If you’re interviewing for a Food & Beverage Manager position, chances are you already know that your industry knowledge is not going to be the major topic of discussion. Instead, the emphasis here will be on your managerial skills as they pertain to overseeing a team and meeting business objectives.
Of course, a manager position also requires a sound understanding of the company for which he or she works. So be sure to bring that to the interview table. Following are potential questions that you will encounter during an interview for an F&B manager job, along with suggested replies.
1. Why are you interested in this opportunity?
Don’t make any overt or veiled comparisons to your current or past employers. Instead, do your research on the company and come ready to cite specific details about the organization that are of interest to you, as well as why you can bring value to the company in the role for which you’re interviewing.
2. What do you think is the most important quality for a manager to have?
In other words, “what’s your management style?” Don’t pigeonhole yourself with a single description like “diplomacy” or “approachable” as these can be open to interpretation. Instead, reference characteristics of good management based on your own experience and elaborate on how these attributes impact the team.
3. What strides have you made with regard to professional development in the past year?
This will be an easy question if you’re currently enrolled in a post-secondary degree program or another professional certification program. But if you’re not, be sure to prepare a response in advance and draw upon aspects of your personal life that illustrate how you’re a goal-oriented self-starter.
4. What are the most important metrics for a manager’s success?
Every company will have its own set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Without knowing the specific targets set by your potential employer, you still need to acknowledge that it is a manager’s responsibility to set measurable objectives for his or her team and to ensure that those objectives are met by forming a cohesive team, and implementing data when relevant and meeting deadlines. This is a good time to reference your successes with your current or past employers.
5. How do you motivate your team members?
Emphasize team building and staff recognition and the results (such as better revenue or a willingness to take on more responsibility) that each drive. Try not to get too granular unless asked for specifics or you’re providing an example of a successful initiative from past experience.
6. How do you delegate?
You’ll want to talk about how you go about assigning responsibilities to team members, noting how you go about selecting the “right” person for any given task. Remember to walk the interviewer through the process from selection of team members to communicating expectations to team members, and ensuring that they have the necessary resources to be successful. End with your follow-up methodology.
7. Tell me about a negative work experience. How did you react and why?
Do not take a negative approach to this question, cast blame on another person, or respond in a self-deprecating manner. Rather, this question should always be met with an answer that illustrates a growth opportunity. So whatever negative experience you cite, be sure to take it in a direction that distinctly points to an actionable lesson learned. Think “lemons to lemonade.”
8. Who are our competitors?
This isn’t about who you envision the competition to be; the interviewer wants to know if you’ve done your homework.
9. Have you ever bent the rules to achieve a goal?
The interviewer wants to know that you are ethical and will remain true to company policy.
10. Why should we hire you?
This interview is about you and how hiring you will benefit the organization. So put your best foot forward, make no direct or indirect reference to other candidates and talk about several of your specific attributes that will bring value to the company. Focus exclusively on your strengths, and if there are any that you haven’t yet had the chance to tell the interviewer about, make sure you talk about those selling points now.