This presentation comes to you from International Project Management Day 2013 - the annual global virtual summit from IIL that brings together business and technology leaders from around the world to discuss the latest trends and methods in business, leadership and communications. To view the accompanying video keynotes and presentations connect to the event here bit.ly/1blJSkE or purchase the DVD collection http://bit.ly/1fZ9Yc0

1. Effective Hiring Interview Technique for
Selecting Project Managers
Harvey Stein
©2013 International Institute for Learning, Inc., All rights reserved.

2. Effective Hiring Interview Technique
for Selecting Project Managers
Do you ever get an uneasy feeling when you realize that you are not
sure if the PM you just hired will really be successful? If you are like me
you have been through this angst. You can reduce the risk of hiring the
wrong PM for your organization by following these interview
techniques.

3. Harvey Stein, VP Infor Consulting Services (ICS)
Harvey is responsible for the Project Management Office (PMO) within ICS.
Harvey has a long record of success managing complex, global software implementation
projects and programs. His focus over the past several years has been on the advancement of
project management maturity with world class initiatives for PM talent management and
training, mentoring, certification, methodology, quality assurance and portfolio reporting.
Harvey is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and represents Infor as an active
participant in the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Global Executive Council.
The Infor PMO provides the common methods and tools by which projects are quoted, managed and delivered.
The group enables the project community by facilitating a rigorous training curriculum and internal certification
program.
Additionally, Harvey is responsible for project portfolio management which includes regular
monitoring and quality assurance for customer projects. The PMO staff of top project and
program managers engage in the field to provide governance and project start up to complex
projects and programs.

4. Agenda
Introduction
Prepare - Before the interview
The Interview Process
Introduction - Getting the conversation flowing
Interview Content – Gather Information and conclude
Wrap Up – Next Steps
Decide – After the Interview

5. Introduction
Purpose – Select project management candidates who will be successful in
the role to control turnover cost (Cost of Hiring)
Candidate behavior during the hiring process is a good predictor of future
behavior – be observant of interaction outside of the interview
Assumptions
Initial screening compete and candidate has high interest
Face to Face Interview as part of the hiring process
This interview is a one on one phone interview
All job offers For PM roles require a PMO interview as part of the Job Offer
Approval

6. Prepare - Before the Interview
Visualize the ideal candidate for the role, know what skills experience and
personal traits are required for success
Prepare areas of focus based on hiring documents including other
interview notes
Prepare fact finding questions to determine if candidate has a track record
of success and is credible
Suggested time for interview – 60 minutes

7. Interview Process
40 – 50 minutes
3 – 5 minutes
Introduce
Conversation
Candidate
Responds
Flow
Prepare
Before Interview
Yes
Ask Open Ended
Question
Ask Drill Down
Question
7 – 15 minutes
.
Conclusion?
No
Gather Information and Conclude
Wrap Up
Next Steps
Decide
After Interview

8. Interview Introduction
Getting the conversation flowing
Explain the structure of the interview
Provide a very brief personal introduction
Minimize talking, maximize listening. Listen 80% -90% of the time
Find something innocuous to get the candidate at ease to start the
conversation flow, then transition to deeper content questions
Skills and experience questions start general open ended, then drill down

9. Interview Content
Role: Experienced ERP software implementation PM for a consulting
organization of a software company for on site customer projects
Minimum
Requirements
Project
Management
Emotional
Intelligence
Technical
Travel
Language
Experience
Education/Certification
Project Complexity
Project Size
Company cultural fit
Job Stability
Scope
Quality
Financial & Staff
Issues & Risks
Stakeholder
Work Management
Governance
PM Methodology
Project Rescue
Role
Specific
Personal
Traits
Technical
Inward - Self
• Awareness
• Accountability
• Confidence
Outward - Others
• Communication
• Interaction
• Conflict Resolution
• Team Motivation
Leadership
Estimating
Implementation
Method
Business Requirements
Design & Build
Testing/QA
Organizational Change
Cutover
Global Rollout
Product Knowledge
Credibility
Detail Orientation
Dedication
Problem Solver
Customer Orientation
Ethics, Honesty
Enthusiasm
Pragmatic approach
Independent

10. Be Aware – Listen and Observe
Very formal with textbook answers – Has the candidate really managed a successful project,
emotional intelligence to succeed?
Talker/bragger/controller – too much send, not enough receive, interrupts, answering question
before you finish asking
Role mismatch – suitable for an account manager role
The scatter brain – too much jumping around, not enough focus
Wrapped around the axle – too detailed to achieve results
Lost in the stratosphere – Responses are too high level, vague,
One trick pony – answers are similar for most questions
The perfect person – has never made an error and learned

11. Interview Wrap Up
Allow the candidate a few minutes to ask questions
Explain next steps and when someone will get back to them
Tell them who to contact if they don’t hear back by a specific date

12. Decide
Review the conclusions of the 5 content areas and summarize pluses/minuses
Does the candidate have the skills and experience to be successful?
Is it believable that the candidate was successful in a previous PM role?
Would you want the candidate to report to you directly and be on your team?
Trust you intuition – examine your feelings, what is the driver?
Will the minuses still allow the candidate to be successful?
Avoid the halo effect – Are one or two high pluses clouding your judgment to
overlook show stopper minuses

13. And Finally Remember…
The Golden Rule – Treat candidates the way you want to be treated.
Respect their time, be prompt on responses, be decisive
Need a tie breaker - don’t hire, trust you intuition
If candidate does not accept position, maintain communication, obtain
referrals

14. Questions?

15. Intelligence – Integrity – Innovation
We invite you to take a closer look at what we can accomplish together.
Please visit iil.com or contact learning@iil.com to learn more about our
training, consulting, coaching, customized courses and other pathways
for professional development.
Connect with Us:
facebook.com/IIL.Inc
@IILGlobal
bit.ly/IILlinkedin
©2013 International Institute for Learning, Inc., All rights reserved.
bit.ly/IILgoogle
youtube.com/IILGlobal
allpm.com