Bijan Shahrokhi 
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What are the best questions to ask in a PM interview?
When you are given a chance to ask questions at the end of a product manager interview, remember that you are still being observed and evaluated. Your questions should show that you have the ability to think quickly, ask the right questions, and exemplify how you will approach your job if hired as a PM.
This is also your opportunity to obtain information that might not necessarily be volunteered but will have a huge impact on your fitness for the job and vice versa.
We have organized the best questions to ask in a PM interview into five categories:
- PM team’s relationship to other departments
- The product team
- Product strategy and KPIs
- The product development process
- Company culture
1. Questions About the PM Team’s Relationship to Other Departments
Questions about cross-departmental relationships show that you understand the PM team has to have effective communication with all of the other teams. Remember, the Product team has to be able to bridge the gap! In order to do your job and lead your team well, you will need to have the proper tools and cooperative departments. If there is a culture of keeping information in organizational silos, or poor team dynamics, you will want to know that information before you agree to take the position.
Here are a few specific questions that we recommend asking:
- What does the relationship between the engineering and support departments look like?
- What have been the biggest cross-departmental challenges?
- How do teams communicate with each other currently? Are there regular meetings, daily communication, etc.?
Asking these types of questions can also help you start thinking about ways you can improve the organization right off the bat. Say you discover that two departments historically have trouble communicating with one another. You can offer a solution right then and there! This will show the person conducting your PM interview that you are passionate about problem-solving and that you can deliver results fast.
2. Questions About the Product Team
If you’re an experienced PM, you probably already have a good grasp on what a product team should look like and how it should function. Not all product teams are as efficient as one would hope, so it’s important to ask how the team is currently functioning.
- How has the product organization changed over the years?
- Where is the product organization headed?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses within the product team?
- What are some impressive challenges that the team has overcome?
- Can you tell me a bit about the product team members’ backgrounds?
The answers to these questions will help you discover where you’ll fit into the product team and what kind of work you can expect to be doing. You might learn that the company has big plans to expand and launch many products within the next year – which could excite or deter you, depending on the type of career growth you’re looking for.
3. Questions About Product Strategy and KPIs
Asking questions about product strategy and KPIs will give you more insight into the specifics of your position as Product Manager. Strategy and KPIs are what product managers use to drive success – it will be important for you to understand exactly how an organization uses and measures them.
- How much responsibility does a PM have when developing a product strategy?
- What KPIs does your product team use to measure their product’s success as well as their own?
- Who sets and updates KPIs?
- How important are KPIs to this organization?
Questions pertaining to product strategy and KPIs will help you understand the relationship you might be looking at, as is related to strategy and decision-making. For example, your job is going to look very different if KPIs are set by a CEO or manager rather than you and your product team.
These questions really get to the heart of how an organization measures success, which is another important aspect of your job. As a product manager, you want to know what a company’s business goals are, how they plan on reaching those goals, and how they will determine whether or not those goals were met. The more you understand the answers to these questions, the clearer your role in the company will become.
4. Questions About the Product Development Process
As a product manager, you’re going to want to understand exactly what your role will be when taking a product from concept to production. Questions about the product development process are so important to ask because, if answered properly, the answer will essentially walk you through your responsibilities.
- What does the current product development process look like?
- Which teams are involved in the product development process, and how heavily?
- At what point does UX or engineering come into play?
- Which parts of the product development process work the best/worst?
- What metrics are measured, and when do they come into play?
These are the best questions to ask in a PM interview if you want to get a good picture of the current product development process, how well it works, how a product moves through different stages, and what you will be expected to deliver and when.
As a product manager, you will be responsible for making the product development process run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. If you ask the right questions and get a clear picture of the current processes, you can be prepared to walk in with some great ideas on your first day!
Or decide that the organization is too inefficient – you don’t want to walk in feeling like you have to clean up others’ messes.
5. Company Culture
Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Nev at University of Oxford conducted a study that concluded workers are 13% more productive when they are happy. Asking questions about company culture will give you a clearer picture for how the job, your colleagues, and your duties are going to fit into your life. Things like flexibility, a collaborative environment, the availability of wellness programs, and a positive atmosphere are factors to happiness in the workplace, for most people.
Before your PM interview, decide what kind of company culture you want to work in and ask questions to discover if an organization aligns with your wants, needs, and values.
- How does this organization celebrate wins?
- How does this organization handle failure?
- What kind of mentorship opportunities are available, if any?
- Does this organization offer continuing education programs?
- Where do opportunities for career growth lie?
- How communicative are the executives?
These questions will really help you discover if the company is a good fit for you. As we mentioned, you’re likely going to spend 40+ hours a week (that’s one-third of your time!) at work. Are you going to feel like a valued and supported member of the team?
Final Thoughts
Keep these questions in mind before you go into a PM interview, but also keep your mind open to others! Many of these questions may be answered by your interviewer, but they could leave you with others. Trust yourself during the interview, and don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or more information. Remember that a PM interview is simply designed to get to the heart of your capabilities and fitness for the job – and that goes both ways. Let these top questions to ask in a PM interview be your guide!
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