Project Manager Interview Process With Questions

This Process Street Project Manager Interview Process With Questions is engineered to guide a manager through a three-stage interview process for hiring a project manager to work within your organization.

This template is developed to be part of a larger recruitment process outlined in How to Conduct an Interview: A Full Hiring Process With 11 Premade Interview Processes.

The process outlined in the blog post works as follows:

• Applicants are sent an application process to fill out via a checklist run link: Job Application Form
• The information from this application process feeds back into the interview process which is triggered on submission via Zapier
• The hiring manager screens the application and arranges the first interview if the candidate appears qualified for the role
• The information gathered in the interview process for the successful candidate is then fed back into the recruitment process to help with onboarding

Throughout this checklist, conditional logic is used to present differing next steps depending on the information entered into the template. 

For example, in task 3 Review the candidate's application if the manager decides the candidate is not sufficiently qualified the next task would be Inform the candidate they were unsuccessful. If the manager decides the candidate is qualified for the role the next task would be Run a screening interview. 

Within this checklist, there will be form fields where information can be recorded. This information, and information from the initial application process, can be pulled into text boxes in relevant sections to display important context to the interviewer. 

Throughout the template, you will find example questions which might be asked of a candidate applying to be a project manager. The template can be edited to add custom questions and additional steps to the process if you need them. 

Use this section to enter the details of the candidate and of the checklist being run.

If you're using the full application process outlined in How to Conduct an Interview: A Full Hiring Process With 11 Premade Interview Processes then the candidate details will be pulled from the prospective hire's application process and recorded in hidden fields in this task. 

The data in these hidden fields should be shown in this text box through the use of variables. Other information from the candidate's application process will be shown in relevant sections throughout the checklist.

Candidate name: {{form.Candidate_name}}

Date of application: {{form.Date_of_submission}}

Role applied for: {{form.Role_applying_for}}

Email address: {{form.Candidate_email_address}}

Phone number: {{form.Candidate_phone_number}}

Full address: {{form.Candidate_full_address}}

Social security number: {{form.Candidate_social_security_number}}

US working eligibility: {{form.Candidate_US_eligibility}}

Felony history: {{form.Candidate_felony_conviction}}

Enter any other pertinent information into the form fields below.

Use the information from the candidate's application to assess whether they should be given a screening interview. 

Use the form field to determine the next stage. 

You can find the candidate's information below the drop-down. 

The candidate's answers are automatically pulled from the Job Application Form checklist which was sent to the candidate.

The role applying for:

{{form.Role_applying_for}}

Relevant experience 1:

{{form.Relevant_experience_1}}

Relevant experience 2:

{{form.Relevant_experience_2}}

Relevant experience 3:

{{form.Relevant_experience_3}}

Achievement 1:

{{form.Achievement_1}}

Achievement 2:

{{form.Achievement_2}}

Achievement 3:

{{form.Achievement_3}}

What elements do you believe create a strong team environment?:

{{form.Teamwork_1}}

What task have you undertaken where teamwork played a large role?:

{{form.Teamwork_2}}

Can you provide an example of how you have managed conflict in the workplace?:

{{form.Teamwork_3}}

Tell us about a time in the past where you provided leadership to a team:

{{form.Teamwork_4}}

Why did you want the role:

{{form.Reason_to_work_here}}

Expand on the answer:

{{form.Reason_to_work_explanation}}

What would your autobiography be called?:

{{form.Silly_Q_1}}

If you could steal credit for any art, music, film, or literature what piece would it be?:

{{form.Silly_Q_2}}

Is tea or coffee a better office beverage?:

{{form.Silly_Q_3}}

Describe the emotions you feel when playing a game of monopoly:

{{form.Silly_Q_4}}

Everyone has a good app idea. What’s yours?:

{{form.Silly_Q_5}}

Contact availability:

{{form.Contact_availability}}

When you bring a project manager onto the team, they could have come from a slightly different background of project management. 

If it is important to you to bring in a manager who has specific past experience then this screening interview will give you the opportunity to weed out candidates who do not fit your brief. 

A screening interview could be conducted in person or over the phone. 

Use the form fields provided to record information. 

Use the drop-down menu to record whether or not the project manager candidate will advance to the next round of interviews.

This interview stage gives you the opportunity to further investigate your candidate's skill set and capabilities. 

You can add extra questions into this step to reflect the specific duties the project manager would be expected to perform at your company. 

You can ask about whether they have experience with the tech tools you use, or drill down into their industry experience relevant to your sector. 

Use the form fields provided to record the information.

If the candidate seems to be a good fit for the job, you can use the drop-down menu to record this and pass them on to the next stage. 

This interview is geared toward whether the person in question would fit into your team. 

It provides an opportunity for the candidate to meet their potential colleagues and you can gain the feedback of other employees to help with the hiring decision. 

You can add further questions to this section based upon the answers gained in the previous interview. This allows you to assess both company culture fit and extra specialized information. 

Use the form fields to record the candidate's responses. 

Review all the materials contained in this checklist and discuss the different candidates. 

Sometimes you know who jumps out at you and other times it's a lot harder. 

Consider how you prioritize the following features of a candidate:

• Competency in the role
• Experience in the role
• Whether they'll fit into the company culture

Use the form field provided for notes.

Ray Dalio, founder and CEO of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, leaves us with a little suggestion for making a final choice on who you hire. 

Forgive yourself

Making the right choice is a gamble and it's normal for it not to always pay off.  

You can connect this step with our Employee Onboarding Process.

You can use either Zapier or the checklist run link to take important information for HR from this checklist and insert it into the Employee Onboarding Process. 

Use the drop-down field to confirm your hiring decision and the form field below to identify a reason for your decision which will be passed on to the candidate. 

Use the email widget attached to notify the candidate of their success and let them know you'll follow up with them in due time. 

It is important to maintain good relationships with other people in life and in work. 

Let the unsuccessful candidate know that they will not be offered the position. If possible, outline some of your reasons for not choosing them for the role. 

You can use the email widget below. 

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