How do you manage? What makes you effective? Resonates with your team?
Our search firm always asks candidates What is your management style?
Once you have it written down. Can you quickly explain it?
We highly recommend including your Management Style statement as section within your resume.
Few years ago we recommended Your Management Style and Cover Letter accompany your Resume. But each was separate document. Then came Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and more recently AI. How job seekers present themselves has changed.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and AI skip past supplemental documents. That means you need to work them into your actual resume. Adding them as sections, in your resume, improves chances they will be read.
(ATS and AI also change how your physical resume needs to look. Avoid fancy formats, multiple column resumes and graphics. Skip line breaks. AI and ATS systems are looking for excuses to stop reading as soon as possible. Anything that looks like a “break” is excuse to stop.)
Making Your Management Style Dynamic
Majority of people describe themselves in generalities.
Example: “I’m decisive, reliable, results oriented and good team player.”
Those are words, but they don’t really describe you. Decisive can mean many things. Ask three people to define decisive. They will be different. Same with each of the other terms.
Your management style should define how you accomplish results.
Let’s convert above sentence:
“Our team has been rated #1 or #2 in our division for 6 quarters. Leading decisively, enables team to consistently exceed revenue and profit goals by 7-11%, last 4 quarters.”
Above says nothing about “reliable” or being “good team player.” Let your results show them! This answer gets attention of interviewers, AI or ATS systems.
Why does that statement powerfully support you?
You have lead with results.
Everyone is busy. Very little time to hear long explanations. Start your answer to every interview question with a quantitative result. Stop there. Let employer ask you follow-up question. Why?Follow-up questions quickly identify the employers “hot buttons.”
What is most important to employer right now. Answer follow-up question with quantitative result. Immediately differentiate yourself.
How long should your management style be?
Less than 2 minutes when asked verbally, in interviews or general conversations. (No more than 2-3 sentences.)
When submitting resume? It can be longer.
You’ve read employers job description. Written down the key words employer uses. Identified 3-5 key traits employer stressed. Your management style needs to address those.
Here are example questions we ask candidates to answer. (Feel free to add more.) Then pick the 3-4 that best support you for this job.
Describe your management style.
What are most important traits you will bring to your next employer?
What motivates you?
Frustrates you?
What traits do you look for when hiring employees?
Give example of how and when you mentored someone?
How do you discipline?
How often do you give employees feedback?
Describe the day-to-day working environment that best utilizes your skills?
When you have had to fire someone, how did you do it?
These are open ended questions. Easy to give long-winded answers. Employers (and AI and ATS) want short, concise answers. Since these are questions many employers ask. Write down your answers. Then practice giving them. You want to sound confident, in charge and decisive.
Which 3-4 support your management style, for this particular job?
Summary
AI and ATS systems have changed how resumes need to be written and presented.
People were looking at resumes. Getting their attention enough for them to read your resume was important. How you presented your resume made a difference.
AI and ATS don’t care about any of that. They are just scanning words looking for matches to their algorithms.
How do you include their words in your resume?
By reviewing their job description (usually AI generated). You are looking for traits and key words employer uses. Work those words into your resume. Reviewing the “About” section on their web site is another excellent place to spot key words and trends.
Build your management style statement around your accomplishments.
Employers often ask opened-ended questions. They are looking for short factual answers, supported by statistics.
Give employers what they want. Dynamic thumbnail sketch. Why they need you on their team.
Majority of candidates do not give employers what they want. Show them you understand what the employer needs: results.
Tom Ferree is the founder of Ferree & Associates and SecureEmploy, organizations focused on helping companies find exceptional talent and helping professionals advance their careers. Since founding Ferree & Associates in 1977, Tom has worked extensively with hospitality companies, executives, and rising leaders across the industry. Through SecureEmploy, he shares practical career strategies, leadership insights, and real-world advice to help professionals grow their careers and help organizations build stronger teams.
