Management is at the forefront of a changing workforce.
After the Great Resignation, more and more American workers continue to demand respectful work cultures that give them room to grow. Managers are also understanding the connection between management styles and job performance, worker engagement, and turnover.
To respect this relationship, interviewers often ask applicants, “How do you like to be managed?” to understand whether your preferred style aligns with their management culture.
The correct answer is an honest one. Taking the time to reflect on the management style that makes you feel engaged and motivated will ensure you accept the right job offer.
Why do interviewers ask about preferred management style?
Organizations with highly engaged employees and low turnover rates have something in common: the management style satisfies workers.
That’s why interviewers often ask about an applicant's preferred style — they want to increase the chances the new hire will be satisfied at the company and stick around.
There’s no single equation for managing people to fulfill an organization’s goals and build a healthy work environment. Each organization adopts unique approaches to set and achieve goals, organize teams, and delegate tasks. But internally, they must align on a chosen managing style to keep operations running smoothly.
Imagine a fully remote company that expects workers to be self-sufficient and decisive. The organization likely won’t excel if its employees want hands-on managers and constant collaboration at work.
Likewise, a company that thrives with regular brainstorming sessions and team initiatives might not prefer employees who want to work independently.
When management styles are misaligned, workers tend to look for a better match elsewhere. But replacing employees can leave companies with significant financial burdens, and this misalignment and consequent turnover often affect overall morale and performance.
If a hiring manager asks you about your management preferences, it’s a good sign they’re looking out for the company’s health. It also demonstrates concern for your comfort within the company culture and ability to forge good working relationships.
5 tips for answering “How do you like to be managed”?
Sharing your management style preferences tells a hiring manager how you’ll fit in as a team member, organize your time, and communicate with coworkers. To save everyone the headache of searching for a better fit, prepare an honest and clear answer with these tips.
1. Reflect on past experiences
Before your job interview, recall past experiences with previous managers. Think about the ones that motivated you to work and vice versa to pinpoint differentiators between their behavior.
Ask yourself the following questions for each boss:
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Were they hands-on or laissez-faire?
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How did they encourage or discourage me?
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What would I change about their leadership style?
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What tools did they give me to work successfully?
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How did each make me feel like part of the team?
2. Imagine your dream job
Consider what your dream job would look like, imagining both the job description and the work environment. What about it would make you excited to go to work every day?
Then, consider the following questions to paint a picture of this job’s perfect manager:
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Do I like being involved in decision-making or prefer being delegated tasks?
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What type of motivation works best for me?
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Do I prefer collaborative or independent work?
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How do I best receive feedback?
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Do I like a manager that’s hands-off or constantly available?
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How much freedom do I need regarding work flexibility?
3. Do your due diligence
Check the organization’s website, social media profiles like LinkedIn, and other online materials to learn about their product/service, mission, and core values. If you identify with something, use this information in your answer.
For example, if a company says it “acknowledges we don’t have all the answers,” tell the interviewer you like managers who value humility, creativity, and innovation. If this is true for you, of course.
4. Be specific
When researching the company, you may uncover policies, worker initiatives, or programs that appeal to you, like robust healthcare benefits or an employee assistance program.
Include these details in your answer to further convince the interviewer you’ve explored the company’s offering enough to know whether or not you’d be satisfied there. You might answer that you prefer a manager who encourages people to use the company’s support resources, for example.
5. Practice positivity
Answering this interview question means you’ll likely reflect on bad management experiences. But avoid discussing negative details when giving your answer. Interviewers are just meeting you and will want to know you’ll bring a positive attitude to their workplace.
For example, if you had a tough experience with a micromanager, let the interviewer know an ideal manager would trust your abilities, intuition, and expertise without ranting about your previous micromanaging boss.
How not to answer: 3 tips
Every answer you give in an interview reveals something important about you.
General "Tell me about yourself" questions uncover life experience and interests, behavioral interview questions illuminate employee strengths and attitudes, and STAR interview questions (situation, task, action, result) show critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
“How do you like to be managed?” is your opportunity to show off your personality and advocate for yourself. Employers pay attention to how well you communicate your needs and might be reading between the lines for red flags.
To give an answer that expresses your needs well and impresses the interviewer, avoid the following:
1. Acting indifferent
Indifference or passive responses like “I don’t know” poorly reflect your ability to communicate your needs with managers and coworkers. Interviewers might also interpret this indifference as a lack of care for the role.
2. Being overly negative
Openness to learning, optimism, and resilience are all qualities employers find valuable. Showing you learn from past experiences and take something positive from them is crucial.
Bringing up bad experiences with previous bosses isn’t the only way to seem negative — negating your responses is also something to avoid.
For example, instead of saying, “I don’t like a hands-off manager,” omit the negation and spin this as positive: “I want a manager who’s hands-on and willing to meet weekly to check in.”
3. Answering dishonestly
It's not a good idea to lie or embellish anything in a job interview. After all, an employer will likely find out anyway when expectations created during the interview don't align in the workplace.
How you like to be managed is important to your job satisfaction, engagement, and willingness to stay. Telling an interviewer what you think they want to hear doesn't help you or them in the long run, so be honest and let both parties decide whether the culture fit is mutual.
“How do you like to be managed?” sample answers
Here are a few sample answers based on different job positions and career levels. Use these examples to help you practice and brainstorm your response.
Intern or entry-level research assistant response
“As someone just starting out, I'm still finding what works best for me. At school, I’ve always taken advantage of office hours, and the classes I did best in were with professors that encouraged me to be curious and learn at my own pace. They’d also often offer resources that furthered my learning.”
Remote copywriter response
"I've spent the last few years adjusting to working remotely, and it can be challenging to manage. What I've found most important is working with managers that adapt as we familiarize ourselves with one another.
Communication is important, and I appreciate managers who organize workflows clearly and are explicit about their expectations. Showing gratitude and pointing out good work also makes me feel engaged and motivated to improve."
Mid-level software developer response
“I have five years of experience working across different project types, and at this point in my career, I have all the basics down. I prefer a manager who recognizes this expertise and meets me where I am to encourage my professional goals.
I also like working independently and am a hands-on learner — I don't learn by listening to instructions but by exploring. So it’s important to have managers who support me while I enjoy this autonomy.”
Senior sales consultant response
“As someone who's worked in sales for the last 15 years, I clearly understand what’s best for my workflow. Because I prioritize my clients’ needs, I excel most when I can self-manage my schedule.
As my job has become more stressful, I also must prioritize work-life balance to retain good mental health. I'm looking for managers that understand when to push and when to be caring and empathetic.”
Lead data analyst response
“Data analysis is a serious job — we often handle sensitive information — but it's important to be in a work environment that doesn't take itself too seriously to ease this stress.
The best recommendations we can give clients come from following intuition and taking risks, which sometimes leads to mistakes or dead ends. My most successful projects were when I could follow different paths and pivot quickly, sometimes without the time to get manager approval.
So at this point in my career, I need to work with managers that trust my knowledge and decision-making.”
It’s a match
Finding the right job isn’t just about having the right skills, experience, and know-how. You must also understand how you like to be managed to ensure everyone finds a great and long-lasting fit.
Answering this question honestly brings you one step closer to working alongside your ideal manager — and ideal job.
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