Management Interview Questions & Answers

The initial stage was the written application, was relatively straight forward. Just included basic competencies such as reasons for applying and what the Mercedes brand name meant to you. For this particular role they didn't require a numerical or verbal reasoning test however, for the longer graduate roles they do. They let me know i had passed 2 weeks after applying, and allowed me to book a slot on the system for a telephone interview, (no surprise telephone interviews) As i was in Australia considering flying home to England for the interview they fast tracked my telephone interview result and let me know the following day that I had passed and sent me an email describing how i could book a slot to attend the assessment center online detailing what would be included and the type of competencies they look for (team player, passion for the brand and role, decision maker and shows leadership)

After this initial stage was the telephone interview, this lasted 25 minutes and only included 4 competency questions, the lady on the phone was really nice and even offered to call me in Australia for the interview which is where i was at the time. The questions were just basic competency questions,

Telephone: -
Why Merc and Why role
Time you worked in a team
Time that you've had to work under pressure
Time that you made a suggestion

They probe you to use the STAR Technique

Do your research in to why you want the role and company

They came and picked me up from the train station, there was 8 people in my interview one person failed to turn up. there was three parts, role play, group exercise and one on one interview. The interviewers are really nice and bring you unlimited copious amounts of water to stop your throat from drying up. The first exercise was the group interview (3 including me in the group)with 2 people accessing, was basically read a 4 page document in 30 minutes and discuss for another 30 minutes why you should put forward two staff working under you forward for a management position. You had their backgrounds/CV's/ Statistical performance indicators/ line manager reviews.

The second part was the competency interview. Again why mercedes and role, name a time you worked in a team, what kind of teams do you like? (i thought was an interesting question) who are mercedes competitors, do you think the market is competitive

lasted around 30 miniutes


The final stage was the role play, a 5 page easy to read document specific to the role applied for (loads of pictures and tables), i was to have a meeting with a sales executive from a dealership who had some questions to ask me. The document included a page on the performance of mercedes in recent years,a lot of random information on their breakdown cover and rental policy.

The role play was a bit strange as it wasn't clear cut as to what i thought the interviewer wanted. The role play only last 15minutes. She asked me questions which weren't in the document to see how i'd act under pressure and initially told me to hurry up as she had to leave in 15 minutes.

After that you fill out a feedback form and they send you on your way or drop you off to the train station.

After first applying online I was then invited to an assessment centre which involved introductory presentations about the company and the role you are applying for. We were then split into groups to take part in three activities where you had to explore each others opinions and come to one agreement as a team. You then had to present your answer and give reason for doing so.
After the assessment centre you are then invited to an interview which involves a 5 minute presentation and competency based questions.

When explaining your reasons for your answer expect to have a debate over why you chose that specific answer.

Look smart and do your research upon the company. Be prepared to professionally argue your reasons within the assessment centre. Be confident when attending the assessment centre. You always have people watching you whilst your in the room.

you were given three scenarios. Each scenario had more than one answer. As a team you had to come to a decision to decide which was the most appropriate strategy to follow and explain why. This enabled them to see how you express your opinion and take others into account. One scenario also enabled them to see how you would act in a meeting.

So I initially started with a one to one interview with a recruiter. The recruiter was really nice and made me feel comfortable and took away my nerves. The interview was just finding out about me, my experiences, education etc. I received good feedback and some advice on how to improve but was successful and was put through to the next stage, Branch Interview.
On this day I was there for a couple of hours and shadowed one of the current trainee managers and interacted with customers, went on drop offs and pick ups and just got an understanding of how the company ran. After this the branch manager took me through for another one to one interview and asked me similar questions to the ones in my first interview, next day my recruiter called me back to tell me how fantastically I did and how impressed he was with me and that they really liked me so I'm through to the final stage, Assessment Centre.

You would typically have to work 55hours + a week, how do you feel about that? (It's a bit of a weird question to be honest, what do you respond to that?)

I would say really think about if the job is worth the time and potential money you will be investing into the interview process. I had to book a nearby hotel to make it to the interview on time and then be told I was unsuccessful after all my efforts!

On this day, I was with 7 other candidates and had to be there at 8am,
We started by doing a quiz which is where prior research would've come in, I was fully prepared and was the only one who put up my hand for a few of the questions.
We then were introduced to area managers and given a cheap and shitty breakfast which didn't even look edible may I add, after that we had to do sales and customer service role play with one of the area managers, which I got good feedback from. We then had to do a 'morning meeting' with two of the area managers. We had to motivate them and get them going. Discuss figures, targets and aims etc. Again at the end of it I received some good feedback that I was energitic, bubbly and made them smile. We then had to do a group discussion with the rest of the group, we each were given an initiative to pitch and between us had to decide to which one to go for then pitch it to the area managers. This is where we had to be involved etc. Lastly we had another one to one interview with an area manager asking the same questions as all the other one to ones and finished at 2pm. It was a very long day and pretty hard to keep energy up especially because there was ALOT of waiting around through ou the day. We were told we would receive a call the following day to find out wether we got the job or not.

On my call back, they told me I was unsuccessful because I wasn't oozing with confidence, which I find is completely unfair because I received a lot of good feedback from various people in the company during my stages.

The presenter Raj, was talking about how when she first started she disputed washing cars, setting off a negative thought in everyone's mind. I was then with another candidate who came unprepared, didn't bring a pen or a notepad and kept pulling his phone out during the day!! Had a really foul attitude and was sitting like he just didn't care and I later discovered he got the job. There were many of us in the room who visibly really wanted the job and a few of us didn't get it. And yes I know we are not competing against each other, I just find it unfair and disheartening that you could get all this way and really proving that you want it and sell yourself for an a****e like this guy to carelessly walk in and get it. I'm so gutted and upset at the company but I guess all blessings are disguised.

Initially was a telephone interview, which lasted 20 minutes.

At the assessment centre there was a one on one hour interview. Consisted of 9 competency questions which needed to include relevant experience as evidence to support my answers.

Example of when you have received good customer service?

Be friendly and enthusiastic.

The company and everybody involved was very friendly. The Assessment centre was challenging and very tiring. It last from 9am until 4.30pm. The day consisted of an hour group scenario, then there was my presentation lasting 15 minutes. The subject was how University will help with transition into the work place. Next was the one to one hour interview and the day ended with a group tea building exercises which lasted about an 1 hour and 30 minutes

Following my online application for the Graduate Management Trainee role at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, I received an email from a Talent Acquisition Manager at Enterprise whom requested a telephone interview the following day. My initial telephone interview lasted approximately 30 minutes and covered a number of sales and customer service-related positions I had held and documented on my CV. I was asked a number of competency questions in which I had prepared examples taken from my prior work experience, voluntary community fundraising and educational attainment to demonstrate my suitability to each stated requirement.

I was then told by the Talent Acquisition Manager that I had been successful in my telephone interview and asked to attend an interview at the Central Office in Heathrow. This initial meet with the Talent Acquisition Manager consisted of a 45 minute process in which I was asked approximately 12 different competency questions ranging from my experiences in exceeding sale-related targets, working alongside a busy team in a small workspace and describing my greatest sense of achievement.

I initially received no feedback for approximately 3 days and so I contacted the Talent Acquisition Manager to prompt a response. I was then told that I had passed the 1st interview stage and was asked to attend a branch interview and 'shadowing' exercise at a disclosed Enterprise Rent-A-Car location.

Upon arrival to the local branch, I was asked to 'shadow' two members of staff for approximately 3 hours and in interviewed with the Branch Manager. This interview also consisted of a Senior Member of staff sitting in on a portion of the interview in which I was asked a range of new competency questions, asked to participate in a small role-play and give examples of 'upselling' and negating objections. The entire branch interview process lasted approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Describe a time in which you failed to hit a sales target and what was the outcome?

Describe an experience with an angry or irritable customer, how did you manage the situation?

Can you describe a step-by-step sales process which would be utilised here at Enterprise on a day-to-day basis?

Be fully prepared for an expansive range of competency based questions which are designed to test both your prior experiences and how closely aligned this are with the 'Enterprise' model of sales and customer service.

Take time to compose your answers as any 'holes' in your answers will be picked up on and scrutinised irrespective of your academic achievements and transferable work experience, knowledge and skills.

My application was not put forward towards the assessment centre stage.

The online application was straightforward. Personal details, education, work experience and any additional information (achievements, training etc..).

The next stage was a 30-minute telephone interview with a talent acquisition manager (this person was also at the assessment centre). We discussed the main points on my CV and then moved on to competency questions. These were in line with the jobs competencies (leadership, team work, sales, customer service, decision making...) so have some examples prepared!

The next stage was a branch visit. At the start, I was set a task by the branch manager to obtain specific information from all the employees at the branch (time at company, likes/dislikes of the job, hobbies etc...). This was an exercise to measure communication skills and get an idea of my personality. I then sat down with the manager and talked about the interview process and a normal day in the role amongst other things.
As this stage takes place at a working branch, you get to experience day-to-day tasks of the job. I experienced a complaint and went to pick up a customer during my visit.
After this, I completed an interview with the branch manager, which lasted around 40 minutes. There were several competency-based questions for each core competency of the job.

The next stage was the assessment center.

Be fully prepared for an expansive range of competency based questions which are designed to test both your prior experiences and how closely aligned these are with the core competencies of the position.
Take time to compose your answers as any gaps will be picked up on and scrutinised irrespective of your academic achievements and transferable work experience, knowledge and skills.

Assessment day activities. Make sure you practice them!

Research the company and the industry fully. They don't expect you to know everything but the more you know the easier the process will be.

Be sure to use a range of examples from your past work experiences and use the STAR model (situation, task, action, result) when answering, as this will ensure your answers are concise and you actually answer the question!

Prepare for how to act in the activities during the assessment day. The outcome of activities is not necessarily the most important aspect (although you should meet the objectives!). But rather what role you play within the group, how you justify your actions in the individual activity and how you act in the role-plays.
I've been to a few of these now and I see how some people struggle to perform well in a group activity, as they were uninvolved or too aggressive!

A full day that consisted of; a group exercise, an individual exercise, role-play scenarios and a final interview.

Group exercise- We were all given information of the organisations background along with its core values. Also, we were each given a different business initiative and had to argue why our own should be chosen. We had a budget (meaning only a couple could be chosen) and had 30 minutes to decide which the group would choose, along with reasoning???s to be presented to the finance board (area managers).

Individual exercise- I was given 30 minutes to organise a day in the life of a branch manager. Of course, this was not made straight forward as employees had called in sick, cars were not ready to go out, the correct type of cars were not available for customers etc... I had to address this and draw up a fleet plan, employee duties plan, deal with customers and other issues.
As was explained, there was no one correct way to complete this, but I had to justify my plan.
The assessor was quite thorough and went through my whole plan, ensuring there was no holes in it. Probably the most difficult part of the day for me!

Role plays-2 different scenarios.
1. A customer service scenario, where a customer had not taken out the insurance waiver thus had to pay £500 before they left to cover damages that had incurred while they had the car.
2. A sales scenario, where a customer had booked a basic car with zero extras. I had to encourage sales through upgrading to a higher category car and get the insurance waiver.
The assessor played the part well (must have seen it too many times!) and made both scenarios difficult for me!

Final interview: Again, a competency based interview to measure experiences against competencies of the job role. Lasted around 40 minutes.

My telephone interview involved a series of questions which required me to describe personal experiences and how I dealt with them. For example, I was asked, 'describe a time when you had to take charge of a team'. The follow up questions involved a more detailed analysis of why I did what I did, the ways in which this affected other group members, and what the results of my actions were. After about 5 experience-related questions there was a more general chat about why I thought I would fit the job well, what makes me think I would make a good manager and why KFC.

What changes would you make to the brand? - This was a difficult question because they are clearly interested in meeting someone with bright new ideas, but the balance needs to be made so as not to change everything they stand for as a company!

What are your weaknesses? - This question is always a difficult one, but it is quite common therefore it is helpful to come up with a few answers before being interviewed.

Do you see competition as a challenge? - Clearly, competition poses challenges, but I think they were looking for a positive answer, for example, competition makes you strive harder to get where you want to be, and makes you perform to your best potential.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years' time? - This was a difficult question, as you have to either be vague about the company and say personal goals or jump in and assume you will get this job. I took the latter approach, and said I saw myself managing a team in KFC and creating new brand ideas, and that I saw myself becoming part of the senior management team in years to come.

Be yourself. It is a company that is a little like marmite - if you think you would enjoy it, it will show. If not, don't apply as they will see right through it!
Make sure you know everything you can about the company. Everyone at the assessment centre has the same chances (i.e. looking online at all the various things KFC has been up to) so make sure you go a step further and look for something that particularly interests you (for example a video about how KFC helps the environment) and mention this in an interview to get one step ahead.

At the assessment day, there was a number of different activities, including a one-on-one interview with senior management (20 minutes), a group discussion involving designing a new KFC brand (which lasted 1 hour and involved each coming up with a new brand, discussing ideas together, then choosing between us which idea would be best to go for and then discussing finances and logistics), and a group task (also 1 hour) in which we were given a budget and asked to make changes to a KFC store for a new opening - we had to chose different options which had different effects on customers, staff and overall appearance of the KFC brand. I was criticised for not going over budget, which is something that didn't even occur to me, but was what they were looking for - someone who would push the boundaries. It was a fairly small assessment day, with only 8 of us invited, which made it seem less competitive and more relaxed, however there were 8 members of the management team evaluating our performance which was daunting at times.

Following an online application form and some basic personality testing as part of the application process, I received an email within a day and a telephone interview just a few days after that.

The telephone interview was with the Group HR Manager for the West Midlands and lasted around 10 minutes. Questions were fairly straightforward and were generally expected, talking about past experiences in terms of customer service, leadership and decision-making.

I was offered a one-to-one interview very quickly, within two weeks, at a regional office. The interview was 50 minutes-1 hour and was a combination of expanding on my past experiences and the interviewer explaining the interview process and a normal day at work amongst other things.

I found that the interviewer did speak a little too much at times, and I couldn't expand on my points as much as I wanted to because they tended to "butt in" a little. Because of this and without wanting to interrupt, by the time she had finished talking she was onto another question.

The interview was successful and I have been put through to the next stage which consists of a three-hour visit to a local branch. During this time I will shadow a fellow trainee or employee and see how a store operates on a day-to-day business, and complete a checklist with tasks to do throughout the three hours, such as checking returned cars, view of a contract being signed and head to a customer pick-up. I will be assessed on how I interact with clients and colleagues, and further interviewed by a regional manager with some competency questions to end.

After this stage, if successful, I will be put through to an assessment centre with other potential candidates.

"Describe a situation where you showed initiative..."

Research Enterprise, their values and what they're looking for, and be able to apply these findings to the interview process, and throughout your working career.

Have a set idea about why you want to do the job, and be prepared to respond to questions if your degree is quite a specialist one. For instance, I am completing a degree in Accounting, and have been questioned several times on why I don't want to further this career path, I think they fear that Accounting students only want to be Accountants so will not be fully committed to a management role.

Think outside of the box when answering questions and don't relate every single answer to your employment. Any activities outside of academia such as sport clubs, societies or groups seem to be welcomed.

Yet to complete one.

The process began with an online application with competency questions and motivations for the role and working for Mercedes-Benz.

Secondly, candidates completed online numeracy tests.

The third stage was a first round of interviews at a MB site, lasting for half a day. These were conducted by an external recruitment company and focussed on competencies. It was a very guided interview, essentially ensuring your interests and experiences could tick boxes on the interviewer's record sheet.

The next stage was an assessment centre, again held at a MB site.

Afterwards, there was a phone interview with the CAReer team at the MB headquarters in Stuttgart. Again, this interview focussed on competencies and motivations for the role and also included some questions in German for candidates who had indicated German language skills on their application.

Successful candidates were then due to be sent a further set of online tests before final selections were made, however I withdrew from the process before reaching this stage.

*Please note that the 2013 process was highly unsatisfactory, extending over a period of 8 months*.
I submitted my original application at the end of January and received no further correspondence from MB until mid-June when the online tests were sent. The interviews and assessment centre took place in July and further phone interviews and testing were in August (NB. the assessment centre was supposed to be the final stage - MB added additional stages at the last minute). The role was due to begin at the start of September, leaving candidates with little more than a fortnight to make arrangements. Nobody was able to answer my questions about the progress of my application and the reasons for the unacceptable delays. The staff running the hotline number provided on the website do not seem to have real knowledge of the scheme (I was given the impression that they were reading from a script to answer candidates queries and struggled to help me when I deviated from a question they expected).

The role play element of the assessment centre was most challenging, particularly weighing up the protection of company profits against providing outstanding customer service.

Do not set your heart on the MB Graduate Scheme as they can very quickly change their requirements (e.g. one of the other schemes was cancelled last year and they also changed their minds about the overall number of graduates they would take on (4 instead of 6)) and be sure to make contingency plans in case you are unsuccessful. The process was dragged out right up until a couple of weeks before the anticipated start date, therefore unsuccessful candidates could very easily be left without plans at a very late stage in proceedings.

This was an extremely demanding day involving a presentation about the company and the scheme, Q&A sessions with the previous year's graduates, a group exercise, an individual interview, a presentation and a role play (about customer service).

The website about the graduate scheme stated that the assessment centre was the fourth and final stage of the application process, however, candidates were informed at the conclusion of the assessment centre that Mercedes-Benz had in fact extended the process this year, with an additional phone interview and further online tests.

After applying online, I shortly received a phone call (which turned out to be a phone interview) of which involved some questions about my background, what I know about enterprise, what I do and have done etc. The phone call ended with an invitation to a face-to-face interview.
The face-to-face interview involved plenty of competency based questions. Additionally, this stage talked briefly a bit more about the specifics of the role. At the end of the interview, I was invited to attend a branch visit to the branch I had applied for.
The branch visit involved meeting all the employees at the branch, and shadowing several employees for an hour or two before a interview with the branch manager at the end of the visit. This was the most informative stage of recruitment, as I was able to witness the specifics of the role I was applying for. After the branch visit had ended, I was informed a week later by phone call that I had been invited to attend an assessment centre.
Upon attending the assessment centre, I met 11 other candidates, of which 2 were applying for the same branch as me, I was briefed about the structure of the day. The day started with a group discussion, of which each candidate had to persuade the group to pursue their initiative (of which the group had to consider the associated costs and then come to a collective decision). The second task was a day in the life of a manager, whereby candidates were given several pieces of information, and were asked to plan the morning based on said information. The third task involved role play; where candidates had to convince customers (acted by Area Managers) to both upgrade their vehicle and ask them to pay for damage to a vehicle (two different scenarios). After these tasks, candidates were provided with free lunch, and were then invited to ask any questions (essentially a Q and A session). This concluded the assessment centre.
The next day I received a phone call from the area manager of the branch I had applied for offering me the position.

The most difficult question I received was at the branch visit, of which the branch manager asked for a time where a customer had complained to my face about the service I personally had provided. This was the only question I failed to answer.

Be confident with your attributes.
Learn the values of the organisation and try to relate your answers to these values.
Ask as many questions as you can, the company enjoy people who are inquisitive and want to learn more about the company.

Upon attending the assessment centre, I met 11 other candidates, of which 2 were applying for the same branch as me, I was briefed about the structure of the day. The day started with a group discussion, of which each candidate had to persuade the group to pursue their initiative (of which the group had to consider the associated costs and then come to a collective decision). The second task was a day in the life of a manager, whereby candidates were given several pieces of information, and were asked to plan the morning based on said information. The third task involved role play; where candidates had to convince customers (acted by Area Managers) to both upgrade their vehicle and ask them to pay for damage to a vehicle (two different scenarios). After these tasks, candidates were provided with free lunch, and were then invited to ask any questions (essentially a Q and A session). This concluded the assessment centre.