'What Would Your Previous Manager Say About You?' Interview Answer

Answer "what would your previous manager say about you" with two strengths they actually praised, in words close to theirs, one piece of honest feedback they gave you and what you did about it, and a line that shows you parted on good terms, because the interviewer may call them. The question tests self-awareness and honesty more than achievements, and it is a reference check in disguise. It draws on the same material as what is your greatest strength, what is your greatest weakness and tell me about a time you received critical feedback. This page explains what the interviewer is really asking, gives a structure that works, three sample answers of forty to eighty words to adapt, the mistakes that sink the answer, and a ten-minute practice routine.

What the interviewer is asking

Whether your self-image matches how others see you, whether you can hear criticism, and whether the reference will agree with you. A candidate who says their manager would call them "perfect" has failed the question; one who quotes a real performance review, including the development point, has shown the judgment the interviewer is looking for. They are also listening for how you talk about a former boss: respect without flattery, and nothing bitter.

A structure that works

1. Two strengths in words close to your manager's, each with a one-line example.
2. One development point they raised, and what you changed.
3. How you left things: a sentence that signals the reference will be positive.
4. Under a minute, delivered plainly.

Three sample answers

Standard

She would say I am the person she gave the messy problems to, because I would untangle them without drama; the billing clean-up last year was hers to hand off and mine to finish. She would also say I over-prepare for meetings, which she meant as a strength and a caution. The feedback she gave me was to delegate sooner, and by the end I was handing the weekly report to a junior analyst. We still talk; she is one of my references.

Difficult relationship, handled honestly

He would say I am thorough and that I pushed back more than he liked. We disagreed about how much testing a release needed, and I learned to bring data rather than opinions to those conversations, which worked better for both of us. He would also say the releases I ran did not come back. He agreed to be a reference, which I appreciate given that we did not always see things the same way.

Early career

My supervisor at the internship would say I asked a lot of questions in the first month and then needed very little supervision after that. Her feedback was to write things down instead of relying on memory, and I started keeping a running notes file that I still use. She offered to be a reference before I asked.

Mistakes that sink the answer

• Claiming the manager would have nothing critical to say.
• Strengths with no example, or examples the manager would not recognize.
• Bitterness or blame about a former boss.
• A development point that is a disguised brag.
• Forgetting that the interviewer may actually ask the manager.

A ten-minute practice routine

1. Reread your last performance review or recall the phrases your manager used.
2. Pick two strengths and one real development point with what you changed.
3. Write the closing line about how you left things.
4. Say it aloud in under a minute; check that it sounds respectful, not rehearsed.
5. Answer it in the browser demo or a mock interview and compare with the structured answer.

Where CoPilot Interview fits

CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant whose browser demo at /try lets you answer this question aloud and compare your answer with a structured one, free and with no signup, and whose free AI mock interview asks it in the context of your résumé and the job description and scores your spoken answer out of ten. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Practice is the use nobody objects to; if you consider live help in a real interview, follow your employer's rules.

Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.

Frequently asked questions

How do you answer 'what would your previous manager say about you'?

Two strengths in their words with examples, one real piece of feedback and what you did about it, and a line showing you left on good terms.

Should I mention a weakness?

One genuine development point the manager raised, with the change you made. Leaving it out sounds evasive.

What if I did not get on with my previous manager?

Be honest and fair: name the disagreement without blame, say what you learned, and note anything they would still credit you with.

Will the interviewer check with my manager?

Possibly, which is why the answer should match what the manager would say.