How to Interview for Project Managers

Hiring project managers in the agricultural industry can be challenging. It takes a certain type of person to be successful in this industry, and you must be able to uncover those qualities during the hiring process if you want to find the right fit for your organization.

The Qualities to Look for In Project Managers

In addition to the hard skills you needed for these positions, every strong candidate should possess these qualities:

  • Self-motivation: It is difficult to avoid all the potential obstacles that come with working in sales. Look for people who are highly self-motivated and don’t require micromanaging.
  • Excellent communication skills: Project managers must have excellent written communication skills, since they rely heavily on email and chat applications.
  • Technological savvy: They need to be able to troubleshoot issues independently since they won’t have your IT department nearby.
  • Organization: Your project managers must have exceptional organizational skills in order to balance priorities and hit deadlines.
  • Creativity: Project managers out in the field can’t pop down to the boss’s office when they are faced with a problem. They need to be able to think creatively to solve problems quickly, on their own.

Consider Video Interviews

Casting a wide net for qualified candidates makes interviewing a challenge. Video interviewing can streamline the process, saving time and money for both you and the candidate. More revealing than a phone interview, video interviews enable you to evaluate their confidence level and ability to communicate well from a distance. It isn’t logistically feasible to fly in remote candidates for face-to-face interviews and relying strictly on the phone isn’t wise. The technology is also a smart addition for any company with remote workers. An investment in quality video conferencing software to conduct “face-to-face” meetings will pay off in the long run.

Follow up With References

Ask every candidate to submit references that can attest to their abilities. More importantly, follow up with those references to make sure the candidate is as experienced and successful as they claim to be.

Work with a Project Management Recruiting Expert

Hiring project managers can be a challenge for companies in today’s market. That’s why it pays to partner with a recruiting expert who is focused and experienced. If you are ready to start making smart project managers choices for your projects, contact the expert recruiters at Magnify Resources today.

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