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Microsoft Project Manager Mock Interview

Question 18 of 30 for our Microsoft Project Manager Mock Interview

Microsoft was written by on June 20th, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 18 of 30

Describe a method for performing an impact assessment.

Determining the impact of potential changes is a key responsibility of project managers at Microsoft. This question may be asked in an interview to gain insight into a candidate's process for analyzing the impact of changes to their project, customer, or product.

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How to Answer: Describe a method for performing an impact assessment.

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

  • 18. Describe a method for performing an impact assessment.

      Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

      Determining the impact of potential changes is a key responsibility of project managers at Microsoft. This question may be asked in an interview to gain insight into a candidate's process for analyzing the impact of changes to their project, customer, or product.

      Written by Karrie Day on June 20th, 2022

      Remember To

      Remember to include the aspects of your impact assessment process that rely on intuition and experience in addition to data-driven processes. The experience and feelings of a project manager can be an important factor when developing a strategy from the results of an impact analysis effort.

      Written by Karrie Day on June 20th, 2022

      Answer Example

      "The first thing I would do is brainstorm a list of impact areas to be assessed. For example, I might consider financial impact, customer satisfaction, resource time, the frequency in which something occurs, the number of affected clients or users, etc. I would assign a weight to each of these impact areas depending on the relative importance of the area to the client and business I am working with.

      Next, I would develop an easy-to-use scale to rate each assessment item in terms of impact. A typical scale would be a high-low scale in which I use the numbers 1-10. I would rate the items myself or facilitate a stakeholder session to rate the items. Using a simple formula, I would then calculate the overall impact of each item.

      I would consider adjustments to the scores based on my previous experience and intuition as well as the experience and feelings of the other subject matter experts involved. I would then develop a recommendation with strategic and tactical guidance supported by the impact analysis."

      Written by Karrie Day on June 20th, 2022