Top Project Manager Behavioral Interview Questions

Project management is a complex and demanding role that requires a range of skills and abilities, from leadership and communication to organization and problem-solving. As such, interviews for project management roles often include a variety of behavioral questions designed to assess a candidate’s suitability for the position.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some common behavioral interview questions for project managers and offer tips on how to prepare for these types of questions. 

What Are Project Manager Behavioral Interview Questions?

Project manager behavioral interview questions are open-ended questions related to project management. They can give the interview a sneak peek at your communication style and your attitude and approach as a project manager, for example. 

What to Expect from Project Manager Interviews

No single project manager interview is the same. Still, there are some aspects that almost all of these types of interviews will feature, such as common themes. Here’s what you need to know.

Project Manager Behavioral Interview Question Themes

Although all your project manager behavioral interview questions will be different, you can usually identify a few common themes. Some of the most common project manager behavioral interview question themes include:

• Adaptability/attitudes toward change
• Interpersonal and social skills
• Problem-solving
• Teamwork and team building
• Communication skills
• Leadership and personal drive 
• Ability to work under stress (and remain calm)
• Responsibility and accountability
• Negotiation skills

Although this isn’t an exhaustive list of all the recurring themes, chances are, you’ll get questions from most if not all of these categories. 

Common Behavioral Questions for Project Managers

Here are the most common behavioral questions for project managers. 

1. Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team to accomplish a challenging goal.

This question is designed to assess your leadership skills and your ability to work effectively with a team. When answering this question, it’s important to provide specific details about the goal, the team, and your role in leading the team to success. You should also highlight any obstacles that you had to overcome along the way.

2. Describe a project that you managed that didn’t go as planned. What did you do to address the situation?

This question is designed to assess your problem-solving skills and your ability to manage difficult situations. When answering this question, it’s important to be honest about the challenges you faced and the steps you took to address the situation. You should also highlight any lessons you learned from the experience.

3. Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What factors did you consider, and how did you arrive at your decision?

This question is designed to assess your decision-making skills and your ability to weigh different factors when making a decision. When answering this question, it’s important to provide specific details about the decision you made, the factors you considered, and the rationale behind your decision.

4. Describe a situation where you had to deal with conflict within a team. How did you resolve the conflict?

This question is designed to assess your conflict resolution skills and your ability to work effectively with others. When answering this question, it’s important to provide specific details about the conflict, the parties involved, and the steps you took to resolve the conflict. You should also highlight any strategies you used to prevent similar conflicts in the future.

5. Tell me about a time when you had to manage multiple projects simultaneously. How did you prioritize your tasks and ensure that everything was completed on time?

This question is designed to assess your organizational skills and your ability to manage competing priorities. When answering this question, it’s important to provide specific details about the projects you were managing, the deadlines involved, and the strategies you used to prioritize your tasks and ensure that everything was completed on time.

A great way to implement storytelling into your interview is by answering these (or other questions) with a personal anecdote. This can often be more engaging and insightful for the interviewer.

How to Prepare for a Project Management Interview

Now that we have discussed some common behavioral interview questions for project managers, it’s important to address how to prepare for such an interview.

Preparing for a project management interview involves more than just rehearsing answers to common questions. It’s important to take a strategic approach to your preparation in order to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and abilities effectively.

Here are some tips on how to prepare for a project management interview:

1. Research the company and the role. Before your interview, it’s important to research the company and the role in order to demonstrate your interest and understanding of the organization.

Review the company’s website, social media accounts, and recent news articles to learn more about its mission, values, and recent initiatives. Familiarize yourself with the company’s history, values, and goals. Also, review the job description in detail to ensure that you understand the role’s responsibilities, requirements, and qualifications.

2. Review your resume and work history. During the interview, expect questions about your previous work experience and accomplishments. Review your resume and work history, especially previous experience as a project manager or in other roles that required project management skills.

Doing this in advance will refresh your memory and ensure that you can speak confidently and knowledgeably about your past projects and achievements. Prepare to provide specific examples of how you successfully managed projects, overcame challenges, and led teams.

3. Practice your responses to common questions. While you don’t want to sound rehearsed, it’s important to practice your responses to common interview questions in order to feel confident and prepared.

Additionally, questions that explore a candidate’s experience in dealing with difficult team members or stakeholders can also be asked. Project managers need to have strong communication and interpersonal skills to navigate challenging situations, so asking questions that test these qualities can be useful.

4. Practice answering behavioral interview questions. Review the list of common behavioral interview questions for project managers and prepare answers to these questions that highlight your skills, experience, and leadership abilities.

5. Develop a portfolio of your work. Consider bringing a portfolio of your previous project management work to the interview. This can include examples of project plans, timelines, budgets, and other relevant documents that demonstrate your skills and experience.

6. Dress appropriately and arrive early. Dress professionally and arrive early to the interview to demonstrate your professionalism and respect for the interviewer’s time.

7. Bring a list of questions. Prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer about the company, the project manager role, and any other relevant topics. This shows that your genuine interest in the position and eagerness to learn more.

Improve Your Interviewing Skills with Yoodli

Preparing for an interview can be stressful, especially when it comes to answering behavioral interview questions. However, there are tools available to help you improve your interviewing skills and feel more confident in your responses.

One such tool is Yoodli, a generative-AI-powered interview coach that provides feedback on your key talking points, filler words, rambling, and body language. Yoodli also gives you private and gentle nudges during your actual interview to help you hit your main talking points, make eye contact, and slow down. To learn more about Private Yoodli and how it can help during your project manager interview, check out our simple explainer video:

Yoodli is a judgment-free environment that can help you feel more comfortable and confident during the interview process. And unlike most other speech and interview coaches, Yoodli is completely free.

The Key Takeaway

In conclusion, preparing for a project manager interview requires a combination of research, preparation, and practice. By reviewing common behavioral interview questions and developing strong answers, as well as utilizing tools like Yoodli, you can feel more confident and prepared to demonstrate your skills and experience as a project manager.