Management Interview Questions & Answers

The interview consisted of 10 questions. I was given 30 seconds to prepare an answer for each, and had a time limit of either 30 or 60 seconds to answer. A lot of the questions were ones that I had previously viewed on here. They start by asking your name and what region is your first choice. They then ask where you live, about your degree and what you’re currently doing. They ask why you want to apply to Aldi. What are your short, medium and long term goals and expectations during the scheme. Why you are a good candidate for the role. They ask you to describe something ambitious that you have achieved and how. How you have set yourself high standards and how you achieved this. Something interesting that you found out about Aldi.

Before the interview, you are given help videos, advice and a practice question. Make sure you have some answers prepared as it’s very challenging to think on the spot so quickly! Also have a pen and paper handy to jot down ideas.

Explain a situation where you set yourself high standards. How did you achieve this?

Do your research and make sure you’re prepared as the videos are very fast and don’t allow much time to plan an answer. The recruitment stages are very fast, I have found out whether I was successful during each stage within a few days, so be prepared to make time for assessments as you’re only given 5days to complete it before the link expires.

Have not got to that stage yet.

The initial interview consisted with a telephone interview (30 minutes) with the recruitment agency named Bright Futures, in which a series of competency based questions were asked.

Then candidates (9 were present at my assessment centre but there were 10 at the following centre next week) were invited to an assessment centre two weeks later (expenses paid!), in which the day began with an informal icebreaker exercise which assessed how you worked as a team and a group exercise which tested team work, leadership abilities and negotiation skills.

Each candidate was asked to give a 10 minute presentation on a specific topic in front of two assessors (owner, MD, external HR, bright futures consultant). After this, lunch was provided and current graduates from the company came to have a discussion with us about their role within the company. We were allocated 45 minutes for lunch.

Then Simon from Bright Futures invited 4 of us to a smaller room and left 5 outside. 4 were told they had gotten through to the interview stage and 5 were sent home. Interviews consisted of competency based questions as well as some personality questions to gauge you as a person (35 minutes). Candidates were then sent home and given feedback via telephone.

Business is essentially full of deals. Describe a deal you have made in your personal or professional life, and explain what makes a good deal in business.

Prepare properly for your presentation and interview, it doesn't hurt to prepare handouts and get a real indepth knowledge of the company.
Do not be put off by the amount of people at an assessment centre, everyone will go through if they are good enough.
Leave with no regrets.

Ice breaker exercise in groups of 3, Group Exercise in groups of 3, individual presentations, individual interviews.

I was one of the first candidates to experience the new interview process.

I originally applied in January, but my application was deferred until May because I don't finish my course until September. However, they have start dates throughout the year and they suit it to what is best for you.

I applied through graduate-jobs.com and then a recuiter rung me shortly after. I had my telephone interview in May, which was more of an informal chat explaining what I did my degree in and what work experience I had. Then I was invited to video interview.

The video interview is a new process they've introduced and it's quite strange. I had never done a video interview before, so I found it quite daunting, especially because there is no one else at the other end of the video. You have 45 seconds thinking time, then the video will automatically start recording and you have 60 seconds to answer the question. There are only 6 questions and it's all over quite quickly.

I was then invited to the assessment centre in London. There was a tour, brief introductions, then a presentation about FDM. After that we had a Venn Diagram/Set Notation test (1 hour) and an IT aptitude test (1 hour). We had a break for lunch, then came back to do the maths test (1/2 hour) and then had the three 5 min interviews. They ask you 4 questions in each interview, such as "Why do you want to work for FDM?", "Why did you choose your degree?", "What is the best way to learn?" and "What are the most important issues the IT industry is currently facing?"

They will get back to you via email within 48 hours. I found out I was successful the next morning :)

What are your thoughts on organisational change?
Would you sacrifice quality to meet a deadline?

Make sure you prepare, learn statistics about the company and learn about their core values, their clients and their culture.

They're all really friendly, so it's not daunting.

The three 5 minute interviews went so quickly. But make sure you give examples and expand on your answers because they don't prompt you to. So don't just give yes and no answers!

Venn diagram and Set Notation Test for 1 hour - they give you a booklet to help. They basically want to see that you can follow instructions and to see if you looked at the YouTube video links they give you in the Assessment Centre Guide.

IT Aptitude Test for 1 hour - this was not as bad as I was expecting. There were some IT questions that I had to guess, but as it's positively marked, you can't lose marks for answering a question incorrectly, so it wasn't too bad. It's a combination of logical reasoning, IT and business questions. There was a weird one where you had to guess what the word "sleepily" meant in a language they made up. But other than that, they were relatively straight forward.

Maths Test for 1/2 hour - I was most nervous about this because if you fail this test you have to retake the whole assessment centre. However, they give you links to BBC Bitesize to help. You need to know Pythagoras' Theorem, long division, long multiplication, simultaneous equations, square roots, cube roots and basic arithmetic. But it's honestly a lot easier than I expected and it's only GCSE level.

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.

I think I applied for the position around June 2015. First stage was a telephone interview which lasted about 10 or 15 minutes. It was quite easy and the interviewer asked questions like "what are you doing at the moment?" and "What experience do you have in sales and customer service?" The next stage was a face-to-face interview at their head office based at Heathrow airport.
This lasted around 45 minutes and asked competency-based questions such as "describe a time when you demonstrated leadership/flexibility/excellent customer service etc". He also asked questions about Enterprise to see if you knew much about the company, so do your research on the company history which you can find easily on their website.
The next stage was a branch visit to the branch you applied for. This involved talking to all the employees and getting to know them and what the role is like. My advice is to ask lots of questions and be really friendly and positive. Ask if you can make a call to a customer or go out and pick a customer up with them.
You also have an interview with the branch manager about why you want the job and what qualities you have that are relevant to the role. Again, use the same competency-based examples that you used for the face-to-face interview. Be confident, smile, keep eye contact at all times and give a firm handshake. The final stage was the assessment centre which is described below.

The most difficult question I was asked was "tell me a time when you have been in charge and have had to discipline someone. What did you do?"

Do a lot of research into the company about their history and their values. Be passionate about the position and embrace all the challenges. There were a few things that I didn't do so well at the assessment day but they still offered me the position because of my positive character and likeability factor. So be positive, always smile and ask lots of questions at each stage to show your interest in the position.

I arrived and met the other candidates in the waiting room (there were 9 of us) so got to talk and get to know them. Then we were taken into a meeting room where we were told about the day and did a few icebreaker exercises. Nothing too challenging.
First task was the sales and customer service role plays. The sales role play: I had to try and get the customer to upgrade their choice of car and close the deal there and then. Customer service role play: There was an angry customer who hadn't re-filled the petrol in the car he rented and I had to try and get him to pay for the fuel.
The next task was a morning meeting where you have 20 minutes to read some fictitious information about sales targets and prepare a meeting to two employees. You are the manager and you have to motivate your team and inspire them to work hard and be the best they can be at customer service and sales. One of the employees will be really difficult and look dis-interested. They will do things like play on their mobile phone or put their feet on the desk so you have to 'discipline' them in the best way you think that will motivate them to want to work hard. Give all your energy to this task and be super positive and happy. This was my favourite task of the day as you can completely express yourself.
The next task was a group discussion where each of you had an initiative and had to try and convince the rest of the group that money should be invested into it. You have a budget as a team so can only select 3 or 4 initiatives so it is important to be vocal and don't sit back and remain in the background. You have 20 mins to come to a decision. Make sure you don't loose track of time.
Lastly you have a final interview with one of the area managers who have been assessing you all day. They ask you some final questions about yourself, why you want the job, want you think you can bring to Enterprise, and some other things about competencies again. To be honest, at this stage the interview isn't that hard because you have already come so far and know about the company and its values so you are unlikely to go blank. They are really good at responding to you. I found out if I was offered the job the next day.

Initially I completed an online application which is very straightforward.

Afterwards I then received an email regarding arrangements for a phone-call interview with the recruitment officer. The phone call consisted of mainly competency based questions all focused on the company's core values. As well as a bit of a background about yourself and why you would like to work for the company and what you already know and can bring to Enterprise. They are looking for individuals who have the ability and experience to be able to manage a branch further along the line. It is essential that you have the experience and personality to become leaders and have leadership qualities. As well as customer service and sales questions. Mainly based on your experience within your previous jobs or university for example. Therefore I'd recommend you do your research on the company and why you chose this role as well as what you could bring to the company. I then received an email stating that I passed that stage and the next stage was a face to face interview with the recruitment officer (same person who I had the telephone interview with)

The third stage was the interview with the recruitment officer at the head office. This was around a 45 minute interview consisting of more competency based questions. Very situational questions whereby you had to give an example of where you showed a particular competency ( leadership/flexibility/excellent customer service/work ethic/communication). Very similar to the questions asked in the second stage. I then received my offer to the next stage via email which was the visit to the branch.

The fourth stage was the branch visit followed by a one to one interview with the branch manager. The branch visit lasted 3 hours, the first two hours I was shadowing one of the employees. This stage you really got a feel of what a day is like at Enterprise. It is very fast paste, the staff there were all really friendly and i was welcome to ask questions whenever I wanted. I went out with one of the employees to deliver cars whereby I got a feel of talking to customers who I was delivering the cars to as well as was able to ask questions and was provided with a lot of information. I'd advise you to ask a lot of questions you may have at this stage about the general routine of the day at what it is actually like at the branch from an employee's perspective. The last 45 minutes then consisted of an interview with the branch manager. This again is identical to the previous interviews, whereby you are asked competency based questions and what made you pick Enterprise. This is stage where many people decide they actually would want to work here as you are told from the start it is a very fast paced job, long working hours 50+ but is a great opportunity for you to progress internally within the company. Everybody starts off as a Management Trainee which was is really nice because everyone you meet at the company has started off in the position you are. The branch manager told me then and there that he was happy to put me through to the next stage which was the assessment centre.

Fifth stage was the assessment centre (wrote about below)

The most difficult question I had to answer would be " After visiting the branch, what was one thing about Enterprise that you didn't like?"

I would definitely advise you to be yourself is my most important advice. During the assessment centre, you are NOT competing with the other candidates for the same location. They are simply testing you on how you work with others.

Do your research on the company and make the most out of the branch visit to know whether you are up for this role. They are explicit from the very start that you need to be flexible with your working hours because it isn't like your normal working job. You can be working 55+ a week. It is also a very fast past job where every day is different.

Use your experience to your advantage. All the questions are based on your previous experience and your knowledge in how you would deal with situations based on the core competencies so go over the competencies and think of answers you could come up .

I arrived at the head office for the assessment centre at 8:45am and met the other candidates in the waiting room (there were 11 of us) so got to talk and get to know them. We were then taken into the meeting room whereby we had a short presentation about the company and what was expected off us. We then met all of the area managers and had an icebreaker whereby we had to stand up introduce ourself, tell them a fun fact about yourself and what we could bring to the company.

We were then split into two groups. My first exercise was role play based exercise where we was given two scenarios, we had 10 minutes to prepare our answers individually and then we had to sit in one to one with an area manager whereby they were acting as the customer and you was the branch manager. The first scenario was a customer service based on whereby the question was " You've overheard a phone call that a conversation whereby a customer is returning a car and is not happy with the rental at all. You then as the branch manager have to prepare a conversation with this customer upon their arrival ". With this question I would be apologetic with the customer and to make sure that they are happy leaving the branch. I was a little confused as to whether I was able to make the decision regarding altering the payment that had to be originally paid. However, during my feedback I was then told that the reputation of the brand was very important and that you are able to disregard them paying for a for the rental (if a reasonable amount) to ensure that they leave happy (this is essential). This question is testing your customer service skills and how you likely to be in a situation like that ( the manager will not hold back with how unhappy he is as the customer, so be prepared). The second question was a sales based whereby a customer has come in to collect a Group A car and you had to try and upgrade them to a Group B car for £10 extra per day. I received some good on this question. So I personally got speaking to the customer about why there were renting the car and fitted a group B car to their experience and why a group B car would be beneficial rather than a group A . Talking about more space, built in sat nav, bigger boot space for luggage, bigger engine size etc. However, the customer did not want to pay an extra £10 per day as they thought it would be too much. Therefore, making the customer feel as if they are getting a good deal by lowering the price is something you could do, to make the customer feel special and this would be beneficial to you as the employee as well in terms of commission. My advice would be to be enthusiastic, they are not expecting to you know the details of these cars in terms of the features but are just looking for general pointers of you as an individual.

The next exercise was a group discussion whereby you were split into groups of about 6 people and given some information about cities and marketing expenses. you then had to discuss as a team which place you thought was be best to open an Enterprise branch. based on the information you were given you had to say why you thought this place would be a good place and the opportunities that were available in this place. You then as a group had to present this to the areas managers and explain how much you had spent. I would recommend to be quite vocal in this activity but not too much. Show that you do have some good ideas however listen to the other people in your group as well. The managers are looking for a little bit of leadership in this activity as well as good communication skills.

The next activity was a day in the life of task as a branch manager. You was given about 30 minutes then once you'd made the schedule you had to present it to the manager and justify it, along with get asked questions which may indicate flaws that you hadn't thought of in the plan. you had to plan the schedule of two employees and you was given other information on emails regarding some maths questions and an employees not being able to turn up to work. As well as customers who had to be picked up at certain times and you had to schedule these pick ups for different customers taking into consideration how long it would take to get to the customer and back before picking up another. Then you had to present it to an actual manager and justify why you had planned this schedule in the way you had. I actually did a part of this question wrong in which I found out when the manager had told me. So my advice is to make you read ALL parts of the information provided and make sure you know exactly what you are doing.

The final stage was a one to one interview with an area manager. They firstly asked about how you found the experience at the branch visit and the assessment centre in general. Followed by again a lot of competency based questions (very similar to the previous interview questions). They also asked if you was flexible to move locations which is again one of the core competencies of the company. So for me they asked me if i willing to relocate to the airport if they needed me to.

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.

It began with a tour of the Explore Learning Centre before sitting down with 2 of the 3 managers and having an interview. The atmosphere was informal, although be sure to dress appropriately. The interview was about 40 mins long, beginning with questions about experience, the part of the job you think you'll succeed in most, and your chance to ask any questions.
Lastly, There's the opportunity to interact with the children and you're observed while doing this.

The role play was most difficult for me. The topic was given the day before (via email) - I had to sell a gym membership. A tip for this is to bring your own material, eg business card, flyer, etc.

The environment is relaxed and informal, it really puts you at ease. Be sure to check Explore Learning's website prior to the interview as some questions are there to nite your preparation for the interview.

After the interview there's an assessment centre, however I did not get through to this.

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.

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.