Interview questions for training and development manager

Training & Development Manager Interview Questions & Answers

Training and development managers plan, coordinate, and direct skills- and knowledge-enhancement programs for an organization’s staff.

Interviewers look for candidates that demonstrate excellent skills such as:

• Communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Business skills
• Decision-making skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Collaboration skills
• Instructional skills

In this blog, we discuss commonly asked interview questions during job interviews for Training & Development Manager positions. We also discuss the qualities that interviewers look for in successful candidates. In other words, we’re here to help you out!

Also, read more about frequently asked job interview questions here and check our job interview preparation checklist.

Skills Interviewers Look For In Successful Candidates

Below we discuss the skills you can highlight in your answers to demonstrate that you’re qualified for the job.

Business skills

Why interviewers are interested in your business skills:

Training and development managers must understand business operations in order to match training with business goals. They also need to be able to plan and adhere to budgets.

Collaboration skills

Why interviewers are interested in your collaboration skills:

Training and development managers need strong interpersonal skills for working with staff, trainees, subject matter experts, and organization leaders. They accomplish much of their work through teams.

Communication skills

Why interviewers are interested in your communication skills:

Training and development managers must clearly convey information to diverse audiences. They also must be able to effectively instruct their staff.

Learn more about communication interview questions and how to answer them!

Critical-thinking skills

Why interviewers are interested in your critical-thinking skills:

Training and development managers use critical-thinking skills when assessing classes, materials, and programs. They must identify the training needs of an organization and make changes and improvements as required.

Learn more about critical thinking interview questions and how to answer them!

Decision-making skills

Why interviewers are interested in your decision-making skills:

Training and development managers must select or create the best training programs to meet the needs of an organization. For example, they must review available training methods and materials and choose those that best fit each program.

Interpersonal skills

Why interviewers are interested in your interpersonal skills:

Training and development managers need strong interpersonal skills because delivering training programs requires working in concert with staff, trainees, subject matter experts, and the organization’s leaders. They also accomplish much of their work through teams.

Instructional skills

Why interviewers are interested in your instructional skills:

Training and development managers need to understand the fundamentals of teaching and lesson planning. In addition to developing training, they may lead courses or seminars.

Leadership skills

Why interviewers are interested in your leadership skills:

Managers are often in charge of a staff and programs. They must be able to organize, motivate, and instruct those working for them.

Learn more about leadership interview questions and how to answer them!

(source: bls.gov)

Training & Development Manager Job Interview Questions & Answers

During a job interview, the hiring manager wants to discuss several things. Think of your:

• Employment history
• Skills and abilities
• Accomplishments
• Job qualifications
• Educational background
• Career goals
• Personality

Below you find a list of commonly asked interview questions.

Examples Of General Training & Development Manager Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. How would you describe yourself?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. What interests you about this position?
5. Walk me through your resume.
6. What motivates you?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
8. Describe your work ethic.
9. What is your greatest strength?
10. How does your experience qualify you for this job?
11. What is your greatest weakness?
12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
13. Tell me about a challenging work situation and how you overcame it.
14. What are your expectations for this position?
15. What are your career goals?
16. Why should we hire you?
17. What did you like most about your last position?
18. What did you like least about your last position?
19. How do you handle stress?
20. What is your greatest accomplishment?

Learn how to answer these common job interview questions!

Examples Of Specific Training & Development Manager Behavioral Interview Questions

Learn more about answering behavioral interview questions by using the STAR interview technique.

1. How would you describe your management style? Can you give me an example to demonstrate your style of leadership?
2. Give me an example of a time you resolved a conflict. What happened? How did you solve it?
3. What is your experience in strategic planning for learning and development processes? Can you give me an example?
4. Describe a time you successfully implemented a new training and development program for the organization’s staff.
5. How do you track and monitor the impact and effectiveness of your training and development programs?
6. Give me an example of a time you had to adapt to make last-minute changes to a learning and development program. What happened? How did you deal with it?
7. Tell me about a time you developed a training and development program from scratch.
8. What is the biggest challenge you faced as a training and development manager? How did you overcome this challenge?
9. What is your strategy to evaluate third-party training program providers? How do you ensure that the content is a match for the needs of your organization? Can you give me an example?
10. Give me an example of how you have used data to improve the learning and development program experience for employees in your organization.
11. How do you stay up to date on new technologies and training and development opportunities?

Learn more about questions to ask the interviewer during your job interview.

What are the 10 most common interview questions and answers for managers?

How do you ace a training and development interview?

What makes you a great candidate for the training officer role?

What is the star technique in interviews?