15 Product Manager Interview Questions to Review

In interviews with prospective product managers, senior product managers and entrepreneurs look for specific skills, talents, and experience. 

A product manager oversees the creation, execution, and evaluation of a new or improved version of a product available for sale on the marketplace. These professionals develop new ideas, create a strategy for product manufacturing, and determine if improvements can be made.

This role may include responsibilities that vary by industry and company mission, but the technical and workplace skills will remain the same. Hiring managers may want to see that you're a strategic, skilled, and creative leader with a passion for helping customers and if you can prioritise challenging situations. 

Here are the 15 questions you may be asked during a project manager interview:

1. What do you think is the main role of a product manager?

Since there's no qualification for product management at most universities, you'll need to know what the role entails. Employers use this as a way of gauging how realistic your expectations are.

How to answer:

Start by quickly outlining the basics of the role. Explain your knowledge about the position's responsibilities, starting with brainstorming for new products or improvements and moving through the process of production and success. Employers may want to know what you value the most. This could be the design process, planning strategy, managing a team, or analysing data to see how the product could improve. There's no wrong answer if you've researched the position.

2. What's appealing about becoming a product manager at this company? 

Use this question as an opportunity to show your knowledge of the company. They may want to know what it is about them that interests you. 

How to answer:

Start by demonstrating an in-depth understanding of the company, mentioning the leadership team, how they stand within the industry, and an overview of your favourite product offerings. It’s suggested that they pivot to where they're focused: the target audience. As a product manager, your role will include meeting the needs of the company’s customers. Connect your answers with your passion for their mission and customers.   

3. What would your ideal day as a product manager look like? 

This positive question can easily underscore the role’s pain points, so be careful to focus on your favourite parts of being a product manager. 

How to answer:

Share your favourite aspects of the job, whether brainstorming for a product design, overseeing a development plan, launching the product, or pouring over customer reviews. Keep it light and positive.

4. What changes would you suggest for our main product?

Product managers consistently seek new paths for improvement to meet the needs of the company's customers. Come prepared with fresh ideas.

How to answer:

Your answer should show that you’ve studied their product line by describing why their main product has already been successful if that's the case. Discuss what doesn't need to change before getting into a critical review. When sharing any ideas for improvement, connect your suggestions with their customer's pain points. If you don't see room for improvement, be honest. Let them see your creativity and practical reasoning behind your ideas. 

5. Tell us how you'll incorporate data into your role.

Product managers must be comfortable with data analysis, as it’s used to understand customer response to a new or improved product. Interviewers want to hear about your technical skills and strategic process.

How to answer:

Data is used to analyse whether the company has maximised its return on its investment (ROI) of the product. Employers want to see what metrics should be used and how you’ll determine a positive or negative change in that metric. Discuss metrics—Meta’s Saved Items list, Instagram comments, email list sign-up statistics, and customer interviews—and explain your plan to track and respond appropriately.

6. How do you know if a product is well-designed?

Here, your prospective employer wants to ensure you know the position.

How to answer:

Discuss this with the customer since they will determine whether the product is designed well. A product is successful when it meets a customer's needs; your experience helps determine that. Share what top product managers look for in terms of excellent design. Advancing Women in Tech offers a Real-World Specialisation in Product Management on Coursera, including interviews with experienced and seasoned product managers. 

7. If a product redesign is needed, how would you coordinate it?

This question concerns your workplace skills and ability to strategise within a team. Even junior-level product managers must handle project coordination and have leadership qualities. 

How to answer:

Take your interviewer step-by-step through the redesign process. Start with defining a vision for the redesign using market analysis. You'll then need to use effective communication skills to delegate responsibilities among team specialists. Explain how you’ll get the stakeholders to agree and move forward for a better customer experience. 

8. What major challenge will our product department face in the next 12 to 24 months?

All employers want forward-thinking employees, and that's especially true for product managers. This question allows you to highlight your understanding of the industry and any research regarding competitive analysis.

How to answer:

It's likely the employer is looking for any trends you've found through your industry research. Discuss the competition and where you see customer preferences and desires in a year. Utilise this chance to place yourself within the company, strategising dynamic, systematic improvements. Let them see how you're ready to be a member of an evolving team.

9. What's more important: getting a product done on time or getting a product done as planned?

Product managers must juggle the responsibilities of getting products launched according to schedule while having the products meet their design goals. Your interviewer wants to know if you consider deadlines or quality more important.

How to answer:

Both! A product is only done if it is done as planned, and it's crucial to work within the company's structures to launch products customers will love. Describe how you will create customer journey maps, roadmaps for your team, and an appropriate overview during the development process. Show how you keep your specialists on track with smaller deadlines and quality control mechanisms.

10. How would you describe our product to a customer?

Employers want you to demonstrate clear communication skills and an ability to market to the customer.

How to answer:

You'll want to connect with the customer's pain points, explain directly how the product can help, and share any quick features that will make them want to learn more. The more you practice answering, the easier it will be during your interview.

11. What aspects of being a product manager do you find most rewarding?

This question is another opportunity to discuss product management from a big-picture perspective. Especially at smaller start-ups, you'll work closely with the people conducting the interview. Be personable and share what motivates you every day. 

How to answer:

Highlight your strengths. Discuss why you're good at balancing the user experience, technical issues, and business-focused decisions. Provide an example of a time during your career when you were successful. Mention how you supported your team during the process and any specific metrics showing how the company benefited.

12. What aspects of the job do you find challenging?

Employers know every candidate will have strengths and weaknesses. While pretending you're perfect is tempting, no one is. Be honest and strategic.

How to answer:

Whatever you are struggling with (this could be anything from brainstorming new ideas to handling workplace problems among team members), provide a solution for improving. 

13. If people disagree over a product's most important feature, how would you handle it?

Product managers must be strong leaders and decision-makers to develop products as envisioned. How you make decisions will define you as a leader.

How to answer:

Discuss how you can use your mediation skills with your team so they can work through the problem rather than have a top-down decision. Disagreement often seeps into emotion, so describe how to use specific metrics to determine the best direction.

14. What's your strategy for working with engineers and designers? 

Product managers, especially in larger firms, will work with many specialists. With this interview question, they're asking about how you handle different personalities.

How to answer:

Show your prospective employer that you’re respectful to your team of professionals. This means you can have a hands-off approach that empowers everyone in their roles. As a leader, you'll need to build the confidence and abilities of the people you work with. Share how you plan to communicate in a way that supports everyone.

15. What do you need from the executive team to be successful in this job?

If the company has an executive team interested in product management work, they want to support you. But they will only know what you need to succeed if you tell them. Now's your chance.

How to answer:

Always close your interview positively, so answer this question as if you're already on the team. Keep in mind what the company needs; this may include a budget for online training programmes for members of the product team or regular meeting opportunities for strategies and goals. Sometimes, asking for a discussion is enough. Talk about how your goal as the product manager is to work collaboratively to help both the company and its customers find success. 

Next steps

Brush up your interview skills to land your next product manager role. Consider this Successful Interviewing course on Coursera, which covers approaching salary expectations, researching the market, and making a positive first impression.