Top 10 Behavioral Questions in a Product Manager Job Interview

Behavioral questions are a big part of any product manager job interview. These are asked to better understand how you navigate through the complexities of human behavior.

At PM Exercises, we have an ever-growing list of interview questions along with potential answers from our community. 

Below are 10 top behavioral questions to expect in a product manager job interview, along with why they’re important and how to prepare for them. 

1. How do you manage low-performing employees?

As a product manager, you must be able to work with all types of people — not just those who are motivated and high-performing. 

Explaining how you manage low-performing employees shows the interviewer that you can inspire these individuals to reach new heights, as opposed to “moving them to the side” and delegating to others. 

Tip: read our article outlining the soft skills that every PM needs. Not only do these skills help you on the job, but showing them off in your interview will cast you in a good light. 

2. What steps do you take when you have a conflict with a team member?

Even if you have a solid team that gets together well, there’s always the potential for conflict. For example, you may have a strong opinion about your strategy goals, while a co-worker wants to go down another path. 

The interviewer wants to know that you have a sound understanding of potential steps for de-escalating a conflict with a team member. This goes a long way in showing that you’re a team player working toward the greater good of the company. 

3. Can you tell me about a past mistake you made at work and how you dealt with it?

This one is straightforward. Interviewers want to know two things:

• Can you own up to your mistakes?
• Can you use mistakes as learning opportunities?

The last thing you want to say is “I can’t think of any mistakes I’ve made at work in the past.” Everyone makes mistakes. It doesn’t mean you’re unqualified or a bad employee. It means you’re human. 

4. How do you work with engineers?

Product managers often work hand in hand with engineers. This is particularly true if you’re a PM at a tech company. 

Being able to effectively and efficiently collaborate with engineering professionals is essential to performing your job at a high level. 

If you have experience working directly with engineers, share your framework for doing so with success. 

5. How do you prioritize your work?

There’s no shortage of PM responsibilities. With this, you can expect to be pulled in many different directions. You’re expected to be able to navigate through various tasks and prioritize them in order of importance.

The best way to prioritize your work is to focus on the tasks with the highest return on investment (ROI). Explain how you choose priorities that have the biggest impact and are the most meaningful. 

6. What is your biggest weakness?

Most people find it easy enough to answer questions about their biggest strengths. But when it comes to their weaknesses, it’s much more difficult to convey their thoughts.

It’s not a good strategy to hope and pray that the interviewer doesn’t ask this question. Planning allows you to quickly and thoroughly address the question, without bringing to light a weakness that could disqualify you from consideration. 

7. How do you keep others motivated? 

Your product is your baby. It’s your job to keep others motivated about your product, even during challenging times. 

Do you motivate others through positive feedback? Transparency? Constructive criticism?

Show how you communicate a product’s vision. Explain how you keep others motivated when they’re lost and looking for answers. These things are important to tech companies that have grand visions of changing the world and making it a better place to live. 

8. Can you explain a complex topic, while assuming I know nothing about it?

Even though you may understand all aspects of product management inside and out, there will be times when you have to converse with others in a simplified manner. 

Take for example when you’re acting as the liaison between marketing and engineering. You have to be able to communicate and articulate complicated things to have meaningful conversations — even when someone has no prior knowledge. 

9. What is your product manager superpower?

This is one of those fun questions that allow you to show off your creativity. It’s another way of asking “what is your biggest strength”?

Your product manager superpower is the one attribute or skill that sets you apart from other candidates. It’s the one thing that allows you to do your job better than others. 

Examples include priority management, product roadmap/strategy, sprint management, strong communication skills, technical knowledge, and being number-driven. 

Remember, you’re not just naming your product manager superpower. You must back it up with concrete examples. 

10. Can you explain a time when you used data to influence others? 

You’re applying for the job of product manager, not salesperson. So, influencing others often comes down to your ability to present data. 

The interviewer asks this question to determine if you can find a key insight in a set of data, break it down, and easily communicate it with other people. 

Answering “I don’t use data” or “I am good with people” isn’t what the interviewer is looking for. Specific examples are the only way to satisfy the interviewer’s curiosity. 

Summary

You don’t want to get caught off-guard in a PM job interview, so you must prepare for these 10 behavioral questions (among many others).

In addition to our 100+ behavioral questions and potential answers, our PM interview prep course includes an entire section on behavioral questions and related subject matter. With these resources, you’ll feel better about your ability to ace this part of your interview. And when you do that, the chance of receiving a job offer is much greater.