IT Manager Interview Questions and Answers
Want to learn the most essential IT Manager interview questions? This article aims to give you an overview of what the IT manager role entails and what you should be asking candidates when applying to become one, in order to assess whether they are the right fit for your company. Equally, if you are wanting to become an IT manager, this article gives insight into the types of questions will be asked during the interview process.
What is an IT manager?
IT teams are no longer workers consigned out of sight, out of mind in a company’s lower floors. Technology has taken over and assumed a greater part in the business world and as such, IT workers are now more important than ever. This has placed a greater responsibility on their leaders – the IT manager.
Not only do they IT managers have to ensure they’re capable of fixing a wide variety of tech problems, but they must also make sure the same is true of their team. This is not just fixing phones and laptops, it’s upgrading software, connecting whole departments to apps like Microsoft Teams, making sure they can connect with international clients and partners. This is just a tiny segment of what’s now involved within the job role.
Given the huge responsibility placed on the IT managers themselves, it is now more important than ever that when businesses hire candidates for the job role, they assess whether the individual has the exact skill set required of an IT manager. In order to assist businesses with the recruitment process, we have collated a top 3 list of interview questions to ask IT managers.
- Explain the steps for recommending new software for an organisation as an IT manager
This is a very important IT manager interview question.
An IT manager conducts reviews of the current software used by an organisation and how it’s used.
They are also responsible for coordinating, planning and leading computer-related activities in an organisation. They help determine the IT needs of an organisation and are responsible for implementing computer systems to fulfil the organisations information systems requirements.
Consequently, this question is extremely important for businesses who are interviewing a new IT manager to assess their experience in evaluating IT systems and services, their understanding of when upgrades or changes are feasible and their commitment to staying abreast of the latest business software.
2. Why is it important to create a training program for staff when new systems are integrated?
As aforementioned, IT managers work in close proximity to IT teams who develop new systems and software. Each service or system requires a training program for their staff members that shows them how to use the new technology correctly.
The prime motivator for employee training is to improve productivity and performance. It is extremely advantageous from an employers perspective to provide employers with the expertise they need to fulfil their role and make a positive impact on your business to help the company avoid delays in service and save time. You can also track the training your employees have taken, which, through insightful reports, you know if your employees are up to date with their training regimes.
For this question, employers have the ability to acknowledge a candidate’s experience designing training programs for new systems as well as their aptness to coordinate with clients to train employees. An IT manager should be comfortable with setting up training programs and regimes, regardless of the size. They should also understand the vast benefits associated with said training from a company perspective – highlighting any internal weaknesses, consistency within the teams as well as a positive team dynamic – all of which translate into productive and efficient output.
3. How did you allocate budgets for past projects?
This question is integral for employers when interviewing an IT manager candidate.
A solid budget service serves as a road map for a business owner to ensure they are on track to meet their goals as they navigate through each month, quarter and year. This curbs unbridled spending – saving the company money and keeps stakeholders on the same page.
Within their job description, it is an IT managers responsibility to review the requirements for the projects and allocate funds appropriately so they do not overspend and equally distribute money to the necessary departments for the project to function appropriately.
An employer should analyse the candidates knowledge about defining what a project budget actually entails. They should reflect on their experiences dealing with budget allocation – providing specific examples backed with sufficient justification as to why they managed the budget in this manner. It is important that the ideal candidate shows efficiency at answering how they manage budgets in line with the budgetary constraints in place, otherwise they could cost the company money and time!
For more information regarding IT managers, view our job searchers now. Our updated salary guide also highlights their current average salary across the country for August.
