Project manager interview questions

Project managers turn plans into delivered work. The first round should show how they plan, how they spot risks early and how they handle the moments every project has: changing scope, a missed deadline, a stakeholder who wants it all.

10 questions for a project manager first round

Pick three to five that fit your role, rather than all ten: a short first round gets more finished interviews. All ten together take about 23 minutes to record. The time limits suit a one-way video interview, where each answer is recorded once.

  1. 1

    Tell us about a project you delivered that you’re proud of. What made it work?

    Listen for: Their own contribution to the plan and delivery, with an outcome, not just a description of the project.

    3 min to answer
  2. 2

    Describe a project that went off track. How did you notice, and what did you do?

    Listen for: Early detection, honest communication and a realistic recovery plan.

    3 min to answer
  3. 3

    How do you plan a project when the requirements aren’t fully clear?

    Listen for: Planning in stages, writing down assumptions and checking them early.

    2 min to answer
  4. 4

    Tell us about a time a stakeholder asked for more work late in a project.

    Listen for: Explaining the effect on time, cost or quality and agreeing a choice, rather than silently absorbing it.

    3 min to answer
  5. 5

    How do you find and track risks?

    Listen for: A simple, regular practice, and an example of a risk they caught before it became a problem.

    2 min to answer
  6. 6

    How do you keep people informed about a project’s progress?

    Listen for: Regular updates suited to the audience, with bad news shared early.

    2 min to answer
  7. 7

    Describe a time two team members disagreed about how to do something.

    Listen for: Bringing out the reasons on each side and reaching a decision without lasting resentment.

    2 min to answer
  8. 8

    Which planning tools or methods do you use, and why?

    Listen for: Tools chosen to fit the project and team, not one method applied to everything.

    2 min to answer
  9. 9

    How do you make sure lessons from a project are used in the next one?

    Listen for: A short review after the project, and an example of a lesson that changed how they work.

    2 min to answer
  10. 10

    What kind of projects do you do your best work on, and why?

    Listen for: Self-awareness and a fit with the projects in this role.

    2 min to answer
Scoring

Signs of a strong candidate

  • Spots risks before they become problems
  • Shares bad news early and with options
  • Makes scope changes visible instead of absorbing them
  • Learns from each project

Agree what a 3 and a 5 look like for each question before anyone watches, and save your own rating before reading your colleagues’.

Use them

Run these as a video interview

  1. Save your chosen questions as a question set in AsyncView, with the minutes for each.
  2. Create an interview for the role, import the set and pick a deadline.
  3. Paste your candidates’ names and emails. Each gets a private link.
  4. Watch, rate and compare answers with your team, then shortlist.
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Send these questions to your project manager candidates today.

Candidates record their answers in their own time; your team reviews together. The Free plan includes 5 interviews and needs no card.

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