Introduction
Project management is one of the most indispensable tools for business success. It is why senior managers and HR look for skilled project managers for various projects in their company. Per a report, millions of dollars are wasted globally yearly due to inadequate or poor project performance. Hence, when it comes to hiring certified project managers, the Project Management Interview question can get tricky to review the candidate in several ways. These Project Management Interview questions are meant to see if the candidate can fit into the organisation’s culture.
Getting through a Project Management interview requires skills; focusing on the key areas and giving the correct answers can help you get selected. If you are looking forward to a project management certification or want to become a project manager, the questions below will help you prepare for the interview. These questions can be tricky and presented differently during the interview. Therefore, having an idea about the type of questions is beneficial.
Project Management Interview Questions
Q.1 How do you define an Ideal project?
A. It is a fundamental question when it comes to project management. It aims to know the type of project you would like to take up. Answers to this question should also include things like whether you are working as a part of the team or alone, deadlines, the types of projects you are interested in, etc. You can answer the question by letting the interviewer know about the type of projects that excite you.
Q.2 How would you manage a remote team working from home, a new normal in post-Covid-19 work culture?
A. In the present world, project managers usually choose team members from a global workforce. Hence, they are expected to manage teams remotely as effectively as in the office. As a project manager, you should know your team member’s knowledge and skill set to work with them virtually. You can answer this question by describing the project management methodology (1) that you would be selected to manage people and resources.
Q.3 What would be your strategy to prioritise the task in the project?
A. Prioritising is one of the significant and critical tasks in project management. You have to be very careful in answering this question. The prioritisation would lead to the success and completion of the project on time. You can provide an excellent answer to the interviewer by telling him how you would distinguish between urgent and important tasks. You can describe the strategy you will use to define what’s urgent and what can be done later. The question will test your flexibility and adaptability while managing the project.
Q.4 If the project goes off the rails, what will be your action to bring it back on track?
A. Your answer to this question should include various ways to re-adjust the resources management and find the cause of the project going off-track. You can also say that you and your team will put in extra effort and take the necessary steps to resolve any discrepancy efficiently.
Q.5 What was the biggest challenge you faced in your past project?
A. In this question, the interviewer might be trying to know how you respond to critical challenges and deal with such situations. Do not mention things like managing challenging team members or lack of support from management, as it could create a wrong impression as a team member. The company expects you to handle these situations efficiently as a project manager. Select challenges from your previous experience that does not provide a negative image of the company or team members but still show your effort to resolve the issue.
Q.6 Have you committed any mistakes in any previous projects?
A. Here, the interviewer wants to see if you are honest to accept the mistake and its responsibility. Do not give ‘No’ as an answer, and let them know about a couple of mistakes you made in the previous projects. Also, describe how you took responsibility and resolved the issue with maturity.
Q.7 How do you handle the client and stakeholders if they are unhappy with the project’s outcome?
A. As a project manager, you will always be answerable to the clients. While answering the question, convey the message about how important and valued the client is. Their authority will be accepted in the project without being critical. You can also mention that you will constantly communicate with the client throughout the project to explain every stage of the project and make the necessary modifications per the client’s requirements. You can also say that you will effectively communicate with the client to understand the project’s expected outcome.
Q.8 How would you deal with internal conflicts in the team?
A. Here, the interviewer would like to see your mediation skills and whether you are impartial in resolving the conflicts. You can say that you will listen to both parties and understand their perspective. Finally, you will convince both parties to conclude what is best for the project.
Q.9 What are processes and process groups in project management?
A. With this question, your domain knowledge about project management is checked. You can say that processes are defined ways of doing the task to complete the project. A process group is a collection of processes carried out at various stages. Process groups are Initiating, Planning, executing, monitoring, and Closing.
Q.10 What is RAID in project management?
A. This helps the interviewer to know if you are familiar with the concept of project management tools. You can tell them that RAID stands for Risks, Actions, Issues, and Decisions. Project managers use it to track risks, actions, issues, and decisions in an organised way. Also, defining all four would be an added advantage while answering the question.
Conclusion
These are some of the most common and popular Project Management Interview Questions that the interviewers might ask you during the interview. If you want to make a career in project management, then learning about it in detail is very important. Visit the Seekho website right now and download the Seekho app to learn more about the course!
