A program manager must provide clear direction and guidance to their team not only about their ongoing projects but about the company's larger goals and objectives. The purpose of the question is to evaluate the candidate's ability to communicate the company's direction and vision to their team. What to look for in an answer:

• Ability to understand the company's goals and objectives
• Communication skills to relay critical information to their team
• Interest in creating a culture of open discussion

The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's perspective on the necessary skills to succeed in the position. What to look for in an answer:

• Understanding the full scope of duties and responsibilities of the position
• Ability to identify critical skills and abilities of a successful program manager
• Ability to adapt their experience to benefit the job and company

A program manager uses applications and computer programs to manage projects and remain organized. The goal of the question is to determine the tools and technology the candidate has experience using in their position. What to look for in an answer:

• Solid foundational computer literacy skills
• Experience using company-specific software or tools, as required
• Understanding how the use of technology can improve productivity

For a program manager to lead their team, they must remain organized. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's process for organizing their tasks and responsibilities. What to look for in an answer:

• Organizational skills to manage multiple projects and teams
• Interest in creating and maintaining a streamlined framework to work from 
• Critical thinking and analytical skills to prioritize tasks and duties

The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's academic training and ability to adapt their knowledge to benefit the position's requirements. What to look for in an answer:

• Completion of company-specific educational training, as required
• Ability to adapt their knowledge to implement within the role
• Interest in continuing to improve their professional skills and knowledge

A competent program manager must strive to improve their professional skills consistently. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's approach to updating their skills and knowledge. What to look for in an answer:

• Interest in taking part in professional development opportunities
• Self-awareness of their professional strengths and weaknesses
• Ability to accept new information and implement it into their daily tasks

The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's understanding of the role and ability to contribute positively to the business. What to look for in an answer:

• Understanding the full scope of duties and responsibilities of the job description
• Ability to manage multiple projects effectively 
• Interest in providing a positive contribution to the organization within their role

The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's ability to positively impact the company they work for within their role as a program manager. What to look for in an answer:

• Ability to make progress within projects and programs
• Communication skills to provide clear direction and support to their team
• Management and leadership skills to build a solid and effective department

A program manager monitors multiple projects and needs to be aware of the health of each. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's ability to monitor and analyze the health and viability of their projects. What to look for in an answer:

• Organizational and time management skills to balance multiple projects
• Critical thinking and analytical skills to assess project health and risks
• Management and leadership skills to provide direction and guidance to project managers and team members

A successful program manager must maximize their workforce and resources, often sharing between several project teams. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's ability to manage shared resources effectively. What to look for in an answer:

• Understanding of project management best practices and organization
• Ability to delegate responsibilities and tasks to others
• Creative thinking and problem-solving skills to determine best methods of resource sharing

A competent program manager must maintain insight on specific metrics to evaluate the success of a program or project. The goal of the question is to assess the candidate's understanding of key performance indicators (KPI) within their role. What to look for in an answer:

• Solid foundational knowledge of key program metrics
• Ability to create and monitor measurement and tracking systems for evaluation
• Understanding of the most critical KPIs in the specific company

A competent program manager must monitor for project creep, or the process where a project begins to go over budget, over deadline, or over capacity, often due to changes within the project. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's ability to monitor changes within a program or project and manage project creep. What to look for in an answer:

• Understanding of project and program management best practices
• Ability to monitor changes within a program or project effectively without side effects
• Communication and leadership skills to keep all team members on task and target

A program manager typically monitors various projects and provides leadership to several project managers. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's process for monitoring current projects under their program. What to look for in an answer:

• Use of technology and software programs to monitor projects effectively
• Understanding the scope of the projects under their leadership
• Communication skills to ask questions and have open discussions with their project managers

A program manager must build a solid team and resolve conflicts when required. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's communication and management skills to resolve a team conflict. What to look for in an answer:

• Communication skills to ask questions and have an open discussion to resolve the conflict
• Management skills to create expectations and a framework of acceptable work behaviour
• Negotiation and persuasive skills to lead team members to a mutual resolution

Am interview candidate should complete research on the company and position before attending the interview. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's understanding of the role and the company's mission and values. What to look for in an answer:

• Interest to complete research about the company and job description before the interview
• Understanding of the company's mission, values, and industry they serve
• Understanding the full scope of duties and responsibilities for the role