17 Business Continuity Manager Interview Questions and Answers

In the event of a natural disaster, power outage, terrorist attack, or other emergency, businesses need a plan in place to continue operations. That’s where business continuity managers come in. They create and implement continuity plans that ensure a business can still function even in the face of disaster.

If you’re interviewing for a business continuity manager job, you’ll need to be prepared to answer questions about your experience, knowledge, and skills. In this article, we’ll provide you with some tips on how to answer common business continuity manager interview questions. And, to help you get started, we’ve also included a few sample questions and answers.

Are you familiar with the different types of business continuity plans?

The interviewer may ask you this question to see if you have the experience necessary to create a continuity plan for their organization. Use your answer to highlight your knowledge of different types of business continuity plans and how they can benefit organizations.

Example: “There are three main types of business continuity plans, including recovery plans, disaster recovery plans and emergency response plans. Recovery plans focus on getting an organization back up and running after a disruption or disaster. Disaster recovery plans help businesses prepare for disasters by creating backup systems and procedures that allow them to continue operations in the event of a disaster. Emergency response plans provide guidance to employees during emergencies so they know what to do when something happens.”

What are the key components of a business continuity plan?

The interviewer may ask you this question to assess your knowledge of the business continuity process. Your answer should include a list of key components and how they relate to one another.

Example: “The key components of a business continuity plan are risk assessment, disaster recovery planning, business impact analysis, testing and training, communication and documentation. Risk assessment is the first step in developing a business continuity plan because it helps organizations identify their vulnerabilities and determine what types of disasters could affect them. Disaster recovery planning involves creating a strategy for recovering from different types of emergencies. Business impact analysis determines which functions of the organization are essential to its success. Testing and training ensure that employees know how to respond during an emergency. Communication and documentation help keep everyone informed about the business continuity plan.”

How would you implement a business continuity plan within an organization?

This question can help the interviewer understand how you would apply your skills and experience to a new role. Use examples from previous roles or explain what steps you would take if you had no prior experience implementing business continuity plans.

Example: “I would first assess the organization’s risk factors, including its location, industry type and size. Then I would create a plan that includes all of the necessary elements for an effective business continuity strategy. These include identifying critical systems and data, developing recovery strategies and creating testing procedures. After completing these tasks, I would train employees on the business continuity plan so they know how to respond in case of an emergency.”

What is your experience with developing and implementing disaster recovery plans?

This question can help the interviewer understand your experience with business continuity planning and how you might apply that knowledge to their organization. Use examples from previous roles to highlight your skills in developing plans, implementing strategies and monitoring progress.

Example: “In my last role as a business continuity manager, I worked with several departments to develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan for our company. We started by identifying all possible threats to our operations, including natural disasters, cyberattacks and human errors. Then we developed strategies for each threat, such as backup systems, emergency procedures and communication methods. Finally, we implemented these strategies into our daily operations so we could respond quickly if any of the threats occurred.”

Provide an example of a time when you had to deal with an emergency situation and how you handled it.

An interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your problem-solving skills and how you react in emergency situations. When answering, try to describe the steps you took to resolve the situation and highlight any specific skills or abilities that helped you solve the issue.

Example: “In my previous role as a business continuity manager, I had to deal with an emergency situation when our company’s website went down for several hours. At first, I was worried because I knew many customers would be trying to access our site at once. However, I quickly realized that we needed to find a solution before too many people noticed the outage.

I immediately contacted our web hosting company and explained the situation. They were able to fix the problem within two hours. While it was unfortunate that the website went down, I’m glad that I was able to handle the situation calmly and efficiently.”

If hired, what would be your priorities as a business continuity manager?

This question helps the interviewer determine how you prioritize your work and what you consider important. Your answer should include a list of tasks that show you understand the role’s responsibilities and are prepared to take on the job.

Example: “My first priority would be to create an emergency plan for my organization. I would hold meetings with key personnel, such as executives and managers, to discuss their roles during emergencies and develop strategies for responding to different types of crises. Next, I would implement training programs for employees so they know what to do in case of an emergency. Finally, I would regularly test the emergency procedures to ensure everyone knows their roles.”

What would you do if you noticed a potential issue with a critical business continuity system?

This question can help interviewers understand how you handle challenges and make decisions. Use your answer to highlight your problem-solving skills, ability to think critically and willingness to take action when necessary.

Example: “If I noticed a potential issue with a critical business continuity system, I would first try to determine the severity of the situation. If it was something that could be fixed quickly, I would immediately start working on a solution. However, if the issue was more serious or complex, I would notify my supervisor so they could decide what steps we should take next. For example, if there were no immediate solutions available, I would begin researching different options for resolving the issue.”

How well do you communicate with other members of the business continuity management team?

The interviewer may ask this question to assess your communication skills and how well you work with others. Use examples from past experiences where you successfully communicated with other members of the team, such as a project manager or IT specialists.

Example: “I have experience working in teams before, so I know that it’s important to communicate effectively with my colleagues. In my last role, I worked alongside two other business continuity managers who were responsible for developing plans for data recovery and disaster response. We met regularly to discuss our progress on these projects and shared ideas we had for improving our processes.”

Do you have any experience working with IT professionals?

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your experience working with a team of professionals. Use your answer to highlight any specific skills you have that make you a good fit for the role.

Example: “I’ve worked with IT professionals in my previous roles, and I find it helpful to work with them because they can help me understand how technology works within our organization. In my last position, I had an issue where one of our servers was down, so I called on the IT department to help me figure out what was going on. They were able to fix the problem quickly, which helped us get back up and running.”

When is the best time to perform disaster recovery drills?

The interviewer may ask you this question to assess your knowledge of when and how often to perform disaster recovery drills. Use your answer to highlight your ability to plan, organize and manage time effectively.

Example: “I believe the best time to perform disaster recovery drills is before a major holiday or vacation period. This way, if something were to happen during that time, we would already have a plan in place for handling it. I also think it’s important to perform regular disaster recovery drills throughout the year so our team members can get used to performing them. This helps ensure everyone knows what they’re doing and reduces any confusion.”

We want to improve our business continuity plan so that it is more effective. What are some areas that you would improve?

This question is an opportunity to show your knowledge of business continuity plans and how you can improve them. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention specific areas that you would improve in the current plan or discuss what you would do differently if creating a new plan from scratch.

Example: “I would first look at the recovery time objectives for each system and application. These are important because they tell us how long we can go without access to a particular system before it starts to impact our operations. I would also make sure that all employees have access to training on their roles during an emergency so that everyone knows what to do when there’s a disaster.”

Describe your experience with risk management.

Business continuity managers must understand the risks their organizations face and how to mitigate them. Employers ask this question to make sure you have experience with risk management processes. In your answer, explain what a risk is and give an example of one that you’ve encountered in the past.

Example: “Risk management is the process of identifying potential threats to an organization’s operations and implementing strategies to reduce or eliminate those threats. I’ve been working as a business continuity manager for five years now, and during that time I’ve seen many different types of risks. For instance, my last employer had a fire at its warehouse. We used our risk management protocols to determine which employees were essential to the company’s day-to-day operations and who could take leave while we rebuilt the warehouse.”

What makes you an ideal candidate for this business continuity manager position?

Employers ask this question to learn more about your qualifications for the role. They want someone who is passionate about their work and has a strong background in business continuity management. Before your interview, make sure you read through the job description thoroughly. Review any skills or experience requirements that you have. Use these as examples when answering this question.

Example: “I am an ideal candidate for this position because of my extensive knowledge of business continuity management. I’ve worked in this field for five years now, and I feel confident in my abilities to lead a team. In fact, I was promoted to this role after working as a business continuity manager for two years. I also think I would be a great fit for this role because of my communication skills. I know how to communicate effectively with both employees and clients.”

Which business continuity frameworks do you have experience with?

The interviewer may ask this question to see if you have experience with the frameworks they use in their organization. If you don’t have direct experience, consider mentioning a framework that is similar to the one used by the company and explain how it works.

Example: “I’ve worked with several business continuity frameworks throughout my career, including BCP/DRP, COBIT, ISO 22301 and ITIL. I find these frameworks helpful for creating plans because they provide step-by-step instructions on what needs to be done to create an effective plan. However, I also like using them as references when developing plans because they help me understand which steps are most important.”

What do you think is the most important aspect of business continuity management?

This question is your opportunity to show the interviewer that you understand what business continuity management entails. Your answer should include a brief description of each aspect and how it contributes to the overall success of a business continuity plan.

Example: “I believe the most important part of business continuity management is risk assessment. It’s essential to know which risks are likely to occur, as well as their potential impact on the company. This information can help me create an effective strategy for mitigating those risks. Another important aspect is communication. I think it’s crucial to keep employees informed about any changes in the workplace so they’re prepared when emergencies arise.”

How often should business continuity plans be updated?

The interviewer may ask you this question to gauge your knowledge of industry standards and best practices. Your answer should include a specific time frame, such as annually or bi-annually, along with an explanation of why these times are important for businesses to update their plans.

Example: “I recommend updating business continuity plans every year or two because the risk landscape changes so frequently. For example, if a company has a plan in place that includes a backup data center but then decides to outsource its IT services, it’s important to update the plan to reflect the new arrangement. This ensures that the company is prepared for any unexpected events.”

There is a growing trend of businesses experiencing disruptions due to natural disasters. How would you help our company prepare for this?

The interviewer may ask you a question like this to understand how you would apply your skills and experience to help their company prepare for disruptions. Use examples from your past experiences in helping companies plan for natural disasters or other types of disruptions that can affect business continuity.

Example: “I have worked with several clients who experienced power outages, flooding and other issues due to natural disasters. In these situations, I work with the client to develop a disaster recovery plan that includes steps they can take to minimize disruption to operations during an emergency situation. For example, one of my previous clients had a backup generator installed at their facility after experiencing multiple power outages. This helped them continue operating without interruption when there was another power outage.”