Top 30 Project Manager Interview Questions and Answers 2022

The project manager profession traces back to the early 19th century but wasn't popular or recognized as a distinct job career until the late 20th century. However, in the modern job market, it is one of the most renowned and reputed careers offering handsome remuneration.

But understanding it's not an easy task, where you'll have to compete with others worldwide. In this top 30 project manager interview questions and answers 2022 article, we will help you prepare for your interview and excel in it.

Q1. According to you, what is Project Management?

Project management helps in performing numerous methods, techniques, knowledge, skills, and experience to attain the goals of a unique project. However, the final deliverables and a definite deadline are critical factors differentiating project management from standard management. Therefore, a project manager must always follow the project management rule - 6P (Proper Planning Prevents Poor Project Performance).

Q2. How do you define an ideal project?

This is one of the most important interview questions of the project management, to know what type of project you would take up. By answering this question, you open up new opportunities to manage projects that help you ace. Ensure that your answer includes multiple points, such as whether you're interested in working alone or as a team, the kind of timelines you prefer, and whether you're keen on creative projects.

Q3. How to prioritize tasks in a project?

Task prioritization is crucial and especially when a project is challenging. It helps to ensure the successful and timely completion of the project. Follow the below-given points to state your task prioritization in the project:

• List responsibilities and tasks
• Differentiate between significant and urgent
• Assess the value of each task
• Order the tasks by measured efforts
• Stay flexible
• Known when to say 'No'

Q4. Give an example of a failed experience. Mention if you had any such experience?

Failure and success are part of the project management career. Therefore, it's not ideal to answer NO to this question. Hence think of a scenario in your previous projects where you have experienced failure. In addition, this interview question focuses on checking your experience in risk management as well. So, ensure you include how you handled the risk issue.

Q5. What are the knowledge domains? State its relevancy in a project.

Knowledge domains are the central technical subject matter that is essential for the efficient management of a project. Knowledge domains are the main technical subject matter that is essential for the efficient management of a project:

• Project Integration Management
• Project Scope Management
• Project Schedule Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Quality Management
• Project Resource Management
• Project Communications Management
• Project Risk Management
• Project Procurement Management
• Project Stakeholder Management

Q6. What are processes and process groups in a project management system?

This question aims to grasp your domain expertise. In a project management framework, processes mean a defined way of doing tasks to complete projects successfully. On the other hand, process groups are the process collection executed on the different project phases - Initiation, Initiation, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Control, and Closing.

Q7. How will you a tackle a difficult stakeholders involved in your project?

Since stakeholders hold a top authority and are the central part of a project; hence, having their consent is of utmost importance. However, sometimes they can be adamant to tackle; in such cases, project managers should:

• Accept the authority without fights
• Eradicate the negative emotions
• Understand their problems
• Seek for advice and listen to them
• Be honest and tactful with your decisions
• Encourage them and strive to build a connection
• Enhance your communication

Q8. Imagine your project has gone off the rails, so, what will be steps you would consider to get back on the track?

Once you realize that the project is going as per the planned time, scope, goal, or budget, the following top priority is to get on the right track. The project manager should be proficient in taking vital steps to resolve the inconsistency between planned and actual progress. Your answer to this question may include re-adjusting resource management, determining the exact cause of off-tracking, putting in extra effort, and more.

Q9. How will you start you job as a new project manager?

When you start your job as a project manager first few things that you need to take care are:

• Listen, observe and learn
• Understand your client's demand and requirements
• Know your team and their personalities
• Take the opportunity to learn new skills
• Help around the working environment
• Strive to excel the tools your organization possess

Q10. Explain your strategy to deal with internal conflicts among the team members?

Here, the recruiter is trying to understand your mediation skills and how unbiased you are during conflict resolution. You can state why it is vital to listen to both the parties and understand their viewpoints. Your answer should also include how you convince either party to reach a conclusion that works best for the project and delivers a win-win scenario. Moreover, it would help if you communicate how you ensure both parties aren't benefitting from the other's loss.

Q11. What is RAID in project management?

RAID stands for Risks, Actions, Issues, and Decisions, which is a crucial tool for any project manager – used to track these factors in an organized way. Therefore, while answering this question, you should also include the definitions of Risks, Actions, Issues, and Decisions.

Q12. Mention the techniques you might leverage to define a project scope?

This question aims to understand your expertise in the concerned area. Here, you can explain various concepts involved in defining a project scope like Product Breakdown, System Analysis, Alternatives Analysis, Requirement Analysis, Value Engineering, System Engineering, and Value Analysis.

Q13. Name some tools leveraged to enhance process activities?

• Comparing and Baselining a Process
• Flow-charting
• Value-Stream Mapping
• Cause and Effect Analysis
• Hypothesis Testing

Q14. Explain the team forming process you follow in managing a project?

A project manager should know about the different phases a team goes through during a project; therefore, this is one of the most common questions seen in exams and project management interviews. For example, for the formation of a team, there are five development phases - Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. While answering this question, you should explain each of these stages accurately.

Q15. Which project management technique do you prefer in your projects?

As a single technique can't be applied to all sorts of project. Hence the selection of project management technique must be based on:

• Strategic targets and core organizational values
• Key project business drivers
• Project constraints if any
• Project stakeholders
• Risk that may happen
• Complexity level of the project
• Estimated size and expense of the project

Q16. What do you mean by the triple constraint triangle of project management?

Any project has hazards and restrictions that must be tackled to have a successful project completion. Project managers must know that time, budget, and scope are the three crucial restrictions, sometimes called the project management triangle. This is yet another technical question wherein the recruiter assesses your expertise and how you leverage it in your daily task. Hence, ensure that you explain the definition and how you would leverage it.

Q17. Explain how will you avoid gold plating?

• To prevent gold plating, the top management should stay away from anything above the needs and scope baseline.
• An independent inspector can swiftly recognize gold plating by verifying the deliverables to the project's scope baseline.

Q18. When would you escalate an issue?

Consider escalating an issue if:

• The issue may cause a budget overrun or project delay.
• You have tried to reach an agreement and establish a common point with everyone worried
• You have previously strived and failed to solve the issue with numerous techniques
• You or other team members are forced to take on a massive amount of addition work because of the issue.

Q19. Mention some risks that you as a project manager might encounter in a project?

• Cost Risk
• Schedule Risk
• Performance Risk
• Resource Risk
• Market Risk
• Legal Risk
• Strategic Risk
• Operational Risk
• External Risk

Q20. Explain Ishikawa diagram

Ishikawa, also called the Fishbone diagram, is a tool leveraged for root cause analysis of a particular issue. The added benefit is the explicit depiction and effectiveness in studying complex problems with hidden elements. As a result, project managers can go beyond the manifestations and treat the root problems.

Q21. How to calculate the three-point estimating method?

The three-point estimate can be calculated in two ways:

(a) Triangular Distribution E = (P+M+O)/3 Beta

(b) PERT Distribution E = (P+4M+O)/6

Where, P = Pessimist, O = Optimist & M = Most likely

Q22. Explain the Pareto principle analysis?

Pareto principle, otherwise known as the 80/20 principle, means that 20% of the people produce 80% of the results. This method helps prioritize activities based on their importance rather than their urgency.

Q23. What are the motivation theories and formal methods to keep a team motivated?

A project manager must always keep encouraging their entire team. The following motivation theories are beneficial for project success:

• McClelland's Hypothesis
• Vroom's Prediction Theory
• Theory of Hertzberg
• McGregor's Hypothesis
• Maslow's Theory of Motivation

Q24. What's your leadership style?

There are numerous ways to lead, each with its pros and cons. Regarding project management, it's impossible to avoid bringing up a leadership manner. A project manager may have to select how they lead depending on the project, from top-down to servant leadership. Examine their understanding of leadership methods and apply them to project management.

Q25. What is Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?

The WBS is leveraged to determine a project's core work activities and the various sub-activities that might be needed to complete the tasks. With a top-down/bottom-up method, WBD's structure follows a hierarchical pattern, with core tasks split into subcategories housed under each parent.

Q26. How do you ensure you & your team deliver or exceed customer expectations?

The recruiter wants to see in detail how you can succeed as a project manager. After all, meeting or exceeding customer demands regarding delivery is your ultimate target. Therefore, it's significant not to be hazy and give a generalized answer; you will want to provide accurate instances and details of your process.

Q27. How do you control a project change?

Some levels of change are inevitable, but as a project manager, it's vital to adapt to those changes rapidly. Explain to your recruiter how you continue to maintain your team on track whenever any project changes randomly show up.

Q28. How do you monitor and review the delegated responsibilities?

As a project manager, it's essential to stay on top of your teammates' tasks and responsibilities daily. Discuss how you do this with specific instances, whether by scheduling brief meetings or using project management software.

Q29. What is stakeholder analysis and Power-Interest Grip leveraged for?

Stakeholder analysis involves assembling a list of all capable stakeholders who will be involved in some manner with the project. In addition, a power-interest grid helps categorize stakeholders based on their significance and influence. These two methods help create all-important stakeholder engagement strategies for diverse groups by outlining the stakeholder's position.

Q30. State few instances of proactive decision-making in your past projects and your life.

It's always crucial to take the initiative as a project manager, and your recruiter wants to see just how you do so. Think of certain project instances that included much proactive decision-making, but don't forget to add cases that took place outside the workplace.

This brings us to the end of today's article. We hope it helped in adding up to your knowledge. If you found these interview question articles helpful and relevant, check out the PMP training course by iCert Global, a PMI-approved training institute with services offered worldwide.

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Happy learning!