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Microsoft Program Manager Mock Interview

Question 2 of 30 for our Microsoft Program Manager Mock Interview

Microsoft was written by on May 9th, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 2 of 30

Describe a time when you were required to pivot on the fly.

"My current program manager role is within a large media and entertainment company. We are responsible for the assets that are delivered to a number of platforms including streaming services and live on-air events. We were in the middle of a major company initiative that was meant to provide a greater level of integration across all of our products when the pandemic hit.

The business units my portfolio of solutions served were hit hard in a number of ways. Some areas had to scale back operations and reduce staff because the live events they relied on were canceled. Some areas had to learn to operate in quarantine to keep live events going. Some areas were flooded because more people were at home and wanted fresh content to stream. At the same time, the technical teams I led were suddenly working fully remote and learning how to thrive in a new environment.

I met with the senior management in each of my customer areas. I worked with them to review the current technology roadmap and discuss their new needs. We focused on a short-term strategy and developed a three-month projection for each group. I then developed a plan to shift resources around within my teams accordingly. I worked with our technical leads, architects, senior analysts, and project managers to get everyone up to speed on their new assignments as quickly as possible.

I also worked with the leads on all of my teams to establish remote work plans to ensure that everyone stayed in sync while they were getting used to all of the changes. We held town hall meetings with our small group to review the new roadmaps and discuss the strategic shifts we needed to accommodate. I felt it was important to be transparent and open the door for feedback. All ideas were welcome, and the creative ideas individuals contributed added a ton of value.

We also used the meetings to air out concerns, vent together, boost each other up, play games, and just hang out online. It was important to me to make sure we maintained the strong culture we were known for. I made it a point to lead by example and show empathy for the struggles people were facing. My teams were really impressive, and they rolled with every change our business leaders asked of us. They maintained their high level of performance and met the needs of our customers until we were able to get back to normal planning and execution."

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How to Answer: Describe a time when you were required to pivot on the fly.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Microsoft job interview.

  • 2. Describe a time when you were required to pivot on the fly.

      Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

      Microsoft is a large enterprise, but they lean on agility and lean practices to produce the products their customers rely on. Interviewers ask this question to ensure that a program manager candidate has experience responding to internal or external changes in direction as necessary.

      Written by Karrie Day on May 9th, 2022

      Remember To

      Remember to offer an example that is in alignment with the scale expected of a program manager. For example, a change in budget availability due to an unexpected external event might cause a program manager to rescope an entire program of work whereas a change in user need might cause a project manager to rescope a small group of features. These two scenarios describe a significantly different scale of impact. Candidates that can demonstrate the ability to quickly respond to larger-scale changes are valued.

      Written by Karrie Day on May 9th, 2022

      Answer Example

      "My current program manager role is within a large media and entertainment company. We are responsible for the assets that are delivered to a number of platforms including streaming services and live on-air events. We were in the middle of a major company initiative that was meant to provide a greater level of integration across all of our products when the pandemic hit.

      The business units my portfolio of solutions served were hit hard in a number of ways. Some areas had to scale back operations and reduce staff because the live events they relied on were canceled. Some areas had to learn to operate in quarantine to keep live events going. Some areas were flooded because more people were at home and wanted fresh content to stream. At the same time, the technical teams I led were suddenly working fully remote and learning how to thrive in a new environment.

      I met with the senior management in each of my customer areas. I worked with them to review the current technology roadmap and discuss their new needs. We focused on a short-term strategy and developed a three-month projection for each group. I then developed a plan to shift resources around within my teams accordingly. I worked with our technical leads, architects, senior analysts, and project managers to get everyone up to speed on their new assignments as quickly as possible.

      I also worked with the leads on all of my teams to establish remote work plans to ensure that everyone stayed in sync while they were getting used to all of the changes. We held town hall meetings with our small group to review the new roadmaps and discuss the strategic shifts we needed to accommodate. I felt it was important to be transparent and open the door for feedback. All ideas were welcome, and the creative ideas individuals contributed added a ton of value.

      We also used the meetings to air out concerns, vent together, boost each other up, play games, and just hang out online. It was important to me to make sure we maintained the strong culture we were known for. I made it a point to lead by example and show empathy for the struggles people were facing. My teams were really impressive, and they rolled with every change our business leaders asked of us. They maintained their high level of performance and met the needs of our customers until we were able to get back to normal planning and execution."

      Written by Karrie Day on May 9th, 2022

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