9th July 2024

Interview Tips for Business Managers in Schools

Interviews can be incredibly daunting, and Business Managers have a different kind of responsibility to teachers and other teaching personnel within a school. Not only do they oversee financial and administrative affairs, but they also have to be incredibly collaborative across the school with Headteachers, Heads of Years, Administration, and Assistants who all enable the school to run smoothly. Finally, they have to achieve all of this whilst upholding high-quality standards of education and facilities for students.

When interviewing for a Business Manager role, whether this is your first time or your fifth, preparing for the questions asked and knowing key tips can help you ace that conversation and secure yourself a new role!

Here are some typical questions that you may be asked as a Business Manager in the interview:

What is your leadership and management style?

This is a commonly asked question which is to be expected when interviewing for any management role, not just for a Business Manager. It’s important to break down your leadership style – whatever it may be – and also give examples of how you use this style and what the response has been. Our advice would be to not be too rigid with how you describe your management style. A great manager has the ability for nuance and also the capability to work with multiple personality types effectively.

What do you know about this school’s objectives and policies?

This is a great opportunity for you to showcase your knowledge of the school and the previous research that you’ve done to prepare you for the interview. It would be worth highlighting policies that you like to the interviewer, to also show your understanding of them.

What examples of collaboration can you demonstrate which apply to this role?

If this is your first time stepping into a Business Manager role, make sure that you use examples from your previous position or even in your personal life to demonstrate this. If you don’t feel completely confident answering this question, ask your interviewer to clarify what type of example they’d like you to use so you can come up with a more appropriate answer. If this is your first time interviewing for this role, it’s important to not put too much pressure on yourself to give the perfect answer – your interviewer will know that this is your first time!

How do you connect the two sectors of business and education?

This is a technical question that also allows you to show your thought process and how your brain works! Make sure to talk about things holistically, not just at a high leadership level. For example, go into specific examples of how you have connected business and education, instead of giving a blanket answer that doesn’t have a personal touch to it.

Explain how you successfully implemented and developed a long-term business objective during your previous role.

Again, if this is your first time interviewing for this role, use an example from your previous role that is most applicable to this question. However, if you are already a Business Manager, go “one up” and give two examples if possible. Keep them short and sweet, and ensure that the two examples showcase different skill sets. 

Not only will this demonstrate your ability to deliver, but it’ll also be impressive for your interviewer to see that you have more than one example and you can explain both succinctly. Where possible, include figures and tangible results to back up your examples.

Finally, it’s important to be prepared with questions at the end of the interview to ask your interviewer. As important as it is that you present yourself well, don’t forget that this is also an opportunity to find out key things from your potential employer. Too often, we are focused on what we are saying instead of understanding that an interview is a two-way street – you have to be happy with their answers, too!

Have at least three questions prepared, write them down if you need to.

We have an experienced team here at Engage who are well-versed in hiring and guiding Business Managers through the interview, selection, and onboarding process. Contact one of our specialist consultants today and we will happily help you find your next opportunity.