Finding the ideal project manager is no small feat given the combination of experience and traits necessary for the role. A solid list of common interview questions for project managers can be invaluable for identifying the right candidate, so we've compiled a list that both covers enough areas and enables the best candidates to excel.
Project managers guide and oversee projects from start to finish, with some subsequent follow-up often required too. A broad skill set, familiarity with the products with which they work, knowledge of relevant tech stacks and fantastic interpersonal skills ensure they can deliver every time while continuing to develop their team. They may also have certifications like Certified Project Manager (IAPM), CompTIA Pro+ or Certified ScrumMaster.
Their daily tasks can vary quite a bit, but likely involve a lot of communication, both with their own team and external stakeholders. Regular meetings, monitoring progress, mitigating risks, dealing with sudden problems and staying on top of documentation are all going to be dispersed across their work days. Increasingly, they may also use AI tools to help them organise tasks and optimise schedules. Knowledge of these new tools, plus the technologies related to the project, are important knowledge areas.
In this article, you'll find the top project manager interview questions to help you identify the right person for the job.
Project Manager Knowledge and Skills to Look for In an Interview
Before you start prepping your interview questions for project managers, it’s important to consider fundamental project manager knowledge and skills. Project managers can come from a wide range of educational backgrounds, whether it be in software engineering, business management, or the humanities. But no matter what their backgrounds, project managers should be skilled in the following:
- Communication
- Organization
- Time Management
- Problem-solving
- Leadership
- Teamwork/Collaboration
- Budgeting
- Scheduling
You should also be looking for project managers skilled in budget management and project management software.
Now that you’re better acquainted with project manager knowledge and skills, check out the sample interview questions to ask project managers below. We’ve included common, beginner, and advanced interview questions to ask project managers.
Interview Questions for Project Managers
1. What Made You Decide To Become a Project Manager?
Why You Should Ask This Question
Motivation is key to long-term success. Someone who's genuinely passionate about project management and the tech sector is more likely to put in the time and effort to complete projects successfully. They're also more likely to stay with the company long term.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Personality traits are quite telling. Motivated project managers often like to solve problems, work collaboratively and take on leadership roles. Being organized, having good time management skills and deriving satisfaction by successfully completing projects are other positive signs. Problem solving and organisation are also key skills for technical roles.
2. What Excites You About This Role?
Why You Should Ask This Question
The point of this question is to find out how invested the candidate is in getting the job. It can show whether they've done sufficient research on the company and the role.
What to Expect From the Candidate
If the candidate is able to convincingly align their experience and qualifications with the job requirements, it indicates they've invested time in preparing and demonstrates their seriousness about getting the job. Demonstrating familiarity with the company's products and their uses is also a good sign.
3. Describe Your Management Style
Why You Should Ask This Question
This question helps identify if a candidate would complement the needs of your team and project goals. For example, if your team works on complex projects with multiple moving parts and need regular notifications and check-ins, you may want to look out for candidates with a hands-on management style. This is one of the most important questions to ask during a project manager interview. Asking it “gives you a lot of really good insight” into candidates’ overall approach to leading people, creating goals, providing feedback, and how they react when people make mistakes, says Jason Ertter, Senior Recruiting Consultant at Parsons Corporation.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Ideally, candidates should demonstrate they have many leadership skills and techniques in their skill set, but look for those who mesh well with your team’s specific needs and preferences.
Sample Standout Answer
“I’ve had the opportunity to hone my management skills through every role I’ve had, and one of the most important things I’ve learned is that different people respond to different management styles. Some need to take a directive and go off on their own to work while others require more check-ins and support throughout a project lifecycle. Once I determine how each team member responds to which approach, I employ it as necessary. But generally, I believe in supporting others to do their best work.”
4. Describe Your Communication Style
Why You Should Ask This Question
Project managers must be effective communicators to help your team succeed. Project managers interface with a variety of team members, stakeholders, vendors, customers—all with different communication needs.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Listen to how the candidate approaches communicating project expectations to team members and negotiating and influencing other key stakeholders. Candidates with good communication skills know how to strike the right balance with different parties and can confidently smooth over any issues that arise.
Sample Standout Answer
“I believe in communicating project requirements and deliverables as clearly as possible, with as much information as I have available, to every member of the team from the top down. That includes delays, switches in direction, and anything else that may affect the project progress and delivery. I try to be proactive and find opportunities to prevent any conflicts or hurdles. But if conflicts do arise, I stay transparent and work closely with every team member to get to resolutions as soon as possible.”
5.Describe in detail a project you worked on recently.
Why You Should Ask This Question
This is one of the key questions to ask a project manager candidate. Asking this question will provide insight into the kinds of projects the candidate has worked on and how well they can communicate factors such as project scopes, manager responsibilities, key stakeholders, and problems encountered and solved. This question is useful for seeing how candidates talk about impacting projects themselves, Conte said.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Candidates should demonstrate good technical knowledge of project management tasks, clear articulation of goals and purposes of projects, and a history with proactively addressing and resolving problems with projects. They should also be able to speak to their experience with outside vendors.
Sample Standout Answer
“My most recent project was creating an advisor portal for our client to manage customers’ assets. After getting all the project details from the client, I had an internal kickoff where I worked with my team to develop a reasonable timeline, budget, and detailed goals. I regularly checked in with team members about any roadblocks and either worked with them directly to resolve them or brought in other team members to help. I also reached out to our tech vendors ahead of time to ensure my team had all the support they needed on that end. We ended up delivering the portal on time and within budget. The keys to our success were steady, clear communication and keeping up with our deadlines and expectations. The client was so pleased with the interface that they had us create mobile applications afterwards.”
6. Tell Me About Your Experience Managing Projects From Start To Finish
Why You Should Ask This Question
A capable project manager should be able to describe the project life cycle using real-world examples. Even if they're interviewing for their first project management role, experience in similar roles should enable them to give a clear description.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Look for answers that are thorough and include real examples from prior experience. The candidate should be able to describe their involvement in projects and how their actions led to positive results. Prioritise examples involving similar products, companies or the tech sector in general.
7. What Project Management Methodologies Are You Most Familiar With? Which ones do you prefer?
Why You Should Ask This Question
This is another of the more straightforward interview questions for project manager candidates. But it’s key to identify candidates who can deploy the methodologies necessary for getting your team across the finish line with projects, especially to address scope and stakeholder needs.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Top candidates will demonstrate clear understanding of—and comfort with—different methodologies (like Scrum, Agile, Waterfall) and know when to use them. Ideal candidates are adaptable and able to switch among methodologies depending on project demands.
Sample Standout Answer
“I’ve worked on a variety of teams and projects, so I’m pretty comfortable deploying everything from scrum to waterfall. If a team has projects with shorter cycles, I usually go with scrum so I can help remove all obstacles, and I meet daily with teams to discuss current tasks and roadblocks. If a team is working on a more complex project with a lot of specific steps, I’ll rely on waterfall to set up a sequential, linear process to make sure each discrete phase gets done properly and everything can smoothly build on each other.”
8. Describe a Time When You Had To Manage a Challenging Project. How Did You Handle It?
Why You Should Ask This Question
Projects rarely reach completion without obstacles. An experienced project manager will have encountered many challenges and know how to deal with them. The aim of this question is to assess their problem-solving skills and ability to make effective decisions.
What to Expect From the Candidate
A good answer will include a real-life example where they encountered a challenge, whether the issue was interpersonal or technical. Look for an answer that demonstrates their ability to assess a situation, identify obstacles and take action. Traits to look for include calmness under pressure, adaptability and strong communication.
9. How Do You Motivate and Lead Project Teams?
Why You Should Ask This Question
The purpose of this skills-based question is to determine how effective the candidate is at managing others, a key aspect of which is team motivation. Being empathic and communicative are good traits to look for.
What to Expect From the Candidate
The candidate should be able to give at least one example from their leadership experience, preferably involving the sorts of roles you expect them to work with, whether they're programmers, engineers or otherwise. It could be building a cohesive team from scratch or helping a dysfunctional one work together. Look for conflict resolution skills, impartiality and problem-solving abilities in their answer.
10. Tell Me About a Time When You Had To Manage Conflict Within a Team
Why You Should Ask This Question
Project managers require strong conflict management skills. Maintaining team harmony during difficult times is vital to the continued performance of any team, in addition to general interpersonal skills.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Look for compelling examples where the candidate encountered a challenge, identified its cause and took action to resolve it. Skills such as arbitration, problem-solving and communication are key.
11. Describe a time when you thought you would go over budget or miss a deadline. How did you get the project back on track?
Why You Should Ask This Question
Any number of unforeseen complications can derail progress for your team’s projects, so it’s key to find candidates who remain flexible while reacting effectively and quickly. This is one of the interview questions for project managers that will also help you learn more about how candidates react under the pressure of a hectic delivery schedule and managing the team tasked with that delivery.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Top candidates will demonstrate experience with spotting impending issues in a decisive manner to minimize or altogether avoid them. They’ll also share the problem-solving techniques they use, like collaborative brainstorming or root-cause analysis, to ensure successful outcomes.
Sample Standout Answer
“At one company I worked with, we had a project that came to a halt when funding fell through, so that created a lot of chaos. First, I connected with department heads to determine whether or not the pause was going to be temporary or permanent. Then, I communicated to the team to ensure they could reallocate their resources accordingly. It turned out that the halt was temporary, so I was able to keep the team on track with delivery and effectively support their needs. It was stressful, but it taught me the value of communication and collaboration to navigate issues and create new opportunities to thrive.”
12. How Do You Handle Changes in Scope or Timeline?
Why You Should Ask This Question
Changes in scope or timeline can catch some project managers off guard. Dealing with changes requires strong analytical and decision-making abilities.
What to Expect From the Candidate
The candidate should describe an effective process for evaluating issues and identifying the best way forward. Stakeholder communication, adaptability and sound judgment are key details to look for. A relevant example or two can further support their answer, especially if they're relevant to the tech sector, such as shifts in specifications or deployment delays.
13. What is your favorite project management software?
Why You Should Ask This Question
Most teams rely on someone to delegate and track project tasks with project management software. Although this is one of the more straightforward interview questions for project manager candidates, you want to see how candidates approach keeping up to date with the latest collaboration tools. You can also use this question as an opportunity to gauge how comfortable candidates are with leveraging AI and ML tools.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Although this question doesn’t have a single right answer, candidates should be confident with leveraging software tools to run meetings, track time, generate reports, and measure progress. Depending on the makeup of your organization, they should also demonstrate expertise using tools to manage remote teams and onsite teams.
Sample Standout Answer
“I really like using Jira, but I also have a lot of experience using tools like Asana and Trello. I’ve used these tools to work with on-site and remote teams. I love these tools, but I know that new ones are always on the horizon, so I take time to see how new tools track time and measure progress. I’m also taking the time to educate myself on how technologies like generative AI can help me automate and streamline my processes.”
14. What types of projects do you like to work on?
Why You Should Ask This Question
This question helps you identify the kinds of projects candidates excel with. This is a good opportunity to see which types they’re most comfortable with, but ideally, candidates can adapt and stretch themselves for all kinds of projects.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Top candidates will demonstrate preferences that align with your team’s needs and project goals along with adaptability.
Sample Standout Answer
“Most of my experience is with new product launches and marketing campaigns, and I really enjoy running those. But I’m always eager to work on all kinds of projects and collaborate closely with every team member so they can unlock as many opportunities for success as possible.”
15. How do you track your team’s performance?
Why You Should Ask This Question
Tracking a team’s progress is a core skill for project managers—that’s why it’s one of the more important technical interview questions for project managers. Tracking performance ensures that projects get delivered on time and also helps identify opportunities for growth and improvement for future projects.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Ideally, candidates should show expertise with a variety of project management software tools that help with tracking progress. They’ll also have experience quickly and effectively identifying trouble spots with projects and assisting underperforming team members.
Sample Standout Answer
“I’m most at home using Asana, but I’ve had a lot of experience with tools like Trello, Jira, etc. No matter the tool, I’m constantly watching a project’s progression to make sure everything is running smoothly. I also constantly communicate with the team about their progress and ability to meet deadlines. I keep tabs on when and where delays occur, and address those issues directly with the team members involved. From there, I can work directly with them to determine what they need to move forward, ensuring things don’t go too far off track.”
16. Describe a time when you improved a process for project management.
Why You Should Ask This Question
While some recruiters may focus their interview questions for project manager candidates on avoiding issues, project managers go beyond risk management. Project management also requires creative and strategic problem solving that maximizes a project’s potential.
This is one of the great questions to ask during a project manager interview because it shows you which candidates go above and beyond with tinkering and finding improvements.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Listen to how candidates describe implementing process tweaks and how they made improvements based on past learnings. Top candidates are diligent when it comes to analyzing results and obtaining feedback from every team member and stakeholder to make future projects even better.
Sample Standout Answer
“Once after we completed a project, the client wasn’t entirely satisfied with the outcome. I asked the client for comprehensive feedback to help determine what steps we could take to improve next time. I learned that the quality of the final deliverable was solid, but it didn’t come in fast enough and the client was facing tight deadlines. Once I figured this out, I went back to the team to explain where we succeeded in delivery and the areas we needed to make changes to better hit the client’s timetables.
“As simple as it sounds, the team and I figured out that we were meeting internally too frequently (every other day). It was turning out to be a drain on productivity. We adjusted our meeting cadence to once a week, and that massively helped speed things along. I was happy that I was able to better support the team, find a constructive way to improve our process, and make the client even happier.”
17. Let’s say a team member falls behind with their assigned tasks, putting the entire project at risk of missing an important deadline. How would you handle this situation?
Why You Should Ask This Question
This question will give you insight into a candidate’s communication skills and empathy. It’s one of the critical interview questions for project manager candidates, especially for gauging leadership potential.
What to Expect From the Candidate
Ideal candidates emphasize the importance of teamwork and flexibility for overcoming hurdles like this and achieving larger project goals. They also have strategies to motivate and support a team member when they’re struggling.
Sample Standout Answer
“As a project manager, I believe collaboration is the key to ensuring a team has everything they need to complete a project, so if someone is falling behind or having issues, I immediately work with them to determine what it is they need to get back on track. Sometimes it’s just more clarity on a deliverable, sometimes it’s feedback to help point them in a better direction. Or it can be helpful for them to collaborate with another team member. Whatever it is, I aim to create an environment where every team member knows they can rely on me if they hit a rough spot.”
Things To Remember When Interviewing Project Managers
Look for soft skills like conflict resolution, communication, organisation and leadership. These are different than technical skills that involve specific knowledge of tools or processes. For a project manager (PM), technical skills might include project management software proficiency, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, and industry-specific knowledge.
While technical skills are important for a PM, many of them can be learned or transferred from other roles. The right personality traits, or soft skills, are often what make a successful PM. These skills enable effective collaboration, decision-making, and problem-solving, which are critical in managing projects and teams effectively.
Outside of soft skills, you should also:
- Prioritise candidates with broad experience that's related to your company's products or the tech sector.
- Keep an eye out for a good track record, involving both project success and ongoing improvement.
- Take advantage of their answers to ask follow up questions for more detail.
- Ensure they understand the importance of balancing internal and external stakeholder needs.
- Look for candidates who demonstrate an understanding of the principles of frameworks like scrum and agile.
When it comes to finding a project manager, it pays to be thorough. While this list of top interview questions for project managers isn't exhaustive, you can use these as a starting point to help you identify capable project managers who can reliably produce successful outcomes.
