Warning Signals in Job Interviews with IT Project Managers
No matter how much experience you have or how many interviews you've conducted, warning lights should go on when IT project managers answer your questions in a certain way. So when interviewing candidates for project management roles, be wary when they say the following:
"How do I create a project plan? I start by gathering requirements and then analyze the feasibility of the product and user requirements... "
Alarm bells should ring when a candidate uses lifecycle terms to describe their approach to projects instead of using project management terms such as scope, budgeting, planning, communication, etc.
This incorrect terminology indicates a lack of understanding of the difference between a project staff member and a project manager.
"Every project I have implemented has gone live on time and under budget. After all, I have five certifications, so I'm certainly always successful."
Literally every research study shows that a significant percentage of projects fail. Thus, such a statement is somewhat implausible.
It is more realistic to say that most of the projects were successful, since small problems actually always occur in the course of a project. Project managers should therefore state that regardless of the outcome of a particular project or initiative, they always do their best to find a solution.
Possessing certifications is also not a guarantee that a person is a perfect fit for the position. While it's fine to mention certifications (which, by the way, should already be listed on a resume), project managers should make more of an effort to emphasize how they keep up with new ideas, platforms and techniques.
"The most complex project I managed had a schedule of three to four activities."
That shouldn't impress - complex projects have schedules with 300 or more activities. If the project manager doesn't have deep experience in scheduling, they should consider taking a training course or spending some time in a complex environment. This way, they can demonstrate that they are ready to handle larger projects.
"My last project failed because the company had bad work processes."
Blaming bad teams, bad processes and lousy clients is not a good approach. It's a project manager's job to assemble, convince and advocate for the right team, system and methodology to increase the chances of a successful project.
"I usually hand off final issues like bugs, integration issues, or emerging regulatory issues to another team once a project is complete or enters the closing phase."
Closing a project is not like flipping a switch. Unexpected problems occur frequently, and when they do,the project manager must take responsibility and work to resolve them.
"If the CIO personally selected me to manage a major new project, I would say" yes "no matter how many projects were on my plate."
The best project managers don't buckle under pressure and certainly wouldn't jeopardize another project just to appease an executive or key stakeholder. Instead, demonstrate the characteristics of excellent PMs such as integrity, judgment and workload management. Examining team member workload, available resources, etc. to determine if there is time for additional tasks is a better alternative here.
"If a member is impacting the team's performance, I would compare their performance to stated goals and expectations and possibly create a performance improvement plan."
Project managers should demonstrate needed skills such as emotional intelligence and empathy by stating that they would not make snap judgments, especially if team members are working hard. Instead, they should say they would look for potential obstacles, staffing levels, processes or constraints that impact the team's productivity. Truly effective project managers are ultimately willing to do whatever it takes to help individual team members contribute to the project's success.
