Today’s business world is like a puzzle. Many different pieces are connected to each other. Sometimes, that connection is logical. Other times — not so much. However, no matter how complicated the puzzle is, the connection between the pieces is what is important, and the person that makes those connections is the program manager.
Without program managers, project pieces might not fit one another, which could break the project. Without a program manager and their guidance, projects can quickly turn into chaos.
Because of that risk, selecting a highly-skilled program manager that will fit in is not easy. In this post, we’ll take a deep dive into the program manager interview questions you should ask when hiring a program manager.
What is a program manager, and what do they do?
Before taking a dip into the program manager interview questions, we need to define what a program manager is and what they do.
What is a program manager?
By definition, a program manager is a project management professional whose job is to coordinate and oversee various strategic initiatives across an organization.
They usually coordinate multiple projects and the teams working on them, provide strategic guidance to the company’s project managers, and facilitate communication with cross-functional teams.
What does a program manager do?
To understand the program manager’s role, we first need to define what we mean by “program.”
By definition, a program is a group of related projects that together support a strategic business initiative. Launching a product, implementing a new marketing process, or opening a new process could all be defined as strategic business initiatives.
The program manager’s job is to have a high-level view of the entire program and guide project managers so that they are all working effectively toward completing that program’s objective. Each of the projects in the program is then managed by a project manager.
A program manager could also be defined as a super project manager that strategically directs all projects under one program simultaneously.
Interview questions to ask program manager candidates
Now that we know what a program manager is and what they do let’s look at the program manager interview questions that you should ask a candidate when hiring a program manager.
1. What does a program manager do that project managers don’t?
While this may sound like a no-brainer question for someone applying for a program manager role — as this is generally a role for people with a lot of experience — you have to ensure that the candidate understands the role. A great program manager will easily distinguish his role from a project manager’s role, which is key when an employee has to manage a manager.
2. What’s the role of technology in program management?
A great program manager should be able to explain why technology plays a significant role in program management. They should know that these days, tracking and monitoring tasks, employees, formalizing project processes, and establishing open communication channels is hard without technology.
3. In your opinion, what is the most common reason projects fail?
One of the essential roles of a program manager is to ensure that a project is successful. To do that, they need to be aware of the most common project pitfalls and how to avoid them. If a candidate can’t answer this question, it is most likely that they don’t have enough experience for the role of a program manager.
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4. When you’re overseeing multiple projects, how do you determine which takes the priority?
Being able to prioritize is vital for a program manager. Failing to make the right decision and focusing on the project that is not the most important one could easily lead to chaos. You need to ensure that a candidate has the skills to avoid that.
5. Describe your risk analysis process.
You should look for candidates that can plan for risks. If a candidate says that they don’t have a risk analysis process because they can avoid risks, you are most likely talking to the wrong candidate, as risks are almost certainly going to happen with any project.
6. Tell me about your biggest project success.
Ask this question if you want the candidate to demonstrate if they know the necessary steps to take if you want to have a successful project. The right candidate should be able to give a brief outline of the successful project from start to finish.
7. Tell me about your biggest project failure.
A great program manager candidate should be able to recognize their mistakes. When you ask this question, make sure that you look for a candidate who can reflect on why the project failed and what they learned from it. They should be able to identify the cause of the failure and sidestep it to the