by Jack Junier

Created on: November 27, 2008   Last Updated: June 13, 2009

Building and maintaining an effective management team is key to the success of any business. When offering management positions, you have to consider not only your needs to make sure your business functions well, but also the needs of the unit your hire will be responsible for managing. Before you interview for your open management position, think about these essential points and build your interview to accommodate them.

* Autonomy and Independence

Anyone you place in a management position at any level will need to be able to function without your involvement. Whether you're in a meeting or in Tahiti, your immediate subordinates need to have the knowledge and confidence to run the operation without your constant guidance. At the same time, you have to be prepared to delegate enough of your authority for them to get things done without needing your signature on every piece of scratch paper their department generates. At the same time, you don't want the proverbial "yes-man;" avoid someone prone to insubordination, but encourage candidates who will say something if they disagree with you.

When interviewing, ask situational questions to determine how your candidates will react. When I select management team members, I look for people who will solve problems on their own and report to me later how they handled the issues. If I have to worry that someone will want my input before acting to handle a routine business problem, I probably don't want that person guarding my back.

* Business Savvy

Asking someone with no experience in your industry to manage a business unit can backfire. If you're confident that your candidate can learn quickly enough to take full responsibility for department functions, you may choose to make an exception to your experience requirements. My experience has been that industry or functional outsiders often lack the confidence and conviction to lead well if they don't understand the subject matter of their department. To maintain this savvy, give your managers the leeway to stay involved in the business so they can make sound decisions for their areas.

Include questions in your interview that will show you your candidate's aptitude for the position. For technical or other highly advanced departments, an aptitude test is a reasonable step in the hiring process. Look for people who can give you a detailed example of a problem they've solved and follow that up with an explanation of the ways they can relate that experience to your business unit.

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