Senior Manager Interview Questions in India
39K
Senior Manager interview questions shared by candidates
The manager of component 'A' says his functionality is more important than that of component 'B.' The manager of component 'B' says his is more important than that of component 'A.' You can only implement one A or B, but not both - which do you choose to implement.
14 Answers↳
The key question to ask is definition of "IMPORTANT". Is it important to the managers (ego equation), important to the end consumer or important for Amazon. The first one needs to be thrown out immediately and the others must be quantified based on achievability, impact on end user and ROI. Less
↳
I would say whichever is more valuable to customer & gives competitive advantage to Amazon. Less
↳
Agreed. Need to drill into what "important" means. Great catch My guess is that Amazon was looking to quantify/define "important" from the customer perspective. Less
Tell me how you would scale a social media software platform?
3 Answers↳
Try to define "scale", ask for clarifications. Are we trying to scale to more users or to more ad providers? Are there any current bottlenecks? What is the goal here? How about we improve the experience by providing more relevant ads? etc... Less
↳
Its such a tricky question. I guess its by the analytic we use to know the page views and all.. Less
↳
I didn't have a good answer for this one.
Suppose you are working on a project with an original scope of a few months and you are told that you instead now have a few days -- how would you handle it?
5 Answers↳
I'd ask 'why'? Something radically changed since the last time this was discussed. Understanding what it was that changed is critical to determining the best course of action. Adding manpower, reducing scope, working 24/7, or pushing back might all be reasonable (or horrible) solutions. By first understanding the (new) need, you can then develop a solution. Less
↳
Depends: Who is telling me this? What stage is the project in on the project life cycle? Review these factors in light of the impacts, set change management process and communication plan. There are no cookie cutter approached - each project is unique. Less
↳
I would say evaluate the overall impacts and risks then communicate it with your sponsor (customer). Let he/she to decide then document it. Less
What would you do if senior management demanded delivery of software in an impossible deadline?
3 Answers↳
The feasibility which could lead to happen this type of situations is due to critical business needs. It means senior management would be actively involved and here agile framework will come into play. Delivering the workable product and then further developing the solution would be the best possible shot for win win situation. Less
↳
It is possible to keep scope, resources & timeline (dates) unchanged, but compromise on quality. This will impact team retention, especially the stronger engineers on the team, over the longer run. The leadership team must understand the consequences. Less
↳
Give them the choice of reduced scope, more resources, or changed dates. They can only pick 2. Less
What actions would you take if you found that you are actually carrying too much inventory?
2 Answers↳
I would consider 1- Looking at demand patterns at other sites/regions and looking at moving inventory 2- Working with pricing team to offer discounts to drive demand 3 - Add it as a kit with another item and sell it 4 - Scrap it Less
↳
Firstly, I would evaluate whether there’s a seasonality. (e,g, Prior to black Friday, we may encounter decrease in demand because people don’t buy until it’s black Friday. If there’s no seasonality issues - Short-term solutions : From demand aspect Increase demand by 1. Bundling 2. Discount (coordination with Pricing / Marketing team) From supply aspect : a. For non-perishable products that have salvage value – Return to supplier b. For perishable products – Resell it to bakeries or scrap them Long-term solution : Adjust the demand forecast model (increase forecast accuracy) Adjust inventory model (decrease safety stock) Less
how did you handle people who don't co-operate?
2 Answers↳
explain why, communicate the bigger picture of what you're asking them to do, show that what you are doing is in full view of process/not a personal thing but a strategic or tactical problem-solving approach. If thats not effective, contact his/her resource manager/boss and ask to be added to the employee's review process. Then let his/her boss tell that person you hold this power... Less
↳
make them owners so that they will be accountable
How do you manage project expectations when multiple stakeholders are involved?
2 Answers↳
I would guess that you would want to accurately convey the potential of the project within a predetermined timeframe. Ideally you want to sell the vision of the project while staying realistic. Most of the project expectations should lean on the "must haves" opposed to the "wants" of the project. Less
↳
I made the point that there are several ingredients to proper stakeholder management -- especially when there are many (with often disparate goals and needs) involved in a single project. I stressed the importance of excellent communication, strong interpersonal skills, sharp organizational skills and the ability to inspire confidence and maintain authority as the PM. Less
How do you influence people who do not report to you? How do you get them to do things even though they don't have to or want to?
2 Answers↳
I would answer this question by first stating that it is important to get to know how people are motivated on a personal level first. If they do not report to you then you might not have positional authority to ask them for a deliverable. At a company like Microsoft, I'm sure that there are jobs/roles that require people to get help/collaboration from people outside of their positional authority. To do this, you must first know what motivates a person and proactively make personal "deposits" to build some solid connections so that when you need to make a "withdraw" you have invested enough. Deposits can be made by taking an interest in someone, providing them with help when they need it, or maybe buying them lunch/drinks. Less
↳
a) I've never actually had someone refuse to help me when asked, but b) I would try ahead of time to get to know them so that when I need to influence them or need to request assistance, they already have a basic level of comfort with me. Less
Have I ever managed a project where my deadline move-up abruptly? Was I able to meet that deliverable deadline, and if so, how?
1 Answers↳
I explained a recent experience in which my predecessor chose to ignore a critical condition of approval on her project, which had been turned over to me. I explained how I meet with my organizations principals, gained their blessed and immediately scheduled a meeting with the city's engineering and public works department. It took me jumping in, evaluating the issue, determining the best possible solution for all, and work with and manage my team flawlessly. It is a complete success and I met my deliverable deadline. Less