Cracking a Product Management interview can often be both challenging and interesting. What hiring managers “exactly” look for in a Product Manager varies vastly across the type of role, company, and product. There is no one shot approach to crack a Product Management interview. However, a heads-up with the most commonly asked Product Management interview questions can give candidates the much needed insight and boost their preparation.
20 Commonly Asked Product Management Interview Questions
For those wondering how to prepare for a Product Manager interview, you have come to the right place. Before your next interview, checkout the list of 20 commonly asked questions in a Product Management interview in this blog. Let’s get started
Why Product Management?
Answering correctly why you want to be a Product Manager is the key to cracking a Product Management interview. Check popular questions on why Product Management below.
- Why do you want this job and how does it fit your overall career trajectory?
- What aspect of working as a product manager is the most exciting for you?
- What has been your biggest failure as a product manager and why did it happen? What steps did you take to recover from this?
About The Company
Before appearing in a Product Management interview ensure to closely research the company’s website or products to understand its vision. Good research will help you mold your answers as per expectations.
- What do you dislike about our product? What would you do differently?
- Who do you think are our biggest competitors and why?
- How would you redesign our product?
- What made you choose to work as a PM for this company?
Product Management Process
Questions on Product Management processes are no surprises in a Product Management interview. Through such questions hiring managers aim to gauge candidate’s knowledge on Product Management. To ace product questions in an interview use your analytical and technical skills and references from case studies and projects you have worked on in the past.
- What, in your opinion, will make the biggest impact on a product’s success?
- How do you communicate a product strategy? How would you describe our product to someone?
- How do you decide what and what not to build? What is a ‘good’ product for you?
- How would you strike a balance between user’s and the company’s needs?
- What is important for a good user interface?
- Are you aware of the role of Product Manager within product development?
- What would make a company’s product successful?
Speak From Your Own Experience
Giving examples and insights from past experiences or projects can set you apart from the rest in a Product Management interview. Keep in mind that these questions in a Product Management interview need to reflect your experience, insights and knowledge of being a good Product Manager.
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- What’s your approach to prioritizing tasks?
- Tell us about a time you used data to influence important stakeholders.
- How do you know when to tweak to get a product out the door?
- What is a product you currently use every day, why and how would you improve it?
- What is one of your favorite products and how would you make it better?
- Suggest a new feature for (a company). What metrics would you use to measure its success?
Technical Product Management Interview Questions
As a product manager, having technical knowledge is not completely necessary but is highly desirable. Companies hiring for roles in Product Management often look for candidates with an ideal blend of technical and business skills. Before heading out for a Product Manager interview make sure to brush up your technical basics. Checkout some of the popular technical questions asked in a Product Management interview below.
Product Management Interview – Top 5 Technical Questions
- How would you explain machine learning to a beginner?
- How would you write an algorithm to suggest articles to a reader/user?
- Are you familiar with “XYZ” engineering tools ? Explain the importance of these tools in the product roadmap.
- How willing are you to learn new techniques and technologies ?
- Describe a technical challenge you have faced before and how you addressed it ?
Behavioural Questions in Product Management Interview
A Product Manager can be ideally described as a jack of all trades as the job entails a wide array of responsibilities. Companies lookout for Product Managers who strike the right balance between technical, product management and behavioural skills.
In a Product Management interview, candidates are tested for their behavioural and communication skills to understand how they would handle certain work situations. Demonstrating right behavioural skills can make or break a Product Management interview. To get a head-start, checkout some popular behavioural skills questions asked in Product Management interviews below.
Top 5 Behavioural Questions for Product Management Interview
- Describe a challenging situation you faced at work
- How did you handle negative feedback on a product ?
- Tell us about a mistake you committed at work and how you dealt with it
- Explain your strategy for customer interactions
- Describe a situation when you and an engineer disagreed. How did you handle the issue?
Product Management Resources
When preparing for a Product Management interview, expert advice can come handy. Candidates must use the below discussed resources to gain insights and crack Product Management interviews. Check the links to Product Management resources below.
Popular Product Management Resources
- Top Product Management Tools 2021
- Top 5 Product Management Podcasts You Should Listen To
- Top 5 Product Management Newsletters
PinWe hope you find this blog helpful. Stay connected for our next blog on Product Management. Let us know in the comments below if you know some more Product Management interview questions.
