49 Security Supervisor Interview Questions (Plus Answers)

Updated 5 February 2023

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A security supervisor is someone who manages an organisation's security staff. The security supervisor may draft policies, train new hires and implement security procedures. If you are interviewing for a security supervisor position, learning how to answer questions effectively can help you improve your chance of receiving an offer for the position. In this article, we list general, background-related and in-depth security supervisor interview questions and provide sample answers you can use as inspiration when practicing your own.

General Security Supervisor Interview Questions

Hiring teams ask general security supervisor interview questions to get to know more about who you are and what you like. They may also use general questions as an easy way to begin the interview and help you feel more comfortable. The questions the hiring team asks during this portion can help you better understand what the rest of the interview may be like. These are some general interview questions for security supervisor that a hiring team may ask:

Describe yourself using only three words.
How would your colleagues describe you?
How would your friends describe you?
Tell me about the biggest challenge you have ever faced.
Tell me about your leadership style.
What about this specific position is attractive to you?
What is your greatest weakness as a security supervisor?
What kind of teams do you like to work with?
What is your greatest strength as a security supervisor?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Who is the best boss you have ever had? What were they like?
Who is the worst boss you have ever had? What were they like?
Why are you the best candidate for this position?
Why do you want to work for this organisation?
Why should we select you for this position?

Questions About Background And Experience

These are some interview questions about your security background and experience that hiring teams may ask to learn more about your qualifications:

Did you attend university? What did you study?
Do you have any security certifications?
Have you ever been a security manager before?
Have you ever been in a security situation in which you did not know what to do? How did you proceed?
Have you ever managed others before?
How long have you been working in security?
Tell me about a time you diffused a situation.
What are your strongest security skills?
What is the biggest team you have ever managed?
What is the most difficult security situation you have ever managed?
What was the first job you ever had?
When did you first start working in security?
Why did you choose to leave your previous position?

In-Depth Questions

These are some in-depth questions the interviewer may ask to assess your security supervisor's knowledge:

A security guard comes to you and says they are not sure if this job is right for them. How do you respond?
A person reports a backpack that has been sitting unattended for several hours. Upon inspection, you find that the bag has been secured to a chair. What do you do?
Do you know anything about cybersecurity? How can you help this organisation improve its cybersecurity measures?
Have you ever cooperated with law enforcement during a safety or security incident?
How do you encourage the security team during difficult moments?
Someone reports a missing child. What do you do?
Tell me about the primary responsibilities of the security supervisor.
Tell me about the three biggest security risks this organisation currently faces.
Tell me about your method for training new security personnel.
Tell me about your process for determining security procedures.
Tell me your thoughts on physical intervention during a security incident.
What is the best way to respond to a potential security breach?
What is your go-to strategy for mitigating a security risk?
What is your preferred method of conflict resolution among multiple parties?
Which qualities are most important for security personnel? What about security supervisors?
You are reviewing performance when you discover that a security guard is napping when they are supposed to monitor the security screens. What do you do?
Your team's performance rating begins to decline. How do you remedy the situation?

Interview Questions With Sample Answers

These are some interview questions with sample answers you can use to practise your own:

1. Why do you want to work in this industry?

This can be a general question the hiring manager can ask to learn more about you and your motivations. The security industry comes with a set of unique challenges, so the hiring team may ask this question to learn why you chose a career in this industry instead of another. To answer, be genuine about your interest in the career and provide context for why you are pursuing the position. If you can, provide a specific example of why security is important to you.

Example: "When I was a kid, I got lost at a concert. I could not find my parents and I felt crushed by all the people in the crowd. When I cried out for help, a security guard was there to assist me. Not only did they get me out of the crowd and into a safe spot but they also got me a treat to calm my nerves.

Moments later, they found my parents. It felt like I was interacting with a superhero and that is who I want to be for others. With a well-designed security team, we can help adults and children alike feel safe when they go out to an event or location."

2. What is the most important security component for a team?

As a security supervisor, you set the priorities for the security team. The hiring team may ask this question to learn about your strategies and methods and if they align with the company's needs. To prepare for this question, consider reviewing information about the company prior to the interview. Then, when you answer, detail a security component that is specific to the organisation for which you are interviewing.

Example: "I believe the most cohesive security component for any team is cohesiveness. Having a set of guidelines and procedures may not be very beneficial if only half of the security guards follow the protocol or are aware of the standards. With any security team, it is important the members can respond to a situation in unity and with full communication. In the worst-case scenarios, the biggest incidents, it is cohesion amongst security teams that brings order and peace."

3. Tell me what you think our biggest security risks are.

The interviewer may ask you this question to learn more about what you know about the organisation and its specific needs. This can help them better understand how you have prepared for the interview and how well you may perform in the role. To answer this question, do not just identify security concerns but also offer potential solutions to show your problem-solving capabilities and proactive attitude.

Example: "Shopping malls have many risks to consider, of course, but I believe the biggest security risk for this mall is the combination of many exterior entrances and poor security camera quality. I have seen the cameras outside the building and I happen to know that brand and model do not do well in low-light situations. As it becomes dark, that leaves many of the entrances to the mall open with no surveillance. To resolve this issue, I would advise either replacing the cameras or limiting entry to the mall after a certain hour to only a few, brightly-lit entrances."

4. There is a parked car in front of the building with no driver for more than five minutes. What do you do?

The hiring team may provide you with a specific situation and ask how you may act. This is so they can learn more about your strategies and method for solving security problems. If you have access to the company's security protocol, consider reviewing it prior to the meeting to help your answer. If not, you can use general security knowledge to provide a step-by-step explanation of how you might resolve the issue.

Example: "Each specific organisation and building has its own set of protocols for what to do in this situation. For example, some areas have frequent pick-ups that may leave a car in this situation with little to no danger. In this instance, I would act in the best interest of the patrons at the establishment by assuming the vehicle could pose a potential risk.

First, I would assign a member of my team to monitor the car from a distance. Then, I would have another person on my team review the footage of when the car arrived and what the person did when they exited the vehicle. With this information, I can better understand if it is safe to approach the car. If there appears to be no clear threat, I may announce to patrons that the car may be removed if nobody claims it. Following that, I would assign a security guard to oversee the process of towing away the vehicle."