How to Answer: How do you measure the success of the programs you are responsible for?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Microsoft job interview.
22. How do you measure the success of the programs you are responsible for?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Microsoft program managers are directly responsible for ensuring the success of the initiatives within their assigned program. They also lead project managers who monitor the success of the individual projects within the program. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate can clearly articulate how they know when their programs are successful.
Written by Karrie Day on May 9th, 2022
Remember To
Remember to specify your work with the OKR (objectives and key results) model if you have used it to measure success in the past. Microsoft relies heavily on this model and values program manager candidates who have experience tracking success in this way. In the event you have not used OKR, it is important to research case studies so that you can compare what you have experience with to the preferred model at Microsoft.
Also, remember to describe a method for tracking success at a team level. This may include activities such as holding reflection meetings, or one-on-ones to gauge morale. Successful product launches and delivery on business goals are important, but it can be equally as important to maintain a program environment where team members feel supported and satisfied.
Written by Karrie Day on May 9th, 2022
Answer Example
"There are three main aspects to measuring success for the programs I am responsible for. First, I measure how the work of the teams within my program preform against the defined goals of the initiative. I prefer to use the objectives and key results model for measuring this aspect of the work. I appreciate that each of the objectives has a distinct list of key results that are directly measurable. There should be little room for ambiguity and the results should be written in a way that teams can easily align their work with the results they need to deliver. These objectives usually include measurements of delivery time, budget performance, revenue generation, operational efficiencies, and customer satisfaction.
Secondly, I work with the project managers, product managers, and technical leads within my program to develop a clear strategy to achieve our objectives. These activities include release planning, reviewing product launch activities, defining milestones, and reviewing budgets. During these sessions, we discuss the team success metrics that we can use on a regular basis to contribute to the measurement of the OKRs. We end with the creation of team based OKRs that align with the strategic plan.
During execution, I check in regularly with all of my teams to see how well we are performing. We review their progress against the team objectives and map their success back to the program objectives. We discuss any performance issues and develop strategies to get back on track. We also celebrate successes and discuss strategies to fully leverage things that are working better than expected.
Thirdly, I feel it is important to measure the success of a program by the satisfaction of the employees who contribute to it. The measurement methods for this can be a bit ambiguous, but I have used a mix of reflection meetings, one-on-ones, surveys, teambuilding events, and impromptu check-ins in the past. I like to make sure that everyone feels supported and challenged and that team-level conflicts are resolved appropriately. I work with the project managers and engineering leads to make sure they focus on this as well because it is a critical success factor in many cases."
Written by Karrie Day on May 9th, 2022