Interview Questions Guide for Practice Manager Candidates

## Interview Preparation for Practice Manager Roles

### Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

**1. "Tell me about a time you managed a difficult personnel situation."**

Use STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Focus on process adherence (ACAS), fairness, and outcome.

**2. "How do you manage competing priorities when everything feels urgent?"**

Demonstrate: triage methodology, delegation skills, and your ability to communicate expectations to partners and staff.

**3. "What experience do you have with CQC?"**

Cover: inspection preparation, evidence folder maintenance, staff briefings, and any direct inspection experience.

**4. "How have you contributed to improving QOF performance?"**

Quantify where possible: 'We improved from X% to Y% in [domain] over [period] by doing Z.'

**5. "How would you handle a partner who disagrees with a management decision?"**

Show: professional relationship management, evidence-based reasoning, and willingness to escalate appropriately.

**6. "What is your approach to change management?"**

Framework answer: involve staff early, communicate the 'why', pilot before full rollout, measure impact.

### Questions to Ask the Panel

- What does success look like in this role in the first 6 months?

- How is the relationship between the partners and practice management?

- What are the biggest operational challenges the practice is facing?

### Preparation Tips

- Research the practice: CQC rating, list size, PCN membership

- Review the job description and map your experience to every specification

- Bring a portfolio: evidence of key achievements, projects managed, CQC contributions