Main image of article Project Manager Interview Questions: How to Succeed and Land the Job

During a job interview for a project manager position, hiring managers will focus on whether the candidate can deliver projects on deadline and within a set budget. In light of that, project manager interview questions could focus on everything from how you interact with other stakeholders to your ability to analyze and solve challenges.

If you want to “win” the interview, you should craft answers in advance that demonstrate your care with budgets, your techniques for overcoming even the messiest problems, and how you finesse team members so everyone’s doing their best work. Keep your focus on telling a story, balanced with information on project size, budget, tech tools and outcomes; a story will stick in the interviewer’s mind far longer than a litany of facts and figures.

Strategies for Stakeholder Management in Projects

A project manager facilitates success for stakeholders. Seasoned PMs know stakeholders can be a demanding group—managing their expectations is often critical to keep projects running smoothly and through to completion.

“In my experience, the best way to manage stakeholders is to keep them informed and involved without drowning them in details,” notes Peter Lewis, Head of Growth for WebStreet. “It's about finding that balance; give them what they need to make decisions, but don’t overload them with the daily grind. Set up regular, brief updates focusing on high-level progress and potential risks. That way, stakeholders feel engaged but not bogged down. You never want them surprised by something they should’ve known about weeks ago.”

Importance of Effective Communication and Adaptability in Interviews

As a project manager, “you’re the bridge between the team and stakeholders,” adds Lewis. “If you can’t communicate effectively, things fall apart fast.”

All projects are fluid. It’s rare everything goes to plan, making adaptability important. More to the point, being clear with stakeholders about any issues—and finding a path forward—is critical. “If deadlines are in jeopardy, I present mitigation plans to get back on schedule,” says Richard Carey, Managing Director of RCDM Studio. “To succeed as a PM, soft skills are just as crucial as technical know-how. Communication, adaptability, and problem-solving are must-haves.”

You have to use your job interview to show you can not only communicate effectively, but adapt quickly to new questions and situations. “Tell me about yourself” is an icebreaker that pops up repeatedly in interviews, according to Patrick Ryan, senior IT delivery manager for Kelly: “When someone asks you that big broad question, I say turn around and ask them: ‘Where would you like me to start? Because that way we're going to zero in on what the person really wants to learn about you.’”

This gets the interviewer to hone in on what they really want to know about you. Ryan adds that hiring managers will also want to know about your capacity for conflict resolution.

“As a project manager, you must work with a variety of stakeholders throughout the organization, people who have a variety of personalities. Some are easygoing and some are [more challenging to work with],” he says. “They want to know how you work with difficult stakeholders.”

That may involve being asked to tell a story about working with a difficult stakeholder. How did you manage them? What was the best way to convey information to this stakeholder? What were the results?

“How did you have to deal with that stakeholder being upset with you?” Ryan continues. “That's one of the main issues these companies are looking for--conflict resolution with difficult stakeholders.”

Other project manager interview questions may depend on whether the role is for a more functional or technical project manager.

Sample Question: How Do You Manage Problem Stakeholders?

Answer (via Sara Levy-Lambert, VP of Growth at RedAwning): “Managing stakeholders begins with understanding their needs, expectations, and concerns. I prioritize regular communication, transparency, and active listening to ensure all stakeholders are aligned with the project goals. One effective strategy is to involve stakeholders early in the decision-making process, which fosters buy-in and minimizes resistance later on.

“With stakeholders, the STAR method is a great foundational framework for addressing successes and challenges for a project. Define the situation, describe the work being done, Explain the actions you and your team are taking, and be clear about the expected results.”

Sample Question: How Do You Deal with Underperforming Team Members?

Answer (via Adrien Kallel, CEO & Co-Founder of Remote People): “I start by talking to them directly, trying to understand what's going on. Sometimes it’s a skills issue, sometimes it's personal. From there, I set clear goals to help them improve. If things don’t change, I loop in their manager and adjust workloads as needed. It’s about keeping the project on track while being fair to everyone.”

The focus here is on using your “soft skills” for problem-solving and conflict resolution. “This is where honesty and clarity come in,” Lewis adds. “When a team member isn’t pulling their weight, you’ve got to address it head-on, but with tact. I’ve seen PMs handle this well by first digging into why someone’s underperforming. Maybe they’re unclear on expectations or lacking support.

“Once that’s clear, it’s about setting achievable goals and checking in regularly. It’s not about being punitive, it’s about providing the right structure for them to succeed.”

Sample Question: How Do You Motivate the Project Team?

Answer (via Sara Levy-Lambert, VP of Growth at RedAwning): “Motivating a team involves more than just setting targets; it’s about creating an environment where each member feels valued and understood. I use a combination of recognition, clear communication of the project’s impact, and autonomy to foster motivation.

Lewis tells Dice: “a motivated team is a productive team. What works best for me is ensuring that every team member understands how their role contributes to the larger picture. A great PM makes sure no one’s just a cog in the wheel—they see the impact of their work. I’ve also found that quick wins, like celebrating small milestones, go a long way in keeping morale high, especially on long projects. Sometimes, a simple shout-out or a small gesture of appreciation does more than any grand incentive plan.”

“Addressing underperformance is about identifying the root cause,” adds Levy-Lambert, “which could range from unclear expectations to personal challenges. I take a coaching approach—starting with a candid conversation to understand their perspective, followed by setting clear, achievable goals and providing the necessary support or training.”

Sample Question: What are Some of the Types of Projects That You've Managed? And What Kinds of Technologies Did You Use with These Projects?

Project Managers have a litany of tools at their disposal to help drive results and keep a team on schedule. For many, the tools they utilize are part of a suite of apps and platforms the company they work for subscribes to, or platforms so deeply ingrained with other teams that PMs are tasked with utilizing them, too.

JIRA, a popular tool for software engineers and developers, is finding an audience with PMs and their teams the past few years. Trello and Asana are two major project management platforms that are mainstays for PMs, while other platforms like Microsoft Project are in-use at some companies.

All of these platforms employ a Kanban style of project management, wherein PMs can create dedicated tasks and assign them to individual team members. PMs can create dependencies for tasks, too, preventing them from progressing until critical work elsewhere is done.

These boards typically have various views you can tap into, which can help you understand if a project will be completed by its deadline.

“If [the role is for] a technical project manager, you might be asked to describe your background, the kind of things you work on, so that the company or the client can get a sense of [how] this project manager is working with developers,” Ryan explained.

The question also allows hiring managers to determine if a candidate fully understands the technologies involved. “Would a technical project manager understand the development process enough because they have a background in this field?” Ryan asked.

Sample Question: Have you kept up on your certifications? Which ones do you have?

Many recruiters and hiring managers place great emphasis on project managers’ certifications. For those interviewers and executives who don’t have much project management experience, certifications are a good way (they believe) to determine a project manager’s skills.

The PMP is one of the most widely sought-after certifications for project managers, and the interviewer may ask about it. If the PMP (or other certifications) were listed in the original job posting, prepare accordingly (and list the certifications you have on your resume).

“If the answer is ‘no,’ then that kind of tells you a little bit about project manager,” Ryan said. “Maybe they're a good project manager, but maybe they're not the best because they're not keeping up on the latest and greatest techniques.”

Here are some other certifications that companies like to see on a resume:

Project Management Professional (PMP): This popular certification is offered by the Project Management Institute. Requirements include a four-year degree, 35 hours of project management education/training or CAPM certification (see below), and three years of leading projects. 

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM): New to project management? CAPM (also managed by the Project Management Institute) is a way for project-management newbies to validate skills ahead of earning the PMP. 

Certified Project Director: This certification focuses on the more complicated aspects of project management, including budgeting for large projects. It is conducted by the Global Association for Quality Management

Certified Project Management Practitioner (CPMP): This certification, overseen by the EC-Council, indexes management skills, including technical abilities. 

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM): Overseen by The Scrum Alliance, this certification covers project managers’ knowledge of Agile, Scrum, and so on.  

CompTIA Project+: CompTIA Project+ is a comprehensive certification, covering management skills from product lifecycle to team communication. As the name suggests, it is overseen by CompTIA

Professional Scrum Master (PSM): Overseen by Scrum.org, this certification covers the skills and knowledge of Agile, Scrum, and the role of the Scrum Master. There are three levels of certifications for PSM.

Sample Question: Tell Me About a Time a Project Went Off-Course and How You Fixed It.

Sriram Ramakrishnan, senior vice president of Experis Practices, said project manager candidates can also expect questions related to past work experience and how they resolved issues with projects going off-track.

“These could include questions on the most successful projects that you’ve handled and an example of a complex program that you’ve handled,” he said. “Be prepared to talk about the constant challenges you would typically face in a project or program and how do you handle those challenges.”

Sample Question: Explain the Difference Between Agile and Waterfall Methodologies and Their Tools

Waterfall methodology is rigid, allowing for very little deviation from a plan. This method is best for projects that have no tolerance for independence, like a construction project that requires materials to be purchased and delivered before work can begin. A strong emphasis is placed on documentation and planning with waterfall.

Agile is iterative and focuses on incremental improvements and successes. Its tasks are often broken down into small bites, with an emphasis on communication and interaction with stakeholders. Agile is a better option if a project has no firm end-date and requires a lot more creativity—and is especially useful for PMs who aren’t sure exactly what roadblocks they may encounter in a project.

Both methodologies work well with Asana or Trello.

Sample Question: What Sort of Project Management Tools Do You Use?

Answer (via Sara Levy-Lambert, VP of Growth at RedAwning): “My favorite project management software is Asana. Its flexibility and ease of use make it ideal for managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders. The ability to create detailed project timelines, assign tasks, and track progress visually through boards or lists helps keep everything organized and on track. I appreciate its integration capabilities with other tools like Slack and Google Workspace, which streamline communication and data sharing across platforms.”

Sample Question: The Role of Project Planning in Achieving Milestones and Managing Risks

“Risk management starts with a thorough risk assessment during the planning phase, identifying potential obstacles and their impact on the project,” notes Levy-Lambert. “I prioritize risks based on their likelihood and potential impact, then develop mitigation strategies to address them proactively.”

“I start by identifying the main risks at the beginning of the project,” Kallel adds. “I track these risks in a risk register, regularly review them, and come up with plans to deal with them. If new risks come up during the project, I make sure to adjust quickly and keep everyone updated.”

For project managers everywhere, budget management is a cornerstone of project planning. As Kallel adds: “I work with finance teams to keep track of spending, forecast costs, and make sure we’re staying within the budget. If something looks like it’s going over, I make a plan to fix it and communicate any changes to the stakeholders.”

Communication and planning prove key to budget management of any project. It’s also smart to closely manage the scope of budget and spend as a project matures. If it seems as though there could be a budgetary issue, communicate this early; working with stakeholders to find a solution too late can grind a project to a halt.

Sample Question: Do You Have Budget Management Experience?

Answer (via Sara Levy-Lambert, VP of Growth at RedAwning): “Yes, I have extensive experience managing budgets, especially in scaling operations and investment portfolios. Effective budget management involves meticulous planning, forecasting, and regularly reviewing expenses to ensure they align with the project’s financial goals.”

Even if you don’t have the same degree of experience with budget management, describing whatever you’ve done in the budgeting realm is crucial.

Conclusion

In your project manager interview, always tie your answers back to your experience. Companies hiring PMs want to know they can deliver results on time and under budget.

This is why the STAR method is so popular. It not only ties your answer directly to your experience, it allows you to reference how you achieved results in enough detail to satisfy your interviewer. Avoid having canned responses; while you should prepare for an interview, it’s best to engage rather than respond.