Prepare for your Business Operations interview. Understand the required skills and qualifications, anticipate the questions you may be asked, and study well-prepared answers using our sample responses.
This question can help the interviewer understand your experience with managing a business and how you might apply that experience to their company. Use examples from previous roles to highlight your management skills, communication abilities and decision-making process.
Answer Example: "In my last role as a business operations manager, I was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s operations. This included managing employees, creating budgets and making sure we met our goals each quarter. It also meant making sure we had the right tools and technology in place to help us run efficiently. In addition to managing the business, I also worked closely with other departments to ensure we were meeting their needs as well."
This question is a great way for employers to see how much research you’ve done on their company. It’s important to do research on the industry as well as the company itself before your interview. This will show the employer that you’re interested in the job and ready to work hard.
Answer Example: "I’ve been working in this industry for five years now, so I’m very familiar with all the latest trends and technologies. I also regularly attend conferences and seminars where experts share their knowledge. I find that these are great ways to learn more about the industry."
This question is your opportunity to show the interviewer that you understand the importance of all aspects of business operations and how they work together. You can answer this question by listing the most important aspects of business operations, such as customer service, financial management and supply chain management.
Answer Example: "I think customer service is the most important aspect of business operations because it affects every other part of the company. If customers aren’t happy, they won’t buy from us and we won’t make any money. Customer service is how we communicate with our customers and learn what they want from us. It’s also how we fix problems they have with our products or services. Without good customer service, we wouldn’t be able to grow our business."
This question can help the interviewer understand how you make decisions and whether you consider the impact they have on others. Use examples from your past experience to explain what led you to make the decision and what the outcome was.
Answer Example: "In my last role as a business operations manager, I had to decide whether to hire more employees or outsource some of our work. We were experiencing an increase in customer requests, which meant we needed more help. However, hiring more people would increase our budget. After discussing the options with my team, we decided to outsource some tasks to a freelancer so we could keep our current staff size but still meet customer demand."
This question is an opportunity to show your knowledge of business operations and how to measure success. You can answer this question by explaining what success means to you in your career, or you can explain what you think is the best way to measure success in general.
Answer Example: "Success in business operations is measured by the company’s financial performance. I believe that if a company is profitable, then it’s doing well. It’s important to track revenue and expenses regularly so that you can see where you can make improvements. I also think it’s important to measure employee satisfaction because happy employees usually mean happy customers."
Business operations professionals need to be able to manage multiple projects at once. Employers ask this question to see if you have a system for staying organized and completing tasks on time. In your answer, explain how you stay on top of deadlines, manage your time and organize your work space.
Answer Example: "I find it helpful to use project management software to organize my tasks. I can break down each project into smaller parts and set due dates for each part. This helps me stay on track with my deadlines and ensures that I’m completing tasks in the correct order. I also try to schedule out my week ahead of time so I know what I need to work on each day. This helps me stay organized and ensures that I’m not taking on too much at once."
Business operations professionals are responsible for creating and implementing processes and policies within their organization. Employers ask this question to learn more about your experience with this skill and how you used it in your previous roles. In your answer, explain what processes and policies are and why they’re important. Explain one specific experience where you developed or implemented processes or policies in your last role.
Answer Example: "Processes and policies are essential for any business because they help ensure consistency and compliance. A process is a series of steps that are taken to complete a task, while a policy is a guideline for how something should be done. For example, a process could be how to order supplies, while a policy could be that all orders must be placed by the fifth of each month."
