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Product Manager Interview Questions

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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Product Manager interview questions and answers.

  1. What education and current product management certifications do you have? See answer
  2. What technical skills make you stand out as a product manager? See answer
  3. How would you describe our product to a customer? See answer
  4. What tactics, processes, and strategies do you use to manage a product launch? See answer
  5. What do you think is the biggest challenge product managers face? See answer
  6. How do you determine when a product is well-designed? See answer
  7. If you could improve something about our product, what would that be? See answer
  8. How do you know which features to include in a product? See answer
  9. Can you explain the difference between a product manager and a project manager? See answer
  10. Can you describe a successful product you launched as a product manager? See answer
  11. How important is competitive analysis to you as a product manager? See answer
  12. What activity would you prefer to skip as a product manager? See answer
  13. As a product manager, how would you describe your communication skills? See answer
  14. Imagine we intended to launch a successor for one of our popular products. How would you make sure the new product is successful? See answer
  15. How do you ensure you meet deadlines when you have several tasks to complete? See answer
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Hire your next Product Manager today.

Post a job

Hire your next Product Manager today.

Post a job
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Product Manager Interview Questions and Answers

What education and current product management certifications do you have?

This question allows a candidate to elaborate on their certifications or degrees and why they are relevant. It also helps you determine whether an applicant has the employment requirements your organization expects from a product manager. What to look for in an answer:

  • Post-secondary school education
  • Relevant product management training and certifications
  • Desire to improve their skills

Example:

"I have a university degree in business administration and a product management certification from the Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM). While my educational background helped me to develop a business mind, my AIPMM training provided practical product management experience. I look forward to applying my knowledge and experience as a product manager in your organization."

What technical skills make you stand out as a product manager?

The goal of this question is to find out what a product manager candidate is good at. For example, some candidates are great at collecting data, and others are good at interactive prototyping. Asking this question also helps you decide which team to place a product manager in. What to look for in an answer:

  • Example of a useful skill
  • Experience using valuable skills
  • Results from using skills

Example:

"I'm an expert at coding. At my last job, the senior software engineer went on leave, and I had to identify performance bugs in a product. Resolving the issue on time helped us launch our product successfully. I'm also good at A/B testing because I have a background in business analytics."

How would you describe our product to a customer?

This question confirms whether a candidate researched your product. It also lets you know more about a candidate's communication skills. What to look for in an answer:

  • Specific product features
  • Prioritization skills
  • User testimonials

Example:

"This product converts speech to text. It works on a smartphone and computer, and the navigation system is user-friendly. Our customers use it to write by speaking instead of typing for long hours, and they rarely contact customer support for help. All that's required is to tap on the screen icon when you want to convert speech to text."

What tactics, processes, and strategies do you use to manage a product launch?

Product managers have various ways of managing a new product launch. For example, some candidates start by testing market assumptions, and others analyze competitors first. The goal is to find out whether a candidate launches a product with a schedule in mind. What to look for in an answer:

  • Teamwork skills
  • Strategies to track progress
  • Mention of deadlines

Example:

"I start by developing a product launch plan before assigning research and analysis tasks to my teammates. Then, I seek guidance from stakeholders on the product launch schedule. I also organize meetings to track the progress of the launch while marketing the product to a target audience."

What do you think is the biggest challenge product managers face?

This question assesses whether a candidate understands the challenges product managers have to deal with. A good candidate would explain how they manage these issues successfully. What to look for in an answer:

  • Effective communication skills
  • Understanding of product management challenges
  • Strategies to overcome the challenge

Example:

"I think the biggest challenge product managers face is the temptation to be reactive instead of proactive. From my experience, having goals for your product is just as important as keeping customers happy. I make sure I consider every factor that may affect a product to stay in control and plan for emergencies."

How do you determine when a product is well-designed?

People have different views on what a well-designed product is. By asking this question, you can determine whether a candidate prioritizes the factors you believe are important for every product. What to look for in an answer:

  • A logical definition of a well-designed product
  • Explanation of their answer
  • Effective communication skills

Example:

"A well-designed product is simple, functional and beginner-friendly. It must deliver on its promises, and users must be able to use it without having to read manuals. It must also meet stakeholders' goals before its launch and be environmentally friendly."

If you could improve something about our product, what would that be?

This question assesses whether a candidate researched your company and the products you produce. A good candidate would be respectful and honest. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to evaluate your product
  • Effective communication skills
  • Example of things that worked

Example:

"I think your team did a great job of developing and executing your last product. I loved the launch video and marketing strategies your company used. However, I would make the video that explained how to use the product easier to follow. I didn't quite understand the process after watching the video the first time."

How do you know which features to include in a product?

An important duty of a product manager is to find out what features users want in a product. A good candidate would have methods of researching users' needs. What to look for in an answer:

  • Analytical and research skills
  • Interpersonal and communication skills
  • Understanding of framework to identify users' needs

Example:

"I determine what features to include in a product by first researching current users. I look through comments and go through social media to determine what features they want. I also look at the feedback that they give our customer service representatives. Collecting data and conducting extensive research is a great way to get useful insights."

Can you explain the difference between a product manager and a project manager?

Product managers often have to work with project managers and both professional's duties may overlap. By asking this question, you can determine whether a candidate understands the difference between both types of managers. What to look for in an answer:

  • Clear definition of each role
  • Difference between a product manager and a project manager
  • Communication skills

Example:

"A product manager is in charge of delivering a product. They also monitor every process in the life cycle of a product until the upper management team removes it from the market. A project manager ensures projects meet all targets. They break down project plans into activities and coordinate a team to complete a project. A project is not always a product."

Can you describe a successful product you launched as a product manager?

The goal of this question is to learn more about a product manager's experience. What to look for in an answer:

  • Example of successful product managed
  • Actions taken and results obtained
  • Effective communication skills

Example:

"Last year, I worked as a product manager for an e-business. The company wanted to roll out a new payment service and I was in charge of managing the product. I picked a team of associate product managers and led them to successfully launch the product three weeks before the deadline. Our payment service was easier to use and more secure than our major competitor's."

How important is competitive analysis to you as a product manager?

Companies typically have competitors and an important duty of a product manager is to deliver competitive products. A good candidate would define competitive analysis and explain its importance in a product's life cycle. What to look for in an answer:

  • Experience conducting competitive analysis
  • Understanding of the importance of competitive analysis
  • Effective communication skills

Example:

"I think competitive analysis is an important aspect of product management. In my last previous roles, I analyzed an organization's software to determine areas we could improve. I found that we could increase our page loading time to have a competitive advantage. Analyzing our competitor's products also helped us discover better marketing strategies and reach more users."

What activity would you prefer to skip as a product manager?

This question helps you evaluate whether a candidate's values align with your organization's culture. For example, if your organization encourages extensive research, look for a candidate that is happy to research your target audience and competitors. What to look for in an answer:

  • Honesty
  • Details to support reason
  • Communication skills

Example:

"Documenting everything is an aspect I think product managers would like to skip. Of course, it's an important process, but I enjoy working with developers and the marketing team more. In my previous role, I created time every day for product documentation and that helped me to track my activities."

As a product manager, how would you describe your communication skills?

Product managers often have to work with marketers, project managers, interns and other employees in an organization. The goal of this question is to assess an applicant's communication skills. What to look for in an answer:

  • Strong communication skills
  • Ability to evaluate their skills
  • Emotional intelligence

Example:

"I think I'm a great communicator. Working as a product manager in a wholesale establishment taught me how to interact with people and listen actively. I also developed my team-building skills by collaborating with other managers in the organization. I believe having strong communication skills is important, especially when I have to explain a product strategy."

Imagine we intended to launch a successor for one of our popular products. How would you make sure the new product is successful?

This question helps you determine a candidate's thought process. It also reveals what hard and soft skills they have. What to look for in an answer:

  • Understanding of your target audience
  • A practical solution to position the new product successfully
  • Knowledge of customer practices

Example:

"Since the first product was successful, I would recommend lowering the new product's price for low-budget consumers to afford it. I would also highlight new features of the product. From my experience, this would motivate consumers to get the new option. Finally, I would make sure we track the market acceptance of the new product against its predecessor."

How do you ensure you meet deadlines when you have several tasks to complete?

Managing a product involves several activities. The goal of this question is to find out whether an applicant can work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to remain calm under pressure
  • Strategies to meet strict deadlines
  • Time management and organizational skills

Example:

"When I have several tasks to complete, I make sure I plan my day. I write a list of tasks I want to complete at the end of each day and order them based on their due dates. I also make sure I monitor the activities of all team members and ensure they are working on the most important product aspects first."

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