Announcing the Benchmark IT Project Manager Hiring Guide

By Nancy LaPerla On July 29, 2021 · In Hiring Advice

Updated: February 15, 2024

Recruiting a Project Manager requires a clear and thorough action plan. Our new Benchmark IT Project Manager Hiring Guide offers best practices for recruiting PMs with right technical and communication skills.

The role of a Project Manager can vary depending on the organization. However, team collaboration, communication, and cooperation remain vital to ensure project success. Nearly 40% of IT projects fail because of unclear and undefined objectives and milestones.

Candidates must be able to multitask, manage a project team, and keep them focused on the project schedule. An effective PM is highly organized and can manage their project team to reach their goal on time and within budget.

The Benchmark IT Project Manager Hiring Guide covers:

• The ideal project manager salary (see the complete hiring guide for insights from our 2021 Technology Salary and Hiring Guide).
• The factors, traits, and skillsets needed for success
• Requirements for the ideal job description
• Interview questions including notes for the interviewer
• Must-haves for a Project Manager job ad

Determining Factors, Personality Traits, and Skillsets

When hiring a project manager, the candidate must have the technical expertise and experience to visualize and understand the big picture. Effective project management requires the know-how to deliver project milestones and maintain team structure. These requirements should be specified in your company’s job description and evaluated throughout the interview process.

IT Project Manager Job Description Based on Your Organization

The Benchmark IT Project Manager Hiring Guide contains a detailed job description template to customize for the role. It includes an overview of the necessary skills and responsibilities, and a comprehensive list of various duties.

Some essential responsibilities for a project manager include:

• Ability to define project scope and objectives.
• Determine needed resources to reach goals and manage resources effectively and efficiently.
• Develop a budget based on project scope and resource requirements.
• Track and manage project costs.

Following the required responsibilities is a bulleted list of desired competencies and experience. You can adjust this list based on your organization and requirements.

An ideal Project Manager candidate will possess most of the following:

• [X+] years of related industry experience in project management (to be modified based on your requirements)
• A strong understanding of formal project management methodologies
• PMP certification.
• Advanced time management and analytical skills.

This shortlist is just scratching the surface of necessary experience and skills. Other significant sections listed in the job description include Education and Experience, Travel and Work Hour Requirements, and Benefits.

IT Project Manager Interview Questions

A successful project manager is organized and meticulous in their attention to detail. The ability to handle pressure and stress are a daily part of the job. The best candidates can easily illustrate how they handle these.

The questions you ask a candidate should involve their experience. For example, the first four questions we list in our Project Manager Hiring Guide include:

1. Can you tell me about a previous project you managed in our field/industry?
   This specific question demonstrates the candidate’s experience. If the candidate does not have project management experience in your industry, they should explain how their experience applies.
2. Tell me about the biggest mistake you ever made on a project?
   The truth is, we all make mistakes. The goal is to see if they can articulate their specific error, how they corrected it, and what they learned.
3. How do you delegate your project team’s tasks?
   When there is a large project, a project manager may find themselves working as part of a team with work delegated across that team. It’s important to discover how the candidate determines who completes the task, the priority, technical skills needed, and more.
4. Tell us about the most difficult ethical decision you have made on a project.
   Again, this question demonstrates the candidate’s experience and awareness of the PMI Code of Ethics. When a candidate answers this question, pay attention to their references to responsibility, respect, fairness, and honesty. What was the ethical question, and how did they resolve it?

The Benchmark IT Project Manager Hiring Guide provides are six more vital questions and interviewer notes. The remaining questions are designed to further understand a candidate’s experience and skillset.

Lastly, our Hiring Guide provides the outline of a customizable Job Ad for your recruitment efforts. This ad is engaging and brief. It provides an overview of the job description and key elements of your employer branding. It includes the most critical responsibilities needed for the position and the education and experience also required.

Want to see more? Contact us for your copy of the new Benchmark IT Project Manager Hiring Guide. Future guides for other highly sought-after technical roles will be available shortly.

About Benchmark IT –Technology Talent

Benchmark IT offers technology consulting, executive search, and direct hire recruitment and staffing services. We service a wide range of clients and industries throughout the metro New York area and beyond. Our proprietary recruitment process, and dedication to precision, ethics, and personalized service sets us apart from other recruiting firms. As a result, Benchmark IT has become a trusted partner among Fortune-ranked companies, mid-market, start-up, and growth-phase firms since 2007. For additional information, visit: www.bmarkits.com.