What is the hiring manager looking for?

Hiring managers want to hear about tangible, business-linked outcomes from the candidate’s experience, as well as the candidate’s ability to generate solutions to unexpected challenges. A great answer should show how the candidate’s actions improved or benefited their team.

How to structure your answer

Use the STAR method to structure your answer:
* Situation: Describe the specific context (company, team size, role).
* Task: Explain the tasks, challenges, or goal assigned to you.
* Action: Discuss your specific actions and responsibilities.
* Result: Explain the measurable outcomes of your work. Include benefits to the company and team.

Tips to answer this interview question

Tips:
* Focus on your accomplishments and how they positively affected the business.
* Quantify your results whenever possible with numbers, metrics, or percentages.
* Practice your response ahead of time, but sound conversational during the interview.
Things to avoid:
* Don’t just list your job duties – instead, talk about specific achievements.
* Be concise and focused – don’t ramble on about every detail.
* Don’t focus on negative outcomes or challenges without explaining how you overcame them.

Example interview answers to this question

Sample Answer 1:
“At my previous company, we experienced explosive growth in a short period. My team of 10 software engineers needed to double in size to meet demand. I managed the hiring process and onboarding for the new engineers, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition. We set up a comprehensive training program to bring them up to speed quickly.
As a result, the team was able to maintain our high standards for quality and customer satisfaction while accommodating the increased workload.”

This answer is strong because it:
* Clearly describes the situation and the challenge of doubling the team size.
* Explains the specific actions the candidate took, such as managing the hiring process and implementing a training program.
* Quantifies the results with statements like “the team was able to maintain our high standards for quality and customer satisfaction while accommodating the increased workload.”

Sample Answer 2:
“When our marketing department underwent a major expansion, I was responsible for creating a cohesive and effective team out of a group of diverse and experienced individuals. I fostered a collaborative environment where team members could share ideas and learn from each other, and I provided regular feedback and guidance to help them develop their skills. As a result, the team quickly came together and launched several successful marketing campaigns that significantly increased lead generation and sales.”

This answer is strong because it:
* Describes the challenge of creating a cohesive team out of a diverse group of individuals.
* Explains the specific actions the candidate took, such as fostering a collaborative environment and providing feedback and guidance.
* Quantifies the results with statements like “the team quickly came together and launched several successful marketing campaigns that significantly increased lead generation and sales.”