Interview questions for Operation manager

Operations Manager Job Description And Responsibilities

The Operations Manager role is the glue that keeps a company operating efficiently and effectively and it requires an ability to take responsibility seriously, operate with high levels of consistency, whilst also following organizational rules, policies and procedures.
The key duties and responsibilities of an Operations Manager include:
• The need to understand, implement and follow the company’s rules, operational procedures and safety standards.
• Set and maintain high standards of operational efficiency, ensuring all members of the team adhere to the required standards and policies in respect of operational effectiveness.
• Liaise with senior management team members in respect of operational performance.
• Conduct operations team appraisals and ensure all staff are supported in their roles so they can work to the best of their abilities.
• Solve difficult and complex problems on a daily basis in order to keep operational downtime to an absolute minimum.
• Respond to operational infrastructure issues and when they arise and liaise with company suppliers and stakeholders to ensure the smooth running of company operations.
Operations Managers play an important role as they ensure smooth operation of all company procedures. Their role is to plan, oversee and coordinate day-to-day activities to improve effectiveness, productivity and performance.
You should look for candidates with broad experience and working knowledge of all organizational functions. Operations Managers are responsible for various tasks, from logistics to resources management and budget planning. Therefore, your ideal candidate should know how to tackle operational problems and be able to find effective solutions in a timely manner.

1. What to ask during an operations manager interview?

To get a better sense of how you’d perform in an operations manager role, interviewers might ask you behavioral questions. Rather than presenting you with hypothetical situations, these questions help them determine how you’ve used your skills during real-life situations in the past.

2. If a company team is struggling to meet their deadlines and we asked you to assist them, how would you juggle helping them while meeting your own deadlines?

This situational question is a great opportunity to highlight your time management and organizational skills. Interviewers ask this to determine how you prioritize your responsibilities. Show that you understand how various company departments interact and provide them with a clear approach to the situation.
I would begin by determining what the team needs and when their deadlines are. Based on this, I would set aside the tasks with later deadlines and focus on more immediate duties. I would also see if I can reassign any members from my team to assist the other team for the time being.

3. What do you need to know about operations management?

Operations manager play a leading role in managing both raw materials and personnel. Oversight of inventory, supplies and purchasing is central to the job. You have lot of potential in this field, so grab the opportunity to work as operations manager by seeing into the listed operations management.

4. What is your experience with logistics management?

Interviewers ask this question to assess your ability to use one of the common duties of an operations manager. When you answer this question, remember to focus on your success in using this type of management.
Example: “I have used logistics management in all of my previous roles as an operation manager. I have used it to plan, control and implement data and product storage. This type of management has enabled me to lower costs for businesses and improve customer service all around.

5. Define The Terms Total Quality Management, Just-in-time, And Re engineering. What Do These Terms Have In Common?

• Total quality management (TQM) is a philosophy that focuses on meeting the needs of the customer. TQM is not inspection, but actually the prevention of defects. It involves everyone in the organization. Just-in-time is a philosophy that focuses on reducing inventory and other wastes and on the production of the right number of items at the right time. Reengineering focuses on improving business processes in order to improve efficiency. Each of these techniques strives to allow more responsive and more efficient production leading to higher quality and higher customer satisfaction.

6. What Was Most Displeasing About The Management In Your Previous Job?

During my last assignment, I discovered there wasn’t any more scope for career development in the organization after rising to a particular level of management. There was a ‘stagnant point’ where the top management would just retain employees. They did not consider career growth at that level as a way of moving the company forward. To avoid such a scenario, I would propose a training plan that would help to equip the staff with appropriate skills and develop their skills.

7. What Are The Three Major Business Functions and How Are They Related To One Another? Give Specific Examples?

The three major business functions are finance, marketing and operations. Operations entail the production of a product or service and must manage the inputs to production such as workers’ time, aluminum, and machine time to create airplane parts Finance manages the assets, such as the building used for production, investments and cash flows related to production, such as providing the needed machines. Marketing generates sales of the product or service, such as finding customers for the proposed airplanes.

If We Hire You As Our Operations Manager, What Will You Do First As A Newly Appointed Manager?

“I will quickly familiarize myself with the mission and vision of the company. This will help me understand why the company exists and how I can contribute towards the achievement of its goals. Besides, that understanding will enable me to align the work plans of my role with the strategic objectives of the company. In doing so, my team and I will contribute positively toward the attainment of the company’s strategic objective.
Describe The Transformation Process Of A Business. Give Three Examples. What Constitutes The Transformation Process At An Advertising Agency, A Bank, And A Tv Station?
The transformation process involves taking the various inputs and transforming them into outputs. An advertising agency would transform the time of its staff into an advertising campaign. A bank may use the time of a teller, an input computer, and a bank branch to accept a deposit. A TV station could use the time of its production crew, the video equipment, and the studio to produce a news story.

Identify The Two Major Differences Between Service And Manufacturing Organizations. Find An Example Of A Service And Manufacturing Company And Compare Them?
Manufacturing organizations produce a physical product that can be stored in inventory. Service organizations cannot create an inventory of the service since it is intangible. For example, Ford Motors is a manufacturer. It makes automobiles, customers have little contact with the operation, and they can create an inventory of vehicles. McDonalds is an example of a service organization. Customers go directly to the restaurant where they are served quickly by the staff.