Best Sample Interview Questions for Team Leader Position

To improve your chances at a team leader interview, it is important to learn about the possible questions you might face.

This will help in your preparation for the interview and boost your confidence and chances to be hired for the team leader position.

This post provides samples of some of the common team leader interview questions to help you become familiar with the interview, as well as suggested answers to enable you practice your responses at the actual interview.

Please, read on: 

What do Interviewers Look for in a Team Leader?

A team leader must be able to manage projects while staying on time and within budget.

They must be able to think fluidly and be decisive. The interviewers will want to know if you are willing to work long hours, travel, or relocate.

They’ll also want to know how you feel about conflicts or disagreements with co-workers.

10 Most Common Interview Questions for Team Leader Position (with Answers)

Here are major common questions you may face when sitting for a team leader interview:

1. What’s your greatest strength?

Answer: One of my greatest strengths is that I’m able to work well with people from all walks of life. By nature, I am an extrovert – someone who energizes in social settings and seeks out new experiences. I have experience leading groups of individuals who don’t always get along. I’ve had to manage difficult personalities and strike the right balance among members with divergent views.

2. What’s your biggest weakness?

Answer: I’m afraid that sometimes my enthusiasm gets the best of me because I take too much upon myself. Once others are aware of my willingness to lend a helping hand, I become the person everyone turns to. The only problem there is that I’m stretched too thin.

3. What was the last book you read and why did you pick it up?

Answer: The book I recently finished reading was “Be a People Person,” written by Alan Garner. In this book, he reminded me of so many ways that I could be a better team member and learn to communicate with others in a more effective manner.

4. Why do you want to be employed in this company?

Answer: I have always been interested in your organization. In fact, when I was preparing for my Master’s exam, I read all of the articles on your company website so that they would be fresh in my mind!

5. How would your direct reports describe you as a boss?

Answer: I am pretty sure they would say that I am a good listener and easy to approach with problems. They are comfortable coming to me for advice, but know when to take action on their own because I encourage independence within the group.

6. Why do you want to exit your current job?

Answer: I want to leave for another company because it is a better fit for me. They are looking for an individual with my expertise and experience in the same field, which is why I believe it would be a good move for me and them.

7. Do you know anyone who works for our company?

Answer: No. I am not related to anyone who works for your company, nor am I friends with an employee on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

8. How would you differentiate between leadership and management? Can one person be both?

Answer: Management is about supervising employees while leadership is about influencing others to achieve a common goal.  One person usually cannot do both.

9. How would you fire someone without triggering a discrimination suit or an angry backlash from employees, their families or community leaders?

Answer: I would never want to terminate anyone’s job, but I would make sure everything was documented and presented in a professional manner at the meetings where the decision was made. We may be a small company, but we do have a human resources department.

10. What are your salary requirements?

Answer: I’m not sure how much you would be paying for this position, so I can’t give you an exact figure. I received a great increase when I left my last job, and I am confident that whatever number you offer me will be fair.

More Sample Team Leader Interview Questions (in Categories)

Here are additional questions you might face at a team leader interview, presented in categories:  

Sample Behavioral Interview Questions for Team Leader Position

1. What is your vision for the company?
2. What do you think about our organization’s values?
3. How would other team members describe you as a manager?
4. Describe a time when you had to manage an unruly employee.
5. Give me two examples of how you built your team each year.

Sample Case Interview Questions for Team Leader Position

1. Describe how you would handle conflict within a team.
2. What is the difference between a team leader and a supervisor?
3. Why are people promoted from being an assistant to being a manager?
4. What would you do if one of your subordinates didn’t understand their task or had difficulty completing it?
5. You notice that one of your employees has not completed all their work for the day. How do you decide whether to complete it for them, check up on them more than usual, or let them deal with it on their own time?

1. How do you keep your team motivated and focused on their goals?

2. What is your biggest weakness?

3. Give an example of a previous project you took the lead on and how it turned out.

4. Tell me about a time when you failed and what was your take away from that experience?

5. Why should we give you this position?

Sample Problem-solving Interview Questions for Team Leader Position

1. Why is it important to be a good team leader?
2. What are some strategies you use to monitor your team’s progress?
3. How do you handle conflicts within the group?
4. Describe an instance where you negotiated with someone who was disagreeing with what you were saying.
5. What are some strategies for disciplining employees when appropriate?

Sample Situational Interview Questions for Team Leader Position

1. How would you deal with a difficult co-worker who doesn’t do what they’re supposed to?
2. Why is it important for you to be a team leader in this company?
3. Have you ever been in charge of a project and found out halfway through that the budget was going to run out before its completion?
4. When does your best work come from under pressure or when expected, without much change involved in terms of time management?
5. In what ways can managers motivate their employees when there is no extra money left over for salary increases but the employee deserves one because of their efforts?

Sample Communication Skills Interview Questions for Team Leader Position

1. What is your approach to communication?
2. Tell me about a time where you delivered bad news to someone.
3. What are some of the ways that different people communicate with each other, and how can you adapt your style for them?
4. Who heads up the meetings on your team, and what do they usually say at the beginning of the meeting? Give an example.
5. How would you talk with one person in front of others or one on one so it’s clear who’s talking even if things get heated?

Sample Interpersonal Skills Interview Questions for Team Leader Position

1. What is your approach to meeting organisational objectives?
2. How would you go about making a difficult decision?
3. Do you prefer working solo or in a team?
4. When and how do you delegate tasks and responsibilities?
5. How would manage people who have different priorities from yours on the team?

Sample Company Culture Interview Questions for Team Leader Position

1. What are your thoughts on flexible working hours?
2. How do you feel about time off for personal reasons?
3. Do you work best when you’re in an office environment or remotely?
4. What is the best way to deal with a difficult peer at work?
5. Is it important to have strong team relationships at work?

Sample Leadership Interview Questions for Team Leader Position

1. Is it important to be an inspiring leader?
2. How should leaders motivate their employees for excellent results when the company doesn’t have the funds to entice them with salary increases?
3. What do you think of motivational leadership techniques such as giving incentives and rewards, or leading by example?
4. When is the best time to lead a team: in crisis or during times of great success?
5. Where do you see yourself in five years: Would you like to advance your career and take on more responsibilities (assuming that this is possible)?

Team Leader Interview Success Tips

The team leader role is a competitive one and the interview can be tough too, however, here are valuable tips you can apply to be successful at the interview:

• Be sure to have an understanding of what constitutes a good team leader so you can ace the interview and get hired.
• Be prepared for likely questions that interviewers asked when hiring for the role of a team leader, such as “tell me about a time where you failed” or “why should we hire you?”
• Make sure that your perceived strengths are compatible with the qualifications for the team leader position.
• Think about how your weaknesses fit in with the job description and make them seem like they are actually strengths, if possible.
• Be honest and own up to mistakes because admitting that you’ve made a mistake can demonstrate humility and won’t be held against you if you are hired.

Conclusion

When you know the kind of questions you will likely be asked in a team leader interview, it enables you to prepare effectively for the interview.

You can apply the team leader interview questions provided on this page to get familiar with the actual interview and prepare appropriate responses to the questions that may be asked.