success in the following ways:
- Meeting employee satisfaction
- Improving the level of standard of services and products
- Achieving the set target
- Successful completion of quality awareness workshops
- Development of employees in terms of maintaining desired quality”
4. What Greatest Strength Do You Possess As A Quality Manager?
Here, the interviewer seeks to know whether you have strengths that can highly influence this role
Tip 1: Give some of your strengths that match the position
Tip 2: Demonstrate how you have delivered results in the past.
Sample answer
“My greatest strength is being a quick problem solver. I have demonstrated my problem solving abilities on various occasions. I am able to handle difficult issues and situations as they arise. I am also able to handle people perfectly without victimizing some and being biased toward others. Other than this, I possess other valuable skills including having a positive attitude, being loyal and being a motivator, as well as having the ability to work under minimum pressure. Moreover, I am a quality management expert. During my previous role, I implemented organization-wide ISO processes that enabled the organization to be certified.”
5. Briefly Explain About Project Quality Management Process According To PMBOK
Here, the interviewer seeks to know if you understand the project management process put forward by PMBOK.
Tip 1: Describe what PMBOK says about the process
Tip 2: Be precise with your answer
Sample Answer
“According to PMBOK, the quality management process encompasses determining the quality standards that guide project deliverables and products. It also includes ways in which a project will meet compliance with the set standards. PMBOK’s project quality management encompasses three major processes: quality planning, assurance, and control. A vital aspect of quality planning is coming up with quality metrics. Quality assurance concerns process analysis and continuous enhancement. Process control, on the other hand, regards monitoring project metrics. The project manager works closely with the quality manager to incorporate the right tools and techniques in order to achieve the desired output or outcomes.”
6. What Brings About Results In This Job?
The interviewer will test if you really know and understand what it takes to drive results in quality management.
Tip 1: Explain what drives results in this job
Tip 2: Be brief and include all important points
Sample answer
“The ability to drive results means a leader who is able to put more focus on the most important things. Quality managers should ensure that everything is done as it should be. They need to ensure that the set goals are met, initiatives are completed, and the projected standard levels in a business are achieved. A quality manager can drive results by basically accomplishing assigned responsibilities.”
7. As A Quality Manager, What Ways Can You Use To Keep The Employees Motivated?
In this question, the interviewer is interested in knowing how you intend to keep your team motivated.
Tip 1: Describe ways quality managers can motivate employees
Tip 2: Provide two or three motivation strategies
Sample Answer
“Keeping staff members motivated is one way I would use towards achieving good results. This includes thanking the staff personally for any good job done and in case of mistakes, we rectify together. I will achieve that through written notes or face-to-face communication. I will take the time to meet and listen to the staff. I’ll be striving to create a good and open work environment.”
8. Why Should We Give You This Job?
When this question is posed, the interviewer is expecting you to explain why you think you are best for that managerial post.
Tip 1: Explain why you are best suited for this job
Tip 2: Be precise and clear with your answer
Sample Answer
“I hold a bachelor’s degree in quality management. I have been practicing as a quality manager for over five years. With my professional training and experience, I believe that I am the best fit for this post. I am a good team leader and decision-maker. I also have an eye for detail and hence, making it possible for me to work well as a quality manager. Further, I will bring in my managerial skills to the organization that will enable me to contribute effectively to the realization of the strategic goals.”
9. As A Quality Manager, What Management Style Do You Employ?
The interviewer expects you to bring out what style of management you intend to use.
Tip 1: State your management style.
Tip 2: Add weight to your response by giving a brief description.
Sample Answer
“Delegating authority and responsibility to me is very crucial. The team should be able to develop and grow as a whole and at the individual level and not be dragged back due to low expectations or even ego. Personally, building a team to work with is what I believe in. I allow every member to participate in the team they suit well and feel comfortable. I also value real-time feedback in order to get fast hand information concerning products and services.”
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10. The Quality Management Sector Is In Constant Change. As Such, What Personal Development Achievements Have You Made In The Last 12 Months With Regard To The Quality Manager Position?
Here, the interviewer is looking forward to seeing what you have done in regard to professional and personal growth that will be of interest to the organization.
Tip 1: Explain what you have done to gain more skills in this field.
Tip 2: Demonstrate the efforts you have taken up to improve yourself at a personal level
Sample Answer
“I have attended several seminars and workshops relating to quality management. Through this, I familiarized myself with the current trends in the field and learned from the experiences of other quality managers who shared their past experiences. Besides, I have been involved in a local food bank for the better half of this year. This has taught me a lot about teamwork as well as taking initiative. Professionally, I have been able to enroll in a business course in a nearby college. Through the courses, I have acquired great knowledge about teamwork, communication, and most importantly quality management.”
11. What Should Be Expected From You In The First Three Months After Employment?
The interviewer is asking this to test if you understand the needs that are expected from n.your in that role. He wants to feel where you will place your priorities and where the impact will be felt immediately.
Tip 1: Share the most primary things you will start with
Tip 2: Explain how you intend to achieve your goals.
Sample Answer
“Within my first three months, I will be committed to ensuring that there is tangible proof of my commitment to the organization’s goals and vision. My loyalty and reliability will be clear enough in spearheading the quality department of the organization leaving no room for error. If need be, I will introduce some of the latest technologies that will help us work better when it comes to quality delivery.”
12. How Do Your Supervisor And Colleagues Describe You?
Have a good relationship with those you are working with. The interviewer wants to know how your former colleagues and bosses have ever said about you.
Tip 1: Share a brief about how your former boss said about you
Tip 2: Briefly share how your former colleagues said about you.
Sample Answer
“My former supervisor described me as extremely excellent and organized in quality management operations and one who takes initiative without shying away from difficult issues. My colleagues said I am very creative and optimistic in the area of quality management. This is because I have always come up with a creative solution to most problems. Besides, both my boss and coworkers have identified my ability to solve problems and lead a team.”
13. Differentiate ISO From CMM?
Here, the interviewer will assess your knowledge regarding ISO and CMM
Tip 1: Provide the meaning of the two acronyms
Tip 2: Explain the meaning of the concepts
Sample Answer
“ISO constitutes a family of standards for quality management that are developed and controlled by the International organization for standardization. CMM, on the other hand, refers to the capability maturity model is it is used specifically for software with regard to determining the acceptable quality of applications.”
14. What Benefits Can Organizations Realize From Quality Management Systems?
Here, the interviewer will examine if you know exactly what you will be working towards.
Tip 1: Explain what quality management entails.
Tip 2: Highlight the benefits of having a quality management standard.
Sample Answer
“By having a quality management system and implementing it effectively offers an organization several benefits. Examples of quality management recognition include the ISO 9001. This certification ensures that customers are getting consistent and good-quality products and services. Other benefits include
- Less waste and greater efficiency
- Consistent and better control of big business process
- Risk management is improved
- There is a decrease in costly errors
- Organizations are able to have market exploitation in overseas.
- There is better internal communication.
15. In Workplaces Quality Management Doesn’t Exist, How Would You Introduce TQM?
Here, the interviewer is interested in knowing whether you are capable of initiating quality management.
Tip 1: Describe total quality management
Tip 2: Demonstrate ways you would use to introduce the concept.
Sample Answer
“First, I will organize a seminar to create awareness about TQM. During the seminar, I will train all workers on the benefits of quality management to the performance of both the employees as well as the organization. Second, I will seek the support of the top management in setting an organizational culture that upholds TQM. Through this, other employees will easily adopt the culture and quality management principles and practices.”
16. Differentiate Product Quality From Process Quality?
The interviewer will assess if you can differentiate between product quality and process quality
Tip 1: Demonstrate the difference between the two concepts
Tip 2: Be brief and concise with your answer
Sample Answer
“Product quality can be defined as the final quality of a given quality. This can be measured through meeting the product specifications, requirements, and finally the expectations of the customers. For example, ensuring a product like a garment is well finished, including, all stitches are intact, ironing is okay and its packaging is in order. Process quality on the other is the degree that the process is acceptable, considering the factors like measurements as well as criteria for quality and ensuring its implementation are adhered to so that the produce is artifacts.”
17. Between Walkthroughs And Inspections, Which Of These Would You Choose?
The interviewer is using this question as a test if told to walk through or even inspect, which one you can choose based it your own experience.
Tip 1: Briefly differentiate between the two terms
Tip 2: Give your choice and provide a reason as to why you chose it.
Sample Answer
“Inspections are disciplined practices for rectifying defects in applications. Inspection is utilized to ascertain the compliance of a product with set requirements and standards. On the other hand, walkthroughs involve authors presenting the artifacts they have designed to the audience. While inspections are formal and planned, walkthroughs are informal and unplanned. I would use either of them depending on the needs and situation at hand. For instance, I would use a stakeholder walkthrough to create awareness of a product to customers and end-users as well as get their views and opinions concerning the end product.”
18. What Qualities Should Quality Managers Possess?
The interviewer here wants to know if you clearly understand what qualities a good quality manager should have.
Tip 1: Briefly explain the need of having a quality manager with the best qualities
Tip 2: Outline the qualities that a quality manager should possess.
Sample Answer
“One takes many forms for them to improve themselves. It can be mental, social, emotional, or physical. Either way, the qualities one chooses will always have a profound impact on their ability as a manager.
Focus – when a manager is focused, they are keen to note the minor details that come his way to distract him and his time towards achieving their goals.
Accountability – this is being responsible for the work your and your team. It is easy when work is going on well but when the work goes bad, that’s when the real test comes. An account manager is able to set up and fix the issues as well as motivate the workers.
Emotional intelligence – this relates to a manager being able to lead with understanding.
Other qualities include honesty, patience, integrity, and trustworthiness.”
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19. What Huge Challenge Did You Face In Your Last Assignment And How Did You Handle It?
In this question, the interviewer is interested in knowing as a quality manager, what huge challenges did you come across and what did you do to overcome them.
Tip 1: Describe the challenge you faced
Tip 2: Explain what you did to overcome them.
Sample Answer
“During my last role, I proposed changes to service delivery in the organization I worked for in order to improve quality and value delivery. However, I faced resistance from the top leadership. However, I handled the challenge by planning a meeting with them where I took them through the importance of the changes with regard to improving the quality delivered. Through this, I earned their respect and trust, and in the end, they approved the changes. After one year, we had won the trust of more customers and our profits increased owing to the improvement in our quality standards.”
20. As A Quality Manager, Which Area Of This Job Do You Consider Very Challenging?
Here, the interviewer seeks to know your ability to identify difficult areas
Tip 1: Give a brief description of the challenge.
Tip 2: Explain how you were able to come out of it.
Sample Answer
“The biggest or the major challenge any quality manager comes across is the management commitment. All other challenges connected to this one. When there is a failure in communication, the correct details to be used in management will always lead to a lack of good support. For that reason, being able to identify and determine those details, and the costs as well as justifications. Then by setting a timeline, you get the approval to go ahead with completing the needed activities. This is very vital as it a first step towards addressing challenges and hence reducing risks.”
Conclusion
These are but a few quality management interview questions that you need to prepare yourself before attending an interview. Hopefully, these interview questions on quality management will help you land your next dream job.
