Fresh Technical Project Manager Interview Questions & Answers:

1. Can you tell me when do you know the project is off-track?

Every project hits a snag along the way, but not every project manager is aware of that delay until it's more pronounced or even beyond repair. The ability to monitor and track the progress of a project and tell immediately when it's not meeting the benchmarks you set in the planning phase is perhaps the most important duty of a project manager.

2. Tell us how do you control changes to your project?

Some level of change is inevitable, but as a project manager, it's important to quickly adapt to those changes. Explain to your interviewer how you continue to keep your team on track whenever any project changes pop up.

3. Explain me how do you go about managing the performance of your team?

It's important to show that you have leadership skills when you answer this question. Be thorough about your daily tasks when it comes to managing your team's performance-for example, perhaps you hold weekly strategy discussions and meetings. You'll also want to provide specific examples of how your management style has resulted in positive team performance.

4. Tell me how do you work with customers, sponsors and stakeholders?

Even project managers have to answer to someone. Responding to executives and stakeholders requires a different approach than the one they would use with teams and vendors. Part of their duties includes managing stakeholders who hold a position of authority over the project manager. That takes a subtle touch.

5. Tell us how do you ensure you and your team deliver or exceed customer expectations?

In a nutshell, the interviewer wants to see how, in detail, you're able to succeed as a project manager. After all, meeting (or exceeding) customer expectations when it comes to project delivery is your ultimate goal. It's important not to be vague and give a generalized answer; you'll want to give precise examples and details about your process.

6. Tell me do you delegate?

They better! The last thing you want is a project manager who carries everything on their shoulders. That's nuts. But this is a bit of a trick question, or at least one that has an implicit question embedded in it. What you really want to know is not whether they delegate, but how they delegate. This is a great way to weed out the micromanagers.

7. Explain me have you managed remote teams and outsourced resources?

Not all projects are executed under one roof. With more dynamic project management tools and a global workforce to choose from, many project managers might never meet the members of their team, at least in the real world. Then there are the necessary resources that will be outsourced, which involves a different management technique than when working with employees. Knowing how they would manage people and resources can be a crucial point in your decision to hire or not to hire.

8. Explain me how easily do you delegate responsibility?

Easily delegating responsibility is an essential quality of any project manager. Be sure to discuss a relevant example that assures the interviewer that delegating responsibility comes naturally to you.

9. Explain me how do you communicate bad news?

It's likely you've had to deliver bad news in the past as a project manager, and your interviewer wants to see how, exactly, you go about doing so. They want to see that you're considerate and upfront with everyone, that you have all of the facts first, and that you've thought about how this news will impact all of your team members-not just the person you're delivering the bad news to directly.

10. Can you explain me what's your leadership style?

Talking about managing a project will inevitably lead to a discussion of leadership style. There are many ways to lead, and all have their pluses and minuses. Depending on the project, a project manager might have to pick and choose how they lead, ranging from a top-down approach to servant leadership. See how well-versed they are on leadership techniques.