Project Manager Skills Interview
Author:
Alycia Damp, PhD IRHRA Project Manager interview assessing key skills required for success. We've also included a few motivation and values questions to help you make the best decisions about your candidates.
Focus area:
Question
1
Why are you interested in making a career move to our company as Project Manager? How do you see this opportunity within the context of your career?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate exhibits fit and motivation to join the company
Explore tips
- Is seeking an opportunity to grow by applying and developing multiple skills
- Wants to make a defined impact on others and the organization’s success
- Is motivated to add value to the company's culture and work environment
- Is passionate when discussing how this connects with their strengths/interests
- Exhibits awareness of the role expectations and the organizational context
Question
2
Imagine the leadership team asks you to lead a project to [insert topic/objective], and they need your input on project planning. How would you determine the scope and timeline of the project?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to define the right scope and timeline of a project
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- Discusses identifying project needs, objectives, expectations and constraints
- Uses the SMART approach (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely)
- Is aware of potential biases that can influence estimates; relies on experience
- Considers priorities, external circumstances, uncertainty and availability
Question
3
Imagine you are asked to provide a detailed budget plan for the launch of a new project that senior leadership have been discussing for a while. How would you approach this task and develop a budget plan?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to demonstrate resourcefulness with budgeting and planning
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- Explains their approach by considering costs, limitations, risks and timelines
- Breaks the project into tasks/milestones; estimates resources for each task
- Considers materials, tools, professional services, human resources, etc.
- Exhibits proficiency in relevant softwares for planning/tracking project budgets
- Considers contingency reserve to allow flexibility/reduce risk of budget overrun
Question
4
Tell me about a time you were managing a project and had an unexpected problem that required you to pivot some of your project plans. How did you manage that change effectively?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to respond to changing project conditions calmly and effectively
Explore tips
- Describes the unexpected problem and why it arose
- Explains how and why the project plans needed to pivot
- Discusses the implications of the pivot on the team and resources
- Estimates the implications on the overall project success and completion
- Discusses learnings and key takeaways from experience
Question
5
Imagine you are assigned a new project, but you have limited knowledge and no relevant former experience. How would you get started, and what would you do mitigate any potential risks associated with your lack of expertise?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to take initiative, learn quickly, and adapt in the face of uncertainty
Explore tips
- Proposes a specific method for setting goals and achieving them
- Identifies risk and builds plan around ambiguous elements
- Proposes methods for learning about/researching topics relevant to the project
- Solicits advice from knowledgeable, experienced people in the field
- Views the project as a learning/professional development opportunity
Question
6
When managing programs/operations, you often deal with stakeholders with different levels of power and investment in projects. What are some communication strategies you have used in the past to manage different stakeholders' expectations?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to communicate and engage with stakeholders effectively
Explore tips
- Considers different stakeholder roles (internal/external, direct/indirect, etc.)
- Tailors communication based on stakeholder power and investment per project
- Listens actively to their needs to develop clear understanding of expectations
- Builds stakeholder trust through open, honest, and timely communications
- Discusses learnings or best practices for communicating with key stakeholders
Question
7
Imagine you are preparing to provide recommendations from a project to leaders in your organization. How would you communicate the information effectively?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to understand and employ effective communication tactics
Explore tips
- Discusses tailoring the information/communication style to the audience
- Suggests providing a concise summary of the most important information
- Suggests expressing their ideas clearly, paying particular attention to logic
- Suggests incorporating examples and stories to illustrate their points
- Suggests checking each leader's understanding to ensure it was properly received
Question
8
Tell me about a time you didn't delegate tasks/duties/work appropriately for a project and later realized you should have. What did you learn, and what was the outcome?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to delegate tasks efficiently
Explore tips
- Exhibits the ability to learn from previous mistakes
- Outlines the situation (goals, challenges, actions, results, etc.)
- Understands the importance of delegation and the risks of not delegating
- References key learnings and takeaways from past experience
Question
9
Projects can often overrun and miss their planned completion date. How would you avoid that situation?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to avoid delays in project delivery
Explore tips
- Discusses the importance of project planning and anticipating unexpected issues
- Discusses setting clear, realistic and measurable goals
- Suggests communicating milestones and responsibilities to key stakeholders
- Discusses gathering the right sources, tools, people, skills, etc.
- Discusses forecasting accurately, and tracking and measuring results
Question
10
Tell me about a time you were working on a project and two stakeholders disagreed about something critical to the project's success (e.g. resources to invest). What did you do to help reach a decision?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to manage conflicts between stakeholders
Explore tips
- Notes the importance of managing stakeholder expectations in the planning stage
- Prioritizes stakeholder opinions by business goals, program needs and influence
- Suggests the stakeholders communicate to understand each other's perspectives
- Takes authority to make decisions and negotiate as appropriate
- Considers the implications of conflict on the program and responds accordingly
Question
11
Imagine you need to use your negotiation skills to reach an agreement with other members of your team. What tactics would you use in this scenario?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to manage conflict by negotiating effectively within a team
Explore tips
- Suggests facilitating communication so everyone can share their points of view
- Focuses on a solution that satisfies as many team members as possible
- Discusses how to respond if employees object to their requests for concessions
- Suggests using data to support their point and encouraging others to do the same
- Discusses establishing respect and a positive tone within the team
Question
12
Describe a time you set an important goal for a project team in the past. How did you motivate the members of your team to achieve that goal?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to inspire productivity and engagement through effective leadership
Explore tips
- Provides team with some autonomy in decisions (e.g., how the work gets done)
- Solicits input from employees for various aspects of the project
- Communicates a vision for the goal and encourages the team to achieve it
- Tracks metrics and uses rewards to incentivize performance
- Provides constructive feedback on progress toward desired outcomes
Question
13
Imagine we hire you for the Project Manager role. How would you go about keeping your sales team engaged?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to engage with sales team to increase performance
Explore tips
- Coaches team on sales process/practices to achieve high performance standards
- Understands personal/professional goals of sales reps to motivate performance
- Fosters trust and open communication between all team members
- Recognizes failures and mistakes as opportunities for growth
- Communicates values and defines goals that inspire success
Question
14
Based on your past work history and professional experience, in what type of work environment were you the happiest and most productive?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate shares preferences for organizational culture and workstyle aligned with your company
Explore tips
- Discusses attributes that align with your organization
- References different organizational factors (people, place, work, etc.)
- Highlights the values that shaped the environment/culture
- Shares a story from past experience to support their claims
- Justifies why it made them happy and productive
Question
15
What is one thing you wish I had asked you in our conversation today?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate displays self-awareness of unique strengths and value-add
Explore tips
- Gives a response that is relevant to the role in question
- Justifies their suggestion by explaining their value-add
- Exhibits strengths that were not previously covered
- Further demonstrates their value-add and competitiveness as a candidate
