Do you thrive in fast-paced, personable environments? Are you looking to harness your leadership skills and leave a lasting impact on those around you? If so, an office manager role might be for you. According to Indeed, an office manager “is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of an office and its various departments. Their duties include communicating with department heads, relaying important information or policy changes from upper management, and implementing incentives to enhance employee productivity.” Of course, it’s a lot more complex than that. These office manager interview questions will help prepare you for your upcoming interview.
If you’re struggling to land interviews our TemPositions’ job board has plenty of open office manager job positions! Now let’s begin!
1. Can you describe your experience as an office manager?
One of the first office manager interview questions you’ll be asked is to help the interviewer gain an understanding of your previous experience, responsibilities, and accomplishments in office management. Answer this question by highlighting the key responsibilities you had as an office manager. Also, showcase your accomplishments from your previous role. Did you streamline processes to increase efficiency? Did you implement new systems or technologies that improved productivity? Share specific examples to demonstrate your impact.
2. How do you prioritize your workload?
The next one of our office manager interview questions will assess your organizational and time management skills. Describe the way you break down tasks into actionable steps, emphasize your ability to adapt to changing circumstances and reprioritize tasks when necessary, mention any specific time management techniques you use, such as the Pomodoro Technique or time blocking. Lastly, be sure to back up your answers with real-life experiences!
3. How do you handle workplace conflict?
This question will be asked to assess your interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. As an office manager, there’s no doubt you’ll run into workplace conflict, therefore it’s important to highlight your communication skills during the interview. Describe a time where you successfully managed a workplace conflict and be sure to emphasize your active listening skills and ability to empathize with all parties involved in the conflict.
4. How do you manage the office budget and control expenses?
This question is asked to assess your financial management skills and ability to handle resources efficiently. Employers want to ensure that you have the necessary skills to effectively allocate funds, monitor expenses, and maintain financial stability within the office. Be sure to mention your ability to forecast and plan expenses ahead, highlight any strategies you use to structure and maintain an office budget. Lastly, discuss ways you’ve successfully managed to cut costs without reducing quality and productivity.
There you have it, the office manager interview questions you can expect to be asked! Additionally, the TemPositions’ General Office team would love to help you kickstart your career as an office manager! Be sure to connect with a recruiter and apply to our open positions ASAP.
