Mike Jacobsen

Interview Question: What are your weaknesses? – Answer Tips

July 5, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

This is a very popular question in an interview. I have found that it doesn’t matter what job you are going for or what stage of your career you are in, this question can appear at any time.

Which is unfortunate (for us as job seekers) because it is such a tricky question to gauge what it is exactly the interviewer is looking for by asking this question.

The interviewer could be looking for one of two things:

Are you the type of person who is capable of introspection to find weaknesses. Are you also the type of person who – when they identify weaknesses in themselves – takes steps toward improving in these areas.
Actual, genuine areas of weakness. The interviewer might have genuine interest in your areas of weakness. It could be that they require people strong in X and you saying that it is your weakness will rule you out.

We are not mind readers so it is hard for us to know what exactly the interviewer is looking for, but a good rule of thumb would be if the job you are looking to apply for is in a career based position where you would be expected to grow and mature as a professional with the organisation then strong bet the interviewer is looking for number 1 above.

On the other hand if you are applying for a contract position or a limited time position where you are being tasked with coming in and performing X function and then leaving the organisation, then you can safely assume they are looking for number 2 above. You should keep this in mind when formulating your answer.

The best approach to answering this question

This is not a “Tell me about a time” question, or a skill question. It is an opinion based question. The interviewer wants to hear your thoughts around your strengths/weaknesses to understand if you would make a good fit to their organisation.

With that in mind the best approach to this question is to be honest…but not too honest. Tell the interviewer your weaknesses…within reason.

No-one is great at everything and even if you are there will be some areas that you are greater in than others. The others are your weaknesses.

The best answers will approach this question by giving a frank assessment of your weakness AND discussing what steps you are taking (or will take) to overcome this weakness and become a better worker.

Talk about your weakness and how it impacts your life and work, but then detail the steps that you are taking to overcome this weakness. Try to make your answer about a weakness that can be improved and isn’t purely subjective (e.g. “I can’t use X system” vs “I don’t get on well with people”).

How NOT to answer this question

Don’t say you have no weaknesses. For a starter it is just plain not true, everyone has weaknesses. Further it will not endear you to the interviewer, they will think you are cocky and arrogant. Or even worse it shows that you are naïve and failed to prepare for the interview.

Don’t give a false weakness that is actually a strength. “Oh my biggest weakness is that I work too hard, *wink*”. Come off it. The interviewer is smarter than that. They are asking the question to see if you can determine your own weaknesses. If you truly work too hard then talk about how you have a problem setting boundaries with colleagues and saying NO to additional responsibilities outside your job role.

Don’t share a massive weakness. This question is really tricky, because you want to give a weakness and show how you are overcoming it, but at the same time you don’t want that weakness to actually cost you the job. Keep your weaknesses small but relatable, i.e. don’t say you can’t use Microsoft Office when applying for an office job (plus also learn how to use Word!)

What are your weaknesses? – Example Answers

Weakness Example Answer 1

“I have never worked with <insert tool or software> before and I see that it plays an integral role in your organisation. I have worked with <insert other tool> before and from what I hear it lacks a number of features present in <tool>. I look forward to the opportunity to use this new tool as I hear great things about it, I have also found a crash course online that I would look to take to get up to speed as quickly as possible…should I be offered the job”

Weakness Example Answer 2

“My memory is my biggest weakness. Quite frankly it sucks. I will be told something in the morning and will have completely forgotten having had the conversation by the afternoon. It held me back a lot in school were it seemed like a lot of exam preparation was just cramming as much info into your head as possible prior to an exam. I have found a good system though that works for me. I write lots of notes and set myself lots of reminders. I am not sure if you can see since we’re on video but I have been taking notes throughout this meeting as well!”

Weakness Example Answer 3

“I think my biggest weakness is my potential to get distracted. I’ve found that when I have just one task on my plate that I procrastinate a lot and it often ends up either incomplete or rushed and not finished satisfactorily. I have had good success recently with this by ensuring that I always have multiple tasks on the go at once. That way I can procrastinate on one by completing the other. It is not a perfect solution so I also perform exercises designed to improve focus and concentration at home.”

“Tell me about a time” Interview Questions – What does your interviewer want? (Example Answers Included)

July 4, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Tell Me About A Time Question Examples

Tell me about a time when you have identified an opportunity for improvement within your processes?
Tell me about a time your decision was overruled
Tell Me About A Time When You Went Above And Beyond For A Customer
Tell me about a time when you have challenged the usual way of doing things
Tell Me About A Time You Helped A Co-Worker Learn A New Skill
Tell Me About A Project That Failed
Tell Me About A Time You Improved A Process
Tell me about a time you worked well as part of a team
Tell me about a time when you have had to make a decision using only limited information?
Tell Me About A Time Someone Challenged Your Decision

What the interviewer is looking for by asking ‘Tell me about a time’ questions

Interviews are like exams; you show up, someone asks you a question and you give an answer.

Where they differ though is when you are in an exam you usually have the right answer, or you have the wrong answer.

When it comes to an interview the lines aren’t as clear.

You can have bad answers, OK answers, good answers, great answers and perfect answers.

“Tell me about a time” questions are your chance to differentiate yourself from the other candidates, there are no right or wrong answers, only an opportunity for you to showcase your skills and experience.

When an interviewer asks a “Tell me about a time” question they are looking for someone who has experience in the subject matter and want to hear how you have handled the particular situation previously.

The questions they ask are sometimes indicative of what the corporate values and work culture is like.

Firms that value exceeding customer expectations will ask questions like “Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for a customer“.
Organisations that are hiring in order to increase efficiencies will ask questions like “Tell Me About A Time You Improved A Process“.
Etc.

The exact question you are asked will give you insight into what the interviewer is after. But regardless of the question when you are asked to “Tell me about a time” you know that the interviewer wants to see your experience in the subject matter and how you have tackled those situations and how you would tackle them in the future.

The best approach to answering these style of questions

When answering these type of questions it is important that you give full and detailed answers. But at the same time you need to ensure you remain on point and are not ‘waffling on’ and giving out too many superfluous details that the interviewer does not care about.

That is why we recommend using the B-STAR method. The B-STAR method is specifically designed for you to be able to hit all the key areas that the interviewer is looking for while still keeping your answers within a reasonable time frame.

Let’s take a look at how B-STAR works:

B – Belief – What are your beliefs (or thoughts/feelings) about the topic at hand. Do you have a process or methodology you usually follow when challenged with this topic? Are you passionate about a particular way of working or doing things?

This part of the answer is your chance to talk about your high level non-specific view on the subject.

Q: Tell me about a time when a delay impacted your ability to deliver
A: “I believe it’s very important to always be on time, especially in a professional setting. That is why I always take time to accurately set deadlines that I know are achievable. I appreciate there will always be times when this is not possible so I also feel that as soon as I know I am going to be late I need to inform my colleagues to manage their expectations. There was an occasion…[answer continues with STAR]”

Notice how the answer doesn’t have any details. You are giving the interviewer a look inside how your mind ticks and what frameworks/philosophies you live your life (and your working life) by. The interviewer will now know that the rest of your answer was no fluke occurrence, what you did and what you achieved is directly what you set out to do and falls in-line with your beliefs on the matter.

S – Situation – Set the scene for your tale. What was going on, where were you, who were you with, why were you there? When was this?

Basically the 5 Ws.

A: “A few months ago we (my colleague and I) were supposed to give a presentation in the clients office to provide a status update on their project but my colleague’s train was cancelled and they were going to be over 15 minutes late to the meeting start”

T – Task – What was your responsibility, what had you been assigned to do? Or rather what did you now have to do given the situation?

A: “It was now my responsibility to manage the situation with the client. A client that was very important to the firm and who we had only just started doing business with.

A – Action (or Activity) – What did you actually do? Walk through the steps that you took once you realised your situation all the way through to the end result.

A: “I quickly made a call to my manager to advise of the situation. The guidance from above was that the presentation had to go on as planned. I then called my colleague to get caught up to speed on his slides within the presentation. Luckily I had worked with my colleague to produce the presentation so it was a quick information download for me. I explained the situation to the client and reassured them they were in good hands with me while I delivered the presentation.

R – Result – How did everything play out? Did everything go as planned? You should also talk about any lessons that were learned from this scenario that you put to use in the future.

A: “The meeting ended up going quite well. I did struggle in some of my colleague’s areas but we were able to rectify that later when my colleague arrived. The client was impressed that I was able to cover both roles as seamlessly as I did and the relationship flourished from there. In the future I always ensured that I knew the whole presentation so that this issue would not re-occur.

Why is the “B” Important?

How NOT to answer these questions

Do not avoid the question. The question is the question. That is what the interviewer wants to know, do not answer some other question that the interviewer hasn’t asked.

Do not describe a failure (unless specifically asked). Failure is important in life, it gives us opportunities to learn and grow. However this is not so easy to explain in an interview setting. Take the easier route and talk about your successes – and feel free to include some lessons learned in the ‘R – Results’ portion of your answer.

Do not downplay the situation. You are trying to sell yourself here. This is not the time or the place to be modest. Tell the interviewer exactly how important the situation was and how crucial you were in it.

Do not overhype the situation. Don’t go too far in selling yourself. Make sure you accurately represent the situation as it happened, once you start embellishing or over-exaggerating encounters the interviewer will pick up on this and you might lose credibility.

Do not say you have no experience with the subject matter. This is difficult to avoid if you truly have no experience with the matter being discussed. So you will need to fake it til you make it. Talk about experience outside of a work setting if you must.

Do not reject the premise of the question. Try to not to belittle the question. The question is being asked because the interviewer believes the subject matter is important to the organisation. You should feel the same (if you still want the job of course)

Do not have a passive role in the situation. The interviewer wants to see what you have done, what steps you took, what actions you drove to completion. Make sure you were an active participant in any example you provide.

Do not give a one-sentence answer. You need to expand on your answer in order to show that you have the necessary experience.

Do not overly describe the scenario and miss the action. Your answers need to focus on what you did and how you helped in the situation. Obviously the scenario needs to be described so everyone knows what was going on but the bulk of your answer needs to hit at what you did and how you will apply that knowledge and experience in the new organisation.

Tell me about a time when you have identified an opportunity for improvement within your processes? – Example Answer

“I am always looking for ways to improve my processes both in work and out of it. I feel that if we are not looking to improve, to optimise then we will stall and eventually get surpassed. Better to be ahead of the pack than overtaken by the pack.

Recently in my current role I was tasked with reviewing and documenting the process for one of our business areas. These teams worked in customer complaints and were primarily responsible for gathering information about our customer to input into the complaint file.

This was a purely manual process and involved the team going into various systems and pulling the relevant data to input into a spreadsheet.

In order to perform my task I shadowed a few colleagues over the course of a week to better learn how they perform their function. From here I noticed a number of things that could be improved.

Firstly the team had to manually check a folder to see if any new complaints had arrived. I suggested that an automated solution could ping an email to the Team Leader to advise when a complaint had arrived and could – if it was wanted by the business – automatically allocate to a team member.

Secondly I noticed that the systems the team would gather data from all had various data feeds coming in and out. My suggestions were to interact with this feed for the complaint so that the data required for the complaint files were automatically shared with the team meaning that they did not need to go into each system. I had a further suggestion that would compile the data into the complaint file but after further analysis I deemed this to not be feasible with the current resources available.

Once I was complete I delivered the documented process maps to the business area and filed my suggestions with the relevant programme manager, who took my suggestions and formed a project that delivered on all of my suggestions and took an action to look at further resource to implement my compilation idea. The successful delivery of the project reduced the time it took to complete a complaint file by 50%.

Tell me about a time your decision was overruled – Example Answer

“When I make a decision I always make sure that I have evaluated each and every option and take a rational approach to choose the optimal one based on the data available. I would say it is not often that my decisions are questions or overruled but when they are I am always appreciative of the feedback provided and, while I try to advocate my position further, if the decision has been made I accept that and see what lessons I can learn for the future.

On one such occasion I had been asked to produce a list of employees who would be suitable for a new task force the organisation was deploying. This would be a great career move for all of the potential members so there was a lot of interest from within the department.

I set about immediately by collating all of the information about the candidates and matching this against a list of required and desirable qualities for task force members. Any colleague that did not have the required qualities was ruled out and then the rest of the candidates were ranked according to how many desirable qualities they showed.

When I presented this list to my director he overruled a number of the choices I had made. I listened to his reasoning for each of the changes and largely agreed (for example 2 of the candidates had disciplinary actions on their file that I did not have access to see).

There was one change that I did not agree with. The director was requesting that a colleague be brought onto the task force when their position in my ranking meant that he would be jumping ahead of 3 other better qualified candidates. The reasoning behind the decision was clear in that the candidate in question was a relative of a senior director elsewhere in the organisation.

I advocated strongly against this change informing my director that doing so would be a case of nepotism that is highly discouraged in our organisation and would look poorly upon myself, the director and might even tarnish the reputation of the newly formed taskforce. Once it was laid out in front of him like that the director acquiesced and we went ahead with the original list of colleagues with the 2 discipline cases swapped out.

Tell Me About A Time When You Went Above And Beyond For A Customer – Example Answer

“I was always taught, as a child, that if a job is worth doing it is worth doing well, and I fully believe that still today, as an adult. I also believe that if you exceed a customer’s expectations by going above and beyond then that customer is many more times likely to revisit your business again down the line.

This is a philosophy I have taken with me to all my previous roles and will take with me to any future roles.

One time I remember going above and beyond was when I was working the Front Desk at my previous employer. Our hotel had a restaurant attached that was popular with guests and non-guests alike.

We had a customer at the restaurant try to book a same night stay at our hotel. Unfortunately for this customer though this was a busy weekend for the hotel and we were fully booked.

Upon learning that the customer was from way out of town and was quite stuck I took it upon myself to call around the other hotels in the area and find him a last minute room. It took about 20 minutes but I managed to find him a place not too far away and ordered him a taxi.

I have seen this customer numerous times since and he has told me that every time he stays in the city for work he now uses our hotel because of how much I helped him out that night.

Because I went above and beyond our hotel managed to turn someone from a restaurant customer to a frequent stayer.”

Tell me about a time when you have challenged the usual way of doing things – Example Answer

“I am always looking for ways to improve, be it my own development or trying to enhance the work in the office I believe that we all need to continually evolve else we will be overtaken by others.

On one such occasion I was assigned to oversee a process that was somewhat new to me. I took a short while to ensure I fully understood the end to end process and when I did I started to identify areas that could be improved.

My first ‘enhancement’ was also the most difficult to push across the line. In this organisation we had a number of subcontractors. These subbies would complete invoices on a word document and then email these across to the office staff who would then manually type the invoices into excel where another user would then combine them into other reports.

Coming from an automation background I knew that this process could be better streamlined so I set about seeing our options. I presented these options to my management team along with the estimated costs and benefits of each.

Management approved of my preferred option and tasked me with overseeing the deployment. Getting the subbies on board was easy as our process was similar to other firms that the subbies worked with so it made their jobs easier. The biggest hurdle to overcome was getting the office staff on board with a new process, but after a few training sessions and once they saw how much time would be saved out of their day they eventually came around. I did have to spend the first few days fighting fires though and handholding some colleagues through the process!

Overall the new process was a success and is still being used today saving a lot of time manually re-typing data.”

Tell Me About A Time You Helped A Co-Worker Learn A New Skill – Example Answer

“I love working in a team. I truly believe that when a team is functioning correctly that it is greater than the sum of its parts. More work just seems to get done than would be if we were working independently. That’s why whenever I see a team member struggling I always reach out and try to help for the good of the team. I also adore the feeling when someone learns something as a result of my help. In a different walk of life I might have been a teacher!

There was one occasion when our company was adopting a more Agile approach to our projects. Moving away from waterfall and into a sprint based delivery approach.

I noticed rather early on that one of my colleagues, Jayne, was not grasping the fundamental idea behind the change and was still trying to operate in a waterfall approach.

I approached my manager to ask if we could support some additional training for the team on Agile so that we could all understand the philosophies. He agreed and we all began taking LinkedIn courses in the afternoons.

I reached out to Jayne during these sessions so that we could share notes and discuss what we had learned. I even offered that we should work together on a project so that we could bounce the ideas we had learned off each other.

That was all it took really. After we delivered a couple sprints in our project Jayne was a full Agile convert. She has actually moved out of the team now and has taken a SCRUM master position in a different department.”

Tell Me About A Project That Failed – Example Answer

“Obviously I don’t like to see my projects fail. I always try to plan for enough scenarios and build in enough contingencies to my projects that I am ready for anything. But some times things change and what was going ok yesterday might not be today, so I also believe it’s best not to get too attached to projects and realise when it is the correct move – for the business – to wind the project down.

There was one occasion in early 2020 where a project was facing massive delays. We were attempting to offshore one of our processes and the next step in the project was to send a few trainers overseas to initiate the training sessions. Unfortunately, days before we were due to fly out all flights were cancelled indefinitely (COVID-19)

It was now my job to try to salvage what we could. Our fallback plan was to conduct training sessions via Teams. This was going well until COVID-19 got in our way again. The overseas offices were closed by the government (soon after our own offices would close).

Our team all had the ability to work from home however the offshore colleagues did not.

We started to perform analysis on what it would take our end to get all of the required colleagues trained and working from home. It readily became apparent that the initial costs of deploying such a solution would be higher than the expected benefits over the coming years.

As a result I proposed to senior management that we terminate the project as it no longer made commercial sense. My proposal was accepted and the project was halted and the colleagues were assigned to other projects.

All was not lost however as we were able to repurpose the training materials to be used for our onshore colleagues which saw a reduction in the time spent in attaining competency.“

Tell Me About A Time You Improved A Process – Example Answer

“I am a big fan of continuous improvement. I am always looking for ways to improve my skills and to make the people and processes around me better and more efficient. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it is my passion but something I very much enjoy doing is automating repetitive functions.

One such occasion was in a previous role where I was working in the accounts department of a flooring company. This firm employed numerous contractors across the country who would be submitting expense reports and invoices regularly.

My job was to receive these emails and transpose the data into our accounting software in order for payment to be made.

As I was interested in automation I knew that a lot of repetitive type data entry tasks could be automated. But I wasn’t sure how. So before I approached my managers with my idea I did some research into various solutions.

Once I found how it could be done I pitched the idea to my managers who were totally on board. We hired an IT contractor who automated the entire process within a week.

The end result was instead of spending 20 hours a week on expense reports and invoices I spent just the 1 hour doing quality checks of the tool, leaving me an additional 19 hours a week to spend on other value adding tasks for the firm”

Tell me about a time you worked well as part of a team – Example Answer

“I love working in a team, I find the collaboration and task specialisation that group working offers allows for higher quality and more efficient outputs – than what would happen working solo.

In a previous role I actually initiated a shared team approach to our process. At the time the department I was working in was responsible for handling customer complaints for a large retail bank.

The process that we followed had 3 main phases; reviewing the complaint, calculating moneys owed in redress and production/mailing of the payment. Each member of the team would be assigned one case and would work the case through each phase to the end. We were expected to work 2 cases a day which meant 50 cases a day for the department.

I had a knack for the calculation aspect of the work and was able to breeze through them quicker than anyone else in the team. I noticed that other colleagues would struggle with the calculations not only with how long it took them but with the overall quality.

I suggested to my manager that we break the process down and allocate people based on their strengths. I took over calculations for the department while other colleagues were put on review and payments.

Using this team approach to the task we quickly started to hit 80 cases a day and even hit 100 cases a few times, a feat that I attribute to the team work we showed”

Tell me about a time when you have had to make a decision using only limited information? – Example Answer

“When I worked as a store manager for X I was there on Day 1 of a new store opening and it was my job to make the staff schedule.

Now if you’ve ever been responsible for creating the shift rota you know that the number of colleagues you need is based on forecasts. Forecasts that are largely driven from past data.

But this was a new store so I needed to decide how many staff we should have in without knowing how many staff we were going to need!

I had to think about things tactically. While it would not be ideal to have too many staff in it would be worse if we had too few; so any judgements I were to make would have to err on the side of over staffing.

Through my experience I knew how many staff members were needed to manage a store when empty and when at peak. Now I just needed to make an informed estimate of how many customers to expect.

I reached out to similar sized stores in the organisation and started to speak to the store owners within the area to get an idea of what to face.

Eventually using the information I had gathered I completed the schedule. Day of opening rolled around and luckily we had enough staff to motor through, toward the end of the shift we probably had too many colleagues on the shop floor but that just meant we were able to provide even better customer service. Gotta make a great first impression after all!

After things had settled down I reported to my senior management team that in the future it would be wise to provide the store manager with the analysis that was used when deciding to open the store in this location as it would have had a lot of the necessary information for me to make my decision”

Tell Me About A Time Someone Challenged Your Decision– Example answer

“Whenever I make a decision in work (or anywhere for that matter!) I ensure that I have looked at all the possible options and weighed the pros / cons accordingly to make sure my decision is the most effective one for the organisation as a whole.

That is why I enjoy when others question or challenge my decisions, as it allows me to hear differing opinions and improves my decision making abilities for the next time.

One such occasion occurred recently. I was put in charge of choosing a supplier for a part we needed on a new product range. We had taken proffers from 4 firms and it was my job to decide who to go with.

Using all of the information I could gather I made my choice, but before I rubberstamped my decision I invited some of the key stakeholders to a meeting to talk things over.

It was at this meeting that my preferred choice was challenged. The colleague raised good points in favour of one of the other suppliers, namely that we have used this supplier before so were already familiar with how they operated and would not need to create new relationships.

I agreed with my colleague and politely told them that I had considered that information when making my decision. I explained that the supplier I had chosen was cheaper than the supplier we have a relationship with. I also showed how this new supplier had recently hired a number of key personnel from our usual supplier meaning that we would be liaising with people we already had existing relationships with. Granted we would still need to create new accounts for the new supplier but for the cost savings I believed it was well worth it.

Once I mentioned this the colleague was immediately relieved, her main cause of concern was with dealing with new suppliers as our products were highly specialised and it often took a while for suppliers to get used to our requirements.

After the meeting I signed the contracts for the new supplier and we have received a number of shipments from them without incident.

Interview Question: How well are you prepared to manage a remote team? – Answer Tips

July 2, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

There are probably an infinite number of questions that the interviewer could ask you on the day. Some questions are incredibly common appearing in almost every interview you will have, while other questions you might hear once and never again regardless of how many jobs you apply for.

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

1 – Can you do the job? (Do you have the skills/experience needed?)
2 – Will you do the job? (Do you have the drive/motivation to get the job done?)
3 – Will you fit in? (Does your personality match the workplace culture? Are you likeable?)

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

Let’s consider the interview question, “How well are you prepared to manage a remote team?” and see how it links back to these 3 things the interview is looking for.

Can you do the job? By asking this question, the interviewer is trying to gauge your skills and experience in managing remote teams. They want to know if you have a clear understanding of the unique challenges that come with remote work and if you have developed strategies to address them effectively. Your response should demonstrate your knowledge of remote team management and any relevant experience you have in leading and supervising remote teams.

Will you do the job? The interviewer wants to understand your motivation and commitment to managing a remote team. By answering this question, you have the opportunity to showcase your drive and dedication to the success of remote employees. Discuss any past experiences where you have gone above and beyond to ensure the productivity and well-being of remote team members, and highlight your passion for creating a positive work environment, even in a virtual setting.

Will you fit in? Finally, the question also aims to determine if your leadership style and approach to remote team management align with the company culture and values. When answering this question, consider the company’s work environment, communication style, and expectations for team collaboration. Discuss how you have successfully integrated remote team members into the workplace culture and ensured they felt valued and included in decision-making processes.

How Best To Answer ‘How well are you prepared to manage a remote team?

When structuring an answer to the question, “How well are you prepared to manage a remote team?”, it’s important to keep it concise, well-organized, and genuine. Here’s a suggested approach to create a professional yet informal response:

Start with a brief introduction: Open your response by acknowledging the importance of effective remote team management, and express your enthusiasm for the opportunity.

Example: “I appreciate that managing remote teams is an important aspect of today’s work environment, and I’m really excited about the opportunity to lead a team, even if it’s from a distance.”

Highlight your relevant skills and experience: Share specific examples that demonstrate your experience and expertise in managing remote teams. Focus on the tools, techniques, and strategies you’ve used to lead effectively in a virtual setting.

Example: “In my previous role as a project manager, I successfully led a team of 10 remote employees across three different time zones. We used collaboration tools like Slack and Zoom for daily communication, and I implemented weekly virtual stand-up meetings and regular one-on-ones to stay connected and address any concerns.”

Emphasize your motivation and commitment: Show your passion for remote team management and discuss any personal values or work ethics that drive you to succeed in this area.

Example: “I believe that remote teams can be just as productive and engaged as in-person teams, so I’m always motivated to find new ways to support and connect with my remote colleagues. I value open communication, trust, and empathy, which I think are crucial for successful remote team management.”

Demonstrate your cultural fit: Briefly touch on how your leadership style and approach to remote team management align with the company’s culture and values.

Example: “From what I’ve learned about your company culture, it seems like there’s a strong emphasis on collaboration and personal growth. I’m a firm believer in fostering a supportive environment where remote team members feel included, valued, and encouraged to grow professionally.”

Conclude with a positive statement: Wrap up your response by reiterating your excitement and readiness to take on the challenge of managing a remote team.

Example: “Overall, I’m confident in my ability to manage a remote team effectively and can’t wait to contribute to the success of your organization in this role.”

Remember to tailor your response to your specific experiences and the company’s unique culture and values. The key is to be genuine and personable, while still maintaining a professional tone.

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not describe a failure (unless specifically asked).

Do not downplay the situation.

Do not overhype the situation.

Do not say you have no experience with the subject matter.

Do not reject the premise of the question.

Do not have a passive role in the situation.

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

Do not overly describe the scenario and miss the action

‘How well are you prepared to manage a remote team?’ – Example answers

Customer Service Manager Example

I recognize that managing a remote customer service team is essential in today’s business landscape, and I’m truly enthusiastic about the chance to lead such a team and make a positive impact.

In my previous role as a customer service supervisor, I successfully managed a team of 15 remote agents located in various regions. We utilized tools like Microsoft Teams and Zendesk to streamline communication and manage customer inquiries efficiently. I established daily check-ins to ensure all team members were on track and conducted bi-weekly video conferences to discuss performance and address any concerns.

My passion for providing excellent customer support drives me to continuously improve remote team management. I focus on creating an environment that promotes open communication, trust, and collaboration, which I believe are essential for maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.

I’ve researched your company values and found that you emphasize exceptional customer service and employee empowerment. I share these values and have always encouraged my team members to take ownership of their work and seek opportunities for growth and development.

In conclusion, I’m eager to apply my skills and experience in managing a remote customer service team at your organization, and I’m confident that I can contribute to maintaining the high standards you’ve set for customer satisfaction.

Programme Manager Example

Interview Question: What is the most desired skill that is required to become a successful project manager, according to your experience? – Answer Tips

July 2, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

Relating the interview question, “What is the most desired skill that is required to become a successful project manager, according to your experience?” back to the three points raised, we can see that it touches on all three aspects.

1 – Can you do the job?: By asking about the most desired skill for a successful project manager, the interviewer aims to determine if you have a clear understanding of the skills and experience needed to excel in the role. Your response will indicate whether you possess or are familiar with the essential skills required for effective project management.

2 – Will you do the job?: Your answer to this question can also provide insights into your motivation and drive. By discussing the most desired skill, you demonstrate your commitment to mastering that skill and applying it in your work as a project manager. This shows the interviewer that you are willing to put in the effort to succeed in the role.

3 – Will you fit in?: Sharing your perspective on the most desired skill for a project manager can offer a glimpse into your personality and values. Your response might reveal how well you understand the importance of teamwork, communication, or adaptability, which are essential for fitting into a workplace culture. The way you present your answer can also provide clues about your likability and compatibility with the organization.

How Best To Answer ‘What is the most desired skill that is required to become a successful project manager, according to your experience?’

If you’re asked about the most desired skill to become a successful project manager based on your experience during an interview, here’s a decent way to structure your response:

Introduction: Begin by briefly acknowledging the importance of having a well-rounded skill set for a project manager, and that you understand different people might value different skills. However, you’ll focus on the skill you believe is most crucial based on your experience.
State the skill: Clearly identify the skill you believe is most desired for a successful project manager. Be specific and concise in your choice.
Justify your choice: Explain why you believe this skill is essential for a successful project manager. You can mention how it contributes to the overall success of projects, helps in managing risks, improves communication, or fosters teamwork, depending on the skill you chose.
Personal experience: Share a brief example from your own experience that demonstrates the importance of the skill you chose. Describe a situation where this skill was critical for the success of a project you managed or were part of, and discuss the outcome.
Relate to the company/role: If possible, connect the skill to the specific company or role you are interviewing for. Mention how the skill would be particularly beneficial in the context of the organization’s projects, industry, or work culture.
Conclusion: Sum up your answer by reiterating the importance of the skill and your commitment to continuously develop and apply this skill in your work as a project manager.

Just keep in mind that it’s important to sound confident and engaging while keeping your answer short and sweet. By staying organized and focusing on the main points, you’ll do a great job of sharing your thoughts on the most important skill for a successful project manager, and it’ll show that you really know your stuff!

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not describe a failure (unless specifically asked).

Do not downplay the situation.

Do not overhype the situation.

Do not say you have no experience with the subject matter.

Do not reject the premise of the question.

Do not have a passive role in the situation.

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

Do not overly describe the scenario and miss the action

What is the most desired skill that is required to become a successful project manager, according to your experience? – Example answers

Leadership is the most desired skill example

You know, being a project manager means having a bunch of different skills, and everyone might have their own thoughts on which one’s the most important. But in my experience, there’s one skill that really stands out as essential for success in this role, and that’s a combination of leadership and effective communication.

Leadership is crucial because it enables a project manager to guide their team and keep them motivated towards a common goal. On the other hand, effective communication, both verbal and written, ensures that everyone stays on the same page and helps in addressing potential risks or issues promptly. I remember this one project I worked on where our ability to communicate openly and effectively as a team really made the difference in meeting tight deadlines and managing stakeholder expectations.

Of course, other skills like decision-making, risk management, and creative problem-solving are also important for a project manager. But I believe that strong leadership and communication skills lay the foundation for success in any project.

So, to sum it up, I truly believe that a combination of leadership and effective communication is vital for any project manager’s success. I’m always working on refining and applying these skills in my daily work because I know how important they are for managing projects effectively.

Risk Management is the most desired skill example

Problem Solving is the most desired skill example

Problem-solving is crucial because projects often face unexpected challenges and obstacles. A project manager needs to be able to think on their feet, analyze the situation, and come up with creative solutions to keep the project on track. The ability to solve problems effectively not only helps in meeting deadlines but also contributes to managing resources efficiently and maintaining team morale.

I recall a project I worked on where we encountered several unforeseen issues, and my problem-solving skills were put to the test. By quickly assessing the situation and implementing innovative solutions, we managed to overcome the obstacles and deliver the project on time and within budget.

Of course, other skills like leadership, communication, and risk management are also important for a project manager. But I believe that strong problem-solving skills lay the foundation for success in any project.

So, to sum it up, I truly believe that problem-solving is vital for any project manager’s success. I’m always working on refining and applying this skill in my daily work because I know how crucial it is for managing projects effectively.

Interview Question: Suppose the project has gone off the rails. What steps would you take to get it back on track? – Answer Tips

July 2, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

Projects go off course all the time. Often times it is no-one’s fault, it is just a matter of life – and other times it is someone’s fault and somebody screwed up.

Either way if you are working as a Project Manager and the project goes off the rails it is your job to get it back on course, and it is you who is going to take the brunt of the blame if you can’t. Such is the life of a Project Manager, all of the responsibility of project success or failure fall on your head.

As this is the PM’s responsibility the interviewer wants to see how you would handle a situation like this. When asking this question the interviewer is looking to see if you are capable of keeping a cool head in a crisis, can you calmly identify the blockers, remove them and get the project back on its feet?

The best approach to answering this question

The best approach to this question will be a blend of theory and experience. There are certain steps that you should always take when a project is off course; such as assessing the situation, identifying the root cause, introducing remedies and monitoring the situation (all while communicating the project status to the stakeholders).

What will turn a good answer into a great answer though is being able to incorporate an example into your response. Obviously a real life example from your experience would be best but if you struggle to come up with one walk through a hypothetical answer with the interviewer.

To do this treat the question as though the interviewer has asked you to “Tell me about a time”. The best way to answer these competency based questions is via the B-STAR method.

Let’s check out how you can incorporate this technique for this question:

B – Belief – Share your thoughts / feelings on the subject. Quite simply just walk the interviewer through the theory of what you would do (identify the issues, re-evaluate project viability, resolve issues, etc.)

S – Situation – Segue from the ‘theory of projects’ direct into a personal example. Set the scene quickly. What was the project and what was the issue?

T – Task – What was your role in the project and how were you involved in it ‘going off the rails’. Obviously if you are applying for a PM role you will want to give an example where you were leading the project, but you also don’t want the issue to be something that you should have been aware of (COVID is a good external factor that everyone can relate to). A good tip would be to talk about how you were brought into the project because the project was going off the rails.

A – Activity – What did you do and why? This should be the bulk of your answer. Detail the steps you took and explain the reasoning behind why you took them.

R – Results – How did it all turn out? You can go one of two ways with this. Either the project was a success and everyone went home happy all thanks to you. Or you can talk about how the project could no longer be justified given the new state of play. The latter option is a bit trickier to explain in an interview setting but if you pull it off it shows the interviewer you are experienced and able to make the rational choices.

How NOT to answer this question

Don’t throw anyone under the bus. The project has gone off the rails, sure, and most of the time you could probably pinpoint the blame on one or two individuals. But at the end of the day, as the Project Manager the responsibility falls to you. If the project is off the rails because someone didn’t do their job properly the next question from the interviewer is going to be why you did not highlight that issue as a risk and have a mitigation or remediation plan in place.

Don’t avoid the question. Make sure you have some kind of response to the question. I have seen people avoid the question by talking about how it is impossible to say what you would do as you do not know the situation. Those type of responses will not endear you to an interviewer.

Suppose the project has gone off the rails. What steps would you take to get it back on track? – Example answer

“The first step I would take is to confirm if the project is still viable in its current state. I would do this by re-confirming the business justification and seeing if the same assumptions still hold true now. Assuming the project is still viable I would investigate the issues with the team and prioritise remediation or mitigation of each item, re-scoping or re-defining the project plan as need be. Once the new plan was ready I would re-issue to the project stakeholders for review and approval. Later on I would lead an investigation as to why these issues were not catalogued in the RAID log already, but that investigation would be held once the project was back on track.

I actually have some recent experience with a wayward project. COVID-19 had caused a number of our internal projects to stall out. I was brought onto a project when the previous PM had left the business. The aim of the project was to offshore one of our business processes. The project had stalled after our offshore office had been closed due to a lockdown.

The first thing I did was to re-confirm the business justification. In doing so I found that the project was no longer viable. The main aim of the project was to offshore a particular process (and therefore save on the labour costs), however the process itself was to be discontinued in around 18 months time anyway in favour of a new automated process. Given this, and the delays realised by COVID, the assumed cost savings were no longer accurate and the revised cost savings were negligible. I presented my findings to the Change Committee and requested I be allowed to take the necessary steps to close the project.“

Interview Question: Can you explain the differences between risk and issues? Answer Examples.

July 2, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Hey there! If you’re delving into the fascinating world of project management or preparing for an interview in this field, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll be exploring the differences between risk and issues – two essential concepts that any project management pro should be familiar with. Not only will understanding these distinctions make you a more effective team player, but it will also equip you to shine in any job interview. So, buckle up and get ready for a fun, engaging, and insightful journey into the realm of risk and issues. Together, we’ll unravel their meanings, dive into their key differences, and provide you with some stellar answer examples to ace that interview question!

Contents

1 Discovering Risk and Issues: Definitions Unveiled
- 1.1 A. Risk: The Future Uncharted
- 1.2 B. Issues: The Present Unraveled
2 Risk vs. Issues: The Showdown of Differences
3 Answer Example 1: Simple Explanation – The Party Analogy
- 3.1 A. The Basic Breakdown: Risks and Issues Unpacked
- 3.2 B. Real-Life Example: Party Planning Perils
4 Answer Example 2: Detailed Explanation – The Project Management Dance
5 Answer Example 3: Industry-Relevant Explanation – The Creative Agency Scenario
6 Banking Project Manager Example
7 Other Project Management Questions

Discovering Risk and Issues: Definitions Unveiled

A. Risk: The Future Uncharted

Risks are like plot twists waiting to happen. They’re potential future events or conditions that might affect your project.
The uncertainty factor: Risks come with a certain level of unpredictability, which is why managing them is such an exciting challenge. They could either propel your project to new heights or set it back, depending on how you tackle them.

B. Issues: The Present Unraveled

Issues are like those little (or big) bumps in the road you’re navigating right now. They’re current events or conditions that need some serious attention to keep your project on track.
Known and certain: Unlike risks, issues are known problems that have already materialized. They’re not a “maybe” anymore; they’re here, and it’s time to deal with them head-on.

Risk vs. Issues: The Showdown of Differences

A. Timeframe: The When Factor

Risks: Future adventurers – Risks are all about the “what-ifs” that lie ahead. They’re the uncertainties waiting to be faced in the journey of your project.
Issues: Present warriors – Issues are the challenges that have already arrived at your doorstep. They’re happening right now and need your immediate attention.

B. Certainty: The Known vs. the Unknown

Risks: Mysterious and elusive – Risks are a bit like a game of chance, with uncertain outcomes that keep you on your toes.
Issues: Clear and present – Issues, on the other hand, are the real deal. They’re definite and tangible problems that you can’t ignore.

C. Management Approach: Proactive Planners vs. Reactive Problem-Solvers

Risks: Fortune tellers – When it comes to risks, you need to have your crystal ball at the ready. Proactive planning, forecasting, and mitigation strategies are key to staying ahead of the game.
Issues: Firefighters – In the world of issues, you’re often required to don your firefighting gear and tackle problems as they arise. It’s all about being reactive and finding solutions to the challenges at hand.

Answer Example 1: Simple Explanation – The Party Analogy

A. The Basic Breakdown: Risks and Issues Unpacked

Picture planning a party: Risks are the unpredictable factors that could impact your event, like the chance of rain or a guest bringing an uninvited plus-one.
Issues, meanwhile, are the hiccups you’re currently facing in your party prep, like a last-minute cancellation from the DJ or the caterer running out of a key ingredient.

B. Real-Life Example: Party Planning Perils

Risks: You keep an eye on the weather forecast and have a backup plan for an indoor location just in case it rains. You also communicate the guest list policy clearly to avoid any uninvited guests.
Issues: When the DJ cancels, you swiftly find a replacement or create a killer playlist to keep the party going. As for the caterer’s dilemma, you brainstorm alternative ingredients or dishes to ensure the feast remains fabulous.

Answer Example 2: Detailed Explanation – The Project Management Dance

A. In-Depth Dive: The Intricate Tango of Risk and Issues

Risks are the potential missteps that can throw your project management dance offbeat. They require you to be nimble, adaptive, and ready to pivot with proactive planning.
Issues are the present twirls and dips that need your immediate attention to maintain your project’s rhythm and flow.

B. The Choreography of Risk and Issue Management

Mastering the steps: Effective project management is like learning a complex dance, where understanding the nuances of risk and issue management helps you stay in sync with your team and project objectives.
Fine-tuning your performance: Drawing from professional experience or case studies, you can illustrate how you’ve adeptly managed risks and issues to keep projects on track and achieve success.

C. Stage Spotlight: Real-Life Examples

Risks: During a software development project, you identified the risk of potential security vulnerabilities and implemented security testing and code reviews to mitigate it.
Issues: When an essential team member fell ill during a crucial phase of the project, you redistributed tasks, adjusted timelines, and coordinated resources to address the issue and keep the project moving forward.

Answer Example 3: Industry-Relevant Explanation – The Creative Agency Scenario

A. Tailoring the Explanation: Risk and Issues in the Creative Agency Realm

Risks in creative agencies: These can include factors like changing client demands, shifting market trends, or talent attrition.
Issues in creative agencies: Common challenges include project delays, client miscommunication, and resource constraints.

B. Bringing the Scenario to Life

Risks: As a project manager in a creative agency, you’ve proactively anticipated the risk of shifting client demands by ensuring open lines of communication and scheduling regular check-ins to assess their evolving needs.
Issues: When a client’s feedback leads to scope creep, you quickly address the issue by communicating with the team and adjusting timelines to maintain project quality.

C. Showcasing Your Industry Expertise

Drawing on your knowledge and experience in the creative agency realm, you can further elaborate on how you’ve navigated risks and issues in your past roles.
By tailoring your explanation to the specific industry of the interviewer, you can demonstrate your understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that come with that field.

Banking Project Manager Example

“Well, risk and issues are two vital aspects of project management, and they play a particularly critical role in a bank setting where financial compliance, data security, and regulatory adherence are top priorities. As a project manager, I’ve learned to differentiate between the two concepts and manage them effectively.

In a banking context, risks are the potential future events that may impact the project objectives, such as changes in regulations, geopolitical instability, or new cybersecurity threats. By proactively identifying these risks and developing contingency plans, I’ve been able to mitigate their impact and ensure project success.

Issues, on the other hand, are the present challenges that need immediate attention to keep the project on track. In a bank setting, these issues could include delays in meeting compliance standards, data breaches, or resource constraints. To handle such issues, I rely on my problem-solving skills, my ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, and my strong communication skills to identify the root cause, brainstorm possible solutions, and develop a plan of action to resolve the issue.

In my previous role as a project manager at XYZ Bank, I encountered several risks and issues, and I was able to effectively manage them by applying the principles of risk and issue management. For instance, when a data security risk emerged, I quickly escalated the issue to the relevant stakeholders and worked with the cybersecurity team to identify and implement countermeasures to mitigate the risk. Similarly, when a compliance issue arose due to a change in regulations, I collaborated with the legal team and the project sponsors to ensure that the project remained compliant while meeting the objectives.

Overall, I believe that understanding and managing risks and issues are essential skills for any project manager in a bank setting. I am confident in my ability to identify, mitigate and resolve risks and issues and to work collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure project success.”

Interview Question: How do you seek to promote diversity when working in a project team? – Answer Tips

July 2, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

In light of the three fundamental identifiers mentioned above, the interview question “How do you seek to promote diversity when working in a project team?” seeks to address the third identifier: “Will you fit in?” This question aims to gauge your ability to create an inclusive environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and innovation. By promoting diversity within a project team, you demonstrate your capacity to respect and appreciate the different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of your colleagues, which ultimately leads to a more harmonious and successful workplace culture.

Moreover, your response to this question can also touch upon the first identifier, “Can you do the job?” When you emphasize your ability to work effectively with diverse teams, you highlight your adaptability, open-mindedness, and strong interpersonal skills, all of which are crucial in today’s increasingly diverse and globalized work environment. These soft skills can complement the technical skills and experience required for the job, making you a well-rounded candidate.

Finally, your approach to diversity and inclusion may also reflect your motivation and commitment to the job (the second identifier, “Will you do the job?”). By showcasing your eagerness to embrace diversity, you signal your dedication to building strong relationships with your colleagues, overcoming potential challenges, and driving the project team towards success.

How Best To Answer ‘How do you seek to promote diversity when working in a project team?’

When answering the question “How do you seek to promote diversity when working in a project team?”, it’s important to provide a clear, concise, and organized response. Here’s an informal yet professional way to structure your answer:

Start by acknowledging the importance of diversity and inclusion in a project team. Example: “I firmly believe that fostering a diverse and inclusive environment within a project team is essential for generating innovative ideas, boosting collaboration, and enhancing overall team performance.”
Provide specific strategies or steps you take to promote diversity and inclusion within a team. Example: “To create an inclusive atmosphere, I make a conscious effort to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard during team meetings. I encourage open discussions and facilitate brainstorming sessions where everyone’s ideas are valued and considered.”
Share a brief, relevant example from your past experience that demonstrates your commitment to diversity and inclusion. Example: “In a previous project, I noticed that one team member from a different cultural background was hesitant to share their ideas. I reached out to them privately, expressing my interest in their perspective and offering support. As a result, they became more comfortable sharing their insights, which led to valuable contributions to the project’s success.”
Conclude by emphasizing the benefits of diversity and how it aligns with the company’s values and goals. Example: “By actively promoting diversity and inclusion within a team, we can foster a sense of belonging, drive innovation, and achieve better results. I understand that your company values diversity, and I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to such an inclusive environment.”

Remember, when structuring your answer, keep it focused on the main question and provide relevant examples to support your points. Show enthusiasm and genuine interest in fostering an inclusive environment, as this will leave a positive impression on the interviewer.

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not describe a failure (unless specifically asked).

Do not downplay the situation.

Do not overhype the situation.

Do not say you have no experience with the subject matter.

Do not reject the premise of the question.

Do not have a passive role in the situation.

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

Do not overly describe the scenario and miss the action

‘How do you seek to promote diversity when working in a project team?’ – Example answers

Project Manager Example

You know, I’ve always been a big believer in the power of diverse and inclusive teams. As a Project Manager, I really make an effort to ensure everyone feels comfortable and heard, no matter their background.

One thing I like to do is mix up the way we run our meetings and brainstorming sessions, using different formats or icebreakers to help people feel at ease sharing their thoughts. It’s important to create a space where all ideas are welcome and appreciated.

I remember this one project where we had a team member who was more introverted and didn’t usually speak up in meetings. So, I started using an anonymous idea-sharing platform, allowing everyone to submit their thoughts without feeling put on the spot. It turned out that this team member had some fantastic insights, and their ideas really helped us improve the project.

In my experience, having a diverse team and making sure everyone is included leads to way better problem-solving and more creative solutions. I’m stoked to bring this kind of approach to your company, especially since it seems like you guys really value diversity and inclusion. I’m sure it’ll make a big difference in our projects’ success.

Programme Manager Example

I firmly believe that diversity and inclusion within a project team play a critical role in fostering innovation, enhancing collaboration, and ensuring the successful execution of projects. As a Programme Manager, it is my responsibility to create an environment where all team members feel valued, respected, and encouraged to share their ideas.

One strategy I implement to promote diversity and inclusion is to establish clear communication channels and guidelines within the team. This involves setting expectations for respectful dialogue, encouraging active listening, and providing opportunities for team members to express their thoughts, regardless of their background or level of experience.

In a previous programme I managed, I encountered a situation where some team members were not considering the input of colleagues with less experience in the industry. To address this issue, I organized a series of workshops focused on the value of diverse perspectives and fostering open-mindedness. As a result, the team became more receptive to each other’s ideas, which ultimately led to more innovative solutions and the successful completion of the programme.

By actively cultivating diversity and inclusion within a team, we can enhance our problem-solving capabilities and achieve superior results. I understand that your organization places a high priority on these values, and I am eager to contribute to the ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion within your company. This approach will not only benefit our programme outcomes but also strengthen the organization’s overall performance.

Interview Question: When you are given a new project what do you do first? – Answer Tips

July 2, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

This is a very popular question for junior and intermediate project managers.

The interviewer wants to see whether you know the PM theory and principles to know how a project should be opened, but they also want to see your experience in starting projects and what your approach is.

While there are best practices with regard to how to open a project, each project manager will have a different take on what works best for them. This is what the interviewer wants to see, whether your way of working is likely to excel in the organisation.

The best approach to answering this question

This is a blend of a technical and experience based question. The interviewer is not strictly asking you to provide an example (“Tell me about a time”) but your answer will always be stronger if you are able to highlight your experience in the area.

For this question the best approach to answering will be using a modified B-STAR answer.

Let’s look at how that would go:

B – Belief – Talk about your thoughts, feelings or philosophies regarding the question – In this instance you should answer the technical aspect to the question first. Detail how you usually start your projects, what do you like to get out of the way first, how do you prepare for success?

S/T – Situation/Task – What was going on and how were you involved? – Seamlessly segue from explaining how you normally start a project to describing an actual project that you were involved in.

A – Activity – What steps did you take and why? – Using the project described already run through the steps you took at the very beginning and explain why you took those actions.

R – Results – How did everything pan out in the end? – The interviewer has only really asked about how you start projects but since you’ve gone through all the effort of describing an actual project to them you may as well tell them how it finished (nobody likes an unfinished tale) remember though the bulk of your answer should be in the Activity stage.

How NOT to answer this question

Don’t sound like a textbook. The interviewer is not your teacher marking you on your project management essay, they will know full well what the supposed ‘best practices’ are for initiating a project. They are not interested in hearing that. They want to hear what you do first and why you think it important. Add some personality to your answer.

Don’t confuse the question. This is asking you what you do ‘first’. Not how you plan your projects or any other number of questions. Make sure your answer is directly about what you do first and why you feel that first step is the most important (or the one you give priority to out of all others)

Don’t avoid the question. If you’ve never worked a project in a professional setting then you need to go further afield, think outside the box. Think about volunteer work you have done, or some extra-curricular activities, have you ever organised a holiday with friends? Even a school project that you had to complete. Anything is better than saying “I have never done that”.

When you are given a new project what do you do first? – Example answer

The first thing I do when given a new project is to seek out the project sponsor and ensure that we are both on the same page. I prefer to do this face-to-face but will settle for a call or video conference if that is all that is available. I feel that at the start of a project it is crucial to make sure that nothing is lost in translation and that all expectations are clear.

In my current organisation the sponsor for most of my projects is the Chief Technology Officer. Just recently I was given a new project that would deploy a major upgrade to one of our core systems. I made sure that I caught a coffee meeting with the CTO so that we could discuss the project.

I enquired as to what the expectations were from both the business and from him personally. I find asking this is key as my CTO has higher expectations than the wider business so while the business was expecting delivery by the end of the year my CTO was expecting it much earlier.

Similarly with regard to quality and budget, the business had minimum quality requirements and a budget restraint. My CTO however had higher quality requirements and made me aware that the budget could be expanded if I needed it – something that was not in the project presentation provided by the business!

Finally I confirmed with the CTO which project members were available and made a mental note to which colleagues I had worked with before and which were new to me (for the new ones I tried to pry information from the CTO as to their skills and work style)

As far as first steps goes I feel like getting the project sponsor, in this case the CTO, to have a frank and open discussion as to the aims and expectations is the best thing to do. After my conversation with the CTO I was in a really good space to start my planning, with the next step being to bring the project members into the loop.

In the end we managed to deliver the upgrade within the timelines and meeting the quality expectations set by the CTO – something that might not have been given the proper attention had I not taken that first step.“

Interview Question: Tell me about a time you have had to manage a difficult stakeholder – Answer Tips

July 2, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Watch the video or carry on below for the written version.

Question forms part of

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

This is an extremely popular question so you need to make sure you have an answer prepared and ready.

This question tests you across a range of things. Firstly in the basics; do you know what a stakeholder is? Do you know their importance and can you analyse their needs and manage them adequately?

Further than that the question is asking for your experience in managing difficult stakeholders. Not every project is going to go smoothly and not everyone you meet will be open and supportive to your aims.

If you are in a professional working environment for any amount of time you will encounter difficult stakeholders. It is important that you are able to manage these stakeholders so that you can meet your goals and further the aspirations of your organisation.

How you will manage these difficult stakeholders is what the interviewer is interested in when they ask this question. Most stakeholders are not ‘difficult’ just for the sake of it:

Some will be incredibly busy people who cannot devote the time you want
Some will have been given different targets which your project will impact so they will not be excited about helping you
…and of course some people are just awful people!

Your interviewer wants to see how you approach all of these types of people. And of course the best way to find out how someone will approach a scenario in the future is to look at how they have reacted to similar scenarios in the past and understand if they learned anything from the experience.

And that my friends is the crux of why we get asked this question.

The best approach to answering this question

As this is a “Tell me about a time” interview question your answer is going to need to include an example. The best answers will be detailed while also being concise. In order to achieve this the B-STAR technique should be used.

Let’s see how that would work in this question.

B – Belief – What are your thoughts / feelings / processes regarding the subject matter? – Here you should talk about how whenever you are facing difficulties with a stakeholder that you always seek to understand the issue first before engaging with the stakeholder, then you approach with empathy and attempt to resolve the issue to everyone’s benefit.

S – Situation – Set the scene of your example – This is an interview so you wont have all the time in the world to describe what was happening. Explain the situation briefly, leaving more time for the steps that you took. A good scenario to describe would be one where the stakeholder was being difficult due to outside pressures that you then helped to alleviate.

T – Task – What was your role in the situation? – Talk about what you had been tasked to do and how this stakeholder being difficult was impacting that. Ideally you will be in a project management or equivalent role where stakeholder management is one of your key responsibilities.

A – Activity – What did you do? – Lay out all the steps you took to manage this difficult stakeholder. Good answers will talk about how you investigated the issue to understand the concerns of all parties and then approached the stakeholder with empathy toward their point of view. In the end though you need to talk about the action you took to remediate the issue.

R – Result – How did everything end up? – This is an interview so it is best to talk about times in which you were successful in your endeavour. Good answers will talk about how the stakeholder’s concerns were removed and they were no longer difficult or a hinderance to your goals. Talk in this section about any lessons you may have learned for the next time you face a similar scenario.

How NOT to answer this question

Do not dismiss the premise of the question. It is quite easy to fall into the trap of saying that you have never worked with a difficult stakeholder before. Some candidates will say this thinking it shows how well they get along with everyone. But this will not endear you to the interviewer. There are difficult stakeholders in every workplace up and down the country. It is not a reflection on you that someone else is difficult, saying that you have never had to deal with someone like that is showing your inexperience.

Do not ‘steamroll’ the stakeholder. I’ve seen this time and time again in work settings and in interview settings. An ambitious PM looking to force their project through will smash through any barrier that comes their way. Mostly what happens is a stakeholder raises an objection and the PM will remove the stakeholder from the project or go above their head to report the stakeholder for creating obstacles. This is not the right way to approach these issues. A PM should try to understand the issue in the first instance and resolve with the stakeholder. Ignoring the issue and pushing ahead regardless is not a good answer.

Tell me about a time you have had to manage a difficult stakeholder – Example answers

The examples provided below can serve as a foundation for creating your unique answers. For additional inspiration, our new guide includes five sample responses to this question and over 100 answers to all of the most common interview queries.

Check out “INTERVIEW SUCCESS: How to answer 20 of the Most Popular Interview Questions (with over 100 sample answers!)”

Project Manager Example

“Difficult stakeholders are unavoidable when you have been in the industry for any amount of time. It is just one of those things that you need to be aware of, not everyone is going to be on the same page or have the same goals as you and you will need to handle these people appropriately in order to deliver on your goals.

Whenever I find someone being difficult or not giving me the level of support I require in my projects I tend to do 2 things. Firstly I make sure that I fully understand the issue and therefore my colleague’s concerns and secondly I approach my colleague to discuss potential remedies to get things back on track.

For example, recently I was working on a project that would automate a key data gathering task within the process. This task was performed by 2 teams within the organisation and the lead SME of the teams was assigned to my project.

After some time I found that the SME was not participating in project meetings and any actions they would pick up would go incomplete or be delivered very late.

I spoke to the rest of my team individually as well as some contacts I had in the wider department. I learned that there was a rumour going through the two teams that once the project was delivered that the organisation was going to fire the 2 teams as they would no longer be needed with the new automation process going live.

This was not true however. Our actual plan once we delivered the project was to train these colleagues on a different process where more resources were required. I approached my senior manager to discuss a change to our communication strategy so that a notice could be sent to all impacted parties.

Once the communication was confirmed I approached the SME to explain the situation and remind them that the project still required their 100% focus. Thereafter the SME was much more involved in meetings and all actions were delivered on time. The project ending up a success and the teams were successfully trained on the new project with no colleagues being let go.“

Sales Rep Example

“In my previous role as a sales representative, I managed relationships with key clients in the healthcare industry. One of our largest clients was becoming increasingly difficult to work with, as they were consistently requesting changes to our contract terms and were not receptive to our proposed solutions.

To address this, I reviewed the client’s contract and conducted research into their industry to better understand their needs and priorities. I then worked closely with our internal team, including legal and operations, to determine what changes we could make to the contract while still meeting our company’s needs.

I set up a meeting with the client to discuss their concerns and present our proposed solutions. During the meeting, I made sure to actively listen to their concerns and provide them with options that addressed their needs while still meeting our company’s objectives. I also kept the lines of communication open by providing regular updates and ensuring that both our team and the client were aligned on the changes being made to the contract.

As a result of these actions, we were able to successfully negotiate a new contract with the client that addressed their concerns while still meeting our company’s objectives. The client was satisfied with the changes and ultimately remained a loyal customer.

Through this experience, I learned the importance of active listening, research, and collaboration in stakeholder management, regardless of the role or industry.”

Marketing Coordinator Example

tell me about a time you have had to manage a difficult stakeholder interview question and answer

Interview Question: What would you do if a Stakeholder approached you with a change midway through a project? – Answer Tips

July 2, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

This is a fairly typical PM question. You can expect this question to be asked if you are applying for Junior Project Manager or Business Analyst roles, you are less likely to receive this question if you are in other project support functions but it is a possibility. Similarly you are not likely to get this question if you have a large amount of project experience and are going for more senior positions with more responsibility.

The interviewer is looking for 2 things when asking this question:

Are you aware of the best practices with regard to Change Management within a project? Do you understand the difference between Agile and Waterfall projects when it comes to making changes midway through a project, and can you articulate the differences when prompted?
Given 1. above how do you communicate with stakeholders?

The first thing the interviewer is looking for is a fairly ‘by the book’ response. Change Management is a fairly defined process and this should not cause any issues for anyone who has studied Project Management previously. The second part of the question is more about you and your stakeholder management skills. This part of the question is not ‘by the book’ and should allow you the opportunity to describe your communication style – and hopefully differentiate you from the other candidates.

The best approach to answering this question

The best approach to this question will hit on the 2 key points raised above.

Firstly describe how if it was one of your projects, that there would be a defined change management process in place. This process should have been approved by the client/customer, supplier, project team and all relevant stakeholders.

Once you have gone over that you can now talk through how you would remind the stakeholder of this change process and offer to walk them through getting their Change Request submitted for review by the project team. The best candidates will weave into the response an example from their prior experience. Talk about a project that you recently led that had a change request come up right in the middle (Use the B-STAR technique)

Make sure that you are prepared for follow-up questions such as:

What would you do if there was no defined change process?
What would you do if the stakeholder in question held great authority over the project?
What if the change that was raised is considered a show stopper?

Finally ensure that you make the interviewer aware that you are answering the question assuming a waterfall approach was undertook. If the project was being ran using Agile methodologies talk about how the change would be looked at and prioritised immediately and adjustments made to the sprint plans and backlog catalogue.

How NOT to answer this question

Don’t refuse the change point blank. There are well defined processes for how to handle changes within all project methodologies. Flat out saying NO is not in any of them. Talk about how you worked with the stakeholder and guided them through the previously agreed process.

Don’t just accept the change without review. Similar to above, there is a process for change management. This process should have been approved prior to the project initiation. Do not just say that you would accept any changes, mention how you would put the CR through the defined process and go with the decision that is produced.

Don’t just give an example. Weaving an example into your answer is what separates a good answer from a great answer. However you still need to describe the theory behind your answer. You need to explain and detail how you are aware of proper project management processes only then can you show that you have real world experience with an example. Otherwise the interviewer may not be assured that you know the process or if the example was just a fluke.

What would you do if a Stakeholder approached you with a change midway through a project? – Example answer

“If this was one of my projects then there would be a clearly defined change request process that should be followed for all requests. This will have been discussed with all stakeholders and approved by all. Given this I would speak to the stakeholder in question and guide them through the Change Request process so that their request could be reviewed and actioned if necessary.

When these type of requests occur I find it best to gently remind the stakeholder that there was a process agreed at the beginning of the project and to remind them of that process and how changes are reviewed and progressed. I had a similar request recently where a senior stakeholder wanted to increase the scope of the software product we were deploying in a month’s time, the stakeholder reached out to me directly and requested it was added for the first release. I gently reminded my colleague that all change requests needed to be raised to the CR portal and would be triaged by a member of the project team, as his change was above the agreed small change limit it would need to be approved by the Change Board. The colleague was content with this and progressed his item through the proper channels were the request was approved for deployment in second release.

Of course this all assumes that the project was being deployed using waterfall methodologies, if we were following a more agile approach the change request would have been prioritised and added to the sprint plan where appropriate.“

Mike Jacobsen

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