How to Win Over Hiring Managers

By Jenn Sammarco - Co-Founder, PM Dream Job

Even if you have all the right skills on paper, when you interview with the hiring manager for your prospective role, you need to demonstrate these traits or risk being passed over in favor of another candidate who does:

Think Fast

Expect the hiring manager to ask questions that will test your ability to think fast.  These types of questions typically come in the form of on-the-spot brain teasers or hypotheticals.  Their goal is to evaluate your logic and communication skills.  Approach these scenarios by talking through your process out loud.  If you need a moment to think, say so.  Then describe your answer step by step.  Don’t stress if you don’t know the right answer.  Talk about what you would do to identify potential solutions.

Problem Solve

Along with standard questions about education and background, the hiring manager will evaluate your critical thinking skills.  To do this, they typically ask how you would handle a scenario given a particular set of circumstances.  They’re not necessarily after ‘the right’ answer.  They want to see how you think under pressure and whether you are resilient, especially if you don’t get it the first time. Do you keep trying or do you become easily frustrated?  Do you rush to give an answer before thinking things through?  This is the time to stay calm and collected, and show that you are open to a challenge.

Collaborate

Hiring managers recognize that many individuals are involved in building products.  To this effect, they’ll be measuring your ego and willingness to collaborate.  Use a mixture of ‘I’ and ‘we’ messages to signal that you recognize final products are team efforts, made up of individual contributions.  Emphasize that you leverage the expertise of your teammates to find the best path forward.  It doesn’t hurt to highlight that you are comfortable recognizing others’ hard work and thanking them for their efforts.  Displaying your empathy and social skills is key.

Well Rounded

Anticipate that the hiring manager is looking for well roundedness, past your qualifications for the role and its responsibilities.  Products are created for different types of people, with varied life experience.  To understand and anticipate the wants and needs of users, the people who build the products must be well rounded themselves.  Make sure you incorporate outside experience in your answers over the course of the interview.  Mention expertise in another area, a volunteer activity, a hobby or an outside interest so they know your worldview extends past just performing your job duties and going home.

State Opinions

Hiring managers know there are many different ways to do things.  They want to see you will bring your own point of view to discussions and successfully support it.  Focus on story telling that shows you use facts and data to make decisions.  You want them to know you are comfortable speaking up when you disagree with a decision.  Emphasize that you are willing to ask tough questions to be sure the right problems are identified, so the right solutions can be found.