27 Palladium Group Interview Questions & Answers
1. At Palladium Group, our clients are looking for us to come in and provide sound leadership in their strategic planning and growth planning processes. What leadership style would you bring to our clients?
How to Answer
As a consultant at Palladium Group, an expectation from clients is for you to bring a sound leadership style to their team and a working knowledge of effective growth and strategic planning processes. While trying to avoid formal labels, talk about your leadership style as a consultant and explain why your style would most benefit clients. Try to focus on keywords that your leadership style brings, like collaboration and support.
1st Answer Example
"Having worked with and led large teams in the development of formal growth plans for organization, I see my role as a consultant and my leadership with clients as being team-based and collaborative. My job is to lead transformational change within the organization because we will ultimately be trying something new with them and implementing change into the future. From my style of leadership comes improvement through a team based effort and I really think the clients here at Palladium Group would benefit greatly from my style."
2nd Answer Example
"As a consultant, I'd definitely employ a very democratic approach with your clients. They will be looking for me to provide the blueprint and the road map for success for them and then I would look to delegate and leave responsibility for implementing on them. My approach would be educational, resourceful and would preach teamwork among the entire project team. When I've utilized this approach in the past, it was very well received and helped lead to the success of several large projects."
2. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?
How to Answer
The role that you are interviewing for with Palladium Group will likely involve providing education to clients in your area of expertise. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are comfortable and effective in providing education by having you talk about a time that you have done so. In the example that you provide, try to point out some key items to making business education successful like developing a plan/goals, respecting differing viewpoints/opinions, making it hands on and making it fun.
1st Answer Example
"Probably the aspect that I love the most about my current job is being the lead for training new hires into our department. Because of my years of experience and my innate ability to effectively orientate new employees, my director asked me to take this duty about four years ago. My approach with any new hire is to customize their training based on their knowledge and experience so the training is effective for them. What works for one person may not work for another and I always need to be fluid with this. I also prioritize the need to make orientation and training a hands on experience for the new hire because classroom learning can only take a person so far in the learning process."
2nd Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, I've spent the last seven years working in the corporate tax field. While in this job, I worked very independently for a private organization, so I've been out of the training and education side for a while now. During my first job out of college as a CPA though, I was very adept at providing education to the clients that I worked with on a daily basis. What I learned in that experience was the importance of putting material out there in a manner that the person being trained understood. As well, talking to clients and understanding my client's wants and needs were very important for me to be able to best educate them. I really believe that these skills would enable me to hit the ground running with Palladium Group and your clients would benefit greatly."
3. An often difficult part about working for Palladium Group and our clients is the need to be fluent and adaptable to the cultures of our clients. Why would you say that you'd be able to handle this aspect of the job with ease?
How to Answer
In the business consulting world, organizations work with clients that all have different backgrounds, leadership styles, cultures, industries and motivating factors. Consultants hired to come in to these organizations have to possess a chameleon-like ability to ingrain themselves in a new company's culture. For you to be successful in the role that you are interviewing for, you must possess this same ability. In your answer to this question, be sure to point out your fluidity to adapt to new situation in your work by giving an example or two of a time you had to do this to give your interviewer a sense of your ability to be flexible with clients.
1st Answer Example
"During my career to this point, I've been very fortunate to say that I've worked for one employer for over ten years and the experience that I've gained with them is a huge asset to me personally. But even though all of my relevant work experience is with the same employer, I've worked under six different department managers during my time there and each person had their own unique management style and expectations of me. As well, my organization has undergone three mergers in my time there and each merger brought a new and bigger organization to light with new values and culture. Whether it was a manager change or an organization change, I always prioritized openness and asking questions to get to know new processes better. I would bring this approach with each and every new client that I would work with in this role."
2nd Answer Example
"I would liken this role as a Client Manager to working with my customers in my current job. I approach each new customer with an open slated mind while getting to know their motivations, their needs and their expectations of me to help me get a better understanding of how I can best suit them. If hired for this position working with your clients here at Palladium Group, this approach would be vital because of the variety of businesses and industries that I would be working with."
4. Outside of work, what type of creative activities do you like to pursue?
How to Answer
A genuinely creative minded person will have outside activities aside from what's happening in the workplace. Tell the interviewer about the variety of ways in which you express your creativity.
1st Answer Example
"Outside of work I like to attend dance classes and I also attend the odd paint and sip wine nights at a local wine shop. I also enjoy reading as a way of nurturing my creative side."
2nd Answer Example
"I think it's important to exercise creativity in a variety of ways. This reasoning is why I am involved in a variety of things such as team sports, reading, and art classes."
5. Market research is very important to our clients here at Palladium Group. Talk about a time that you used market research to conduct an effective analysis.
How to Answer
When a company is looking to launch a new product or dig into their consumers, market research is required and this position with Palladium Group will likely require you to be a market research expert with their clients. Your interviewer will be looking to hear that you understand when market research is a necessary step in the analysis process and that you know how run an effective research campaign. In your example, walk through the steps you took to gain insightful knowledge on consumers.
1st Answer Example
"Earlier this year, I consulted with an online retailer that was looking to expand its product line into new health and beauty products that were all natural. To get as quick of a turnaround as possible on a limited budget, I started an online survey research campaign. After a meeting with leadership of the retailer, we targeted women in specific age categories and used specific social media and email channels to obtain survey responses. Within a month, the retailer had great data to work off of to launch products that would hit the market and take off quickly."
2nd Answer Example
"During my time conducting market research, I have utilized many channels to conduct effective research. I've conducted focus group, utilized social media and have conducted phone surveys. One that comes to mind is a couple of years ago when I conducted focus groups for a new beverage that a large company wanted to release. I had a team of people finding people to participate in the groups. I started the focus group out with a blind taste testing to get initial feedback on the drink against its potential competition in the market. Then, I unveiled the product packaging and labeling to get feedback from the consumers. In the end, our client received great feedback that helped them tweak some things prior to the product launch."
6. What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?
How to Answer
Coming to work for a consulting business requires the ability to work as part of a larger team on the projects you will be heading. Teamwork in this setting requires versatility and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have that versatility in your answer to this question. Many times, you will be taking the bull by the horns and leading the way. Other times, you will be the worker bee researching behind the scenes. You may be tasked with being the organizer of projects behind the scenes as well. Make sure that you highlight your ability to be flexible when working as part of a team here.
1st Answer Example
"I am really comfortable working in any role within a team and I think my experiences throughout my career demonstrate this well. At many times in my career, I've been the legwork of team operations and have easily taken direction on projects and been able to hit pre-established deadlines. As well, I've lead many projects and have shown my ability to lead others in a team effort and the ability to delegate tasks and set milestones for projects. If hired for this position, you can be rest assured that I have the ability to be a key team players with your clients in helping better their business."
2nd Answer Example
"From a very young age in my career, I've always been a natural leader in a team based environment. My excellent communication skills, honesty, critical thinking and decision making skills have proven time and time again that I can lead others in the most effective way possible. And while being a leader comes naturally to me, I can easily let others take the lead on projects."
7. As a consultant here at Palladium Group, helping our clients set growth strategies through both short-term and long-term goals is important. Give an example of a time that you set both short and long-term goals for a growth strategy.
How to Answer
An effective growth strategy has a long-term plan, but the success of the long-term plan is reliant on short-term, tiered goals that help build towards the long-term goals of the plan. In your answer, explain that you know the importance of goal setting and the fact that short-term goals are important in the process. Then, discuss a time where you developed and met goals when helping an organization move toward strategic success.
1st Answer Example
"A couple of years ago, I helped a healthcare organization on the west coast develop a growth plan that entailed building one new hospital and three new clinic locations over the course of five years. As the liaison for the entire plan, I knew that goal was aggressive, yet very achievable, if the right short term goals were set. In working with high level leadership and then with specific department leaders, goals and timelines were set for obtaining funding, building permits, staffing plans and ribbon cutting from the start. Even to this day, I stay in contact with the leaders on a consultative basis to ensure that any hiccups in the short-term goals help meet the long-term goals. In the end, the success of a long-term goal is always reliant on many smaller short-term goals."
2nd Answer Example
"During my time in manufacturing, I've quickly learned the importance of both short-term and long-term goals in achieving growth goals over time. Hitting short-term goals leads to success in the long-term and I utilize both long and short-term goals when developing growth strategies. This is best shown with my current organization when we developed a fiscal growth strategy to increase overall revenue by 25% over the course of three years. We looked in many directions to help this, but our main focuses were in increased production and reduced waste. By casting such a wide net here, short term goals for each aspect of the project were vital to the end result of increasing by revenue by over 35% in that time frame. What a success!"
8. Sometime with our clients here at Palladium Group, we have to think outside the box when helping them develop a strategic plan. Do you have an example of a time where you thought outside of the box in developing a strategic plan?
How to Answer
In today's day and age, conventional thinking can only get organizations so far as they develop strategic plans for the future. With competition, demand and needs for success keeping people focused on day to day routine in their work, it is oftentimes necessary to think outside of the box when looking to develop a strategic plan. Talk about a time that you used a unique and unconventional tactic in the development of a strategic plan. Why do you consider that method thinking outside of the box?
1st Answer Example
"As the leader of the strategic growth committee of my employer right out of college, I felt that it was important to solicit feedback from employees as we looked to create and implement our first ever strategic plan. I created an idea box where employees were prompted to write down any ideas anonymously for what they though would be helpful in creating an outward looking success strategy. I communicated to employees through email, team meetings and a company newsletter. After three months, our committee went through every suggestion in the box and brainstormed which ideas could be implemented into our strategy. In the end, we felt that we received many great thoughts and ideas that we likely wouldn't have come up with on our own."
2nd Answer Example
"I personally believe that way too many organizations only look internally when developing a strategic plan when they should also be soliciting feedback from customers, stakeholders and/or the general public as well. Last year when working with a regional grocery retailer, I utilized public focus groups to really delve into the minds of consumers to aid in creating a strategic plan. While wanting to get as much relevant information as possible from the focus groups, a great deal of thought was put into the questions that were asked of the focus group."
9. As a successful program manager, what do you feel are the common causes of project failure?
How to Answer
To successfully advise clients at Palladium Group, you'll be relied upon to be an expert on where failures most commonly occur over the entire scope of a project. While the reasons are plentiful, speak to your own firsthand experience on where you feel the top one or two areas are that cause projects to fail. During your answer, speak to how you actively prevent those causes from harming a project as your potential clients will rely on you to do so.
1st Answer Example
"In my time as a successful program manager, I've seen the biggest breakdown of individual project come down to one simple item and that is a poorly defined project scope. From the start, the goal and the work needed to obtain the goal needs to be clear, concise and attainable. Because of this important factor, I take the time to get all key stakeholders involved in the scoping process. This includes writing a from scope statement for the project. Further on down the line as the project moves along, I use the scope statement as the basis for any major decisions or deviations from plan."
2nd Answer Example
"For my work as a program manager overseeing many project, success comes down to leadership and communication and these are also the two biggest culprits when a project fails. To foster these sensitive areas, I always keep open lines of communication to my project managers and promote a communicative atmosphere for them with their teams. As well, I have an effective leadership style with my teams that resonates throughout the life of each project. These skills would be very desirable for the clients that I would potentially be working with here at Palladium Group."
10. If you were to join Palladium Group in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?
How to Answer
The ability to lead others in project work or any other aspect of a business comes down to the fine details and traits of being a great leader. The experience you have can come from many different areas and can include project management, supervising/managing or even mentoring others. When you answer this question, be sure to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively, bring unity, lead by example and empower/teach others and talk about how you will use these skills if hired at Palladium Group.
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, I've been asked on numerous occasions to lead finance projects for my organization and I always do so with open arms and an open mind. On a recent project, I pulled together a team that included members of sales, production and upper management. to make this project successful, it was up to me to know each team member's area of expertise and delegate tasks based on their knowledge. A great part of the teams success was due to my ability to lead in a manner that promoted communication among individuals who never had the chance to work together and I accomplished this through fun ice breaking activities with the team and regular email communications outside of our in-person meetings."
2nd Answer Example
"As you can see from my background, I have extensive experience as a Sales Manager and Director and I know that the skills I honed in these roles will transfer nicely to this position. I have always found that leading teams is best accomplished by leading by example and walking the talk that I put out to my staff. I feel that I've also developed great skills in mentoring and coaching my staff and I've been commended on these skills by both sales leadership peers and my team. In this role, I would bring this same approach when working with clients."
11. Why do you feel it is important that a program manager be in place to oversee all that is happening in the project management world with an organization?
How to Answer
To effectively answer this question, it is important for you to be able to talk about the differences between project management and program management. As you do this, speak high level about the importance of a program manager being a visionary for an organization to take all of the smaller projects and ensure that they meet the overall goals of the organization. In the end, make sure to match your skills in program management with the needs of the clients that you will be working with at Palladium Group.
Answer Example
"As I've worked throughout my career in the project management field and then into overall program management, I've really grown to understand the importance and necessity of having a program manager in place. My philosophy in program management is that I am a gatekeeper and visionary toward the future of the organization and the goals we want to hit. My individual project management skills translated nicely into managing several project at once and providing the oversight to ensure that all projects were working towards standardized goals. My vision would greatly benefit the clients here at Palladium Group as I'd consult them on managing several projects and initiatives at one time."
12. In what ways would our clients here at Palladium Group benefit from your knowledge and services?
How to Answer
This question is your chance to talk about the unique skills and knowledge that you would bring to Palladium Group and that is exactly what your interviewer is looking to hear. In your answer, keep your focus centered on how clients of the organization will benefit from the things that you bring to their table because Palladium Group is client focused in all that they do. To be effective with this answer, be sure to do your research on the clients at Palladium Group and think about how your experience will be beneficial for them.
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, I have extensive experience in risk management in the healthcare industry. Having worked with some major players in the industry, your healthcare clients would benefit the most from the experience and solutions I could help provide them. Not to leave other industries out, I think my experience in the healthcare realm will also translate nicely to your clients in other areas of the private sector."
2nd Answer Example
"Having worked in accounting and tax law in a few different industries during my career to this point, I also have the unique experience of creating new organizational policies and procedures in my current role. In hearing more about this role, I think this experience would be very beneficial for your clients as I would be helping advise them in their practices and creating new policy would be crucial in that process."
13. How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?
How to Answer
Working for Palladium Group in the role you are interviewing for will require an innate ability to manage projects from conception to final implementation. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have the ability to maintain organization to meet deadlines and customer expectations. Talk about your personal methods for organizing project work and give any examples that you have of your methods being successful. In the consulting and advisory industry, customer satisfaction and word of mouth are integral to success and growth of a business and effective project management is key in satisfaction.
1st Answer Example
"I really pride myself on my ability to multitask and my ability to stay organized in key in multitasking. For me personally, organization starts with using technology to my advantage and I do this through the use of my Outlook calendar and tasks functions. I take time each day to update my tasks and project work and use my ability to prioritize tasks to ensure that the right things are being worked on. In looking to bring these skills to long-term project work with your clients, staying organized and on task will be extremely important for the success of both Palladium Group and your clients."
2nd Answer Example
"In my work, the ability to stay organized and on track comes down to having a plan of attack for each project and keeping track of the plan as milestones are hit. If you are familiar with the program Trello, it really helps me organize all of the components of the projects that I work on and give me the ability to track who is doing what, what deadlines are coming and what milestones have been hit. But even with a great program like this, I always have the ability to re-prioritize due dates and new tasks as needed with any project."
14. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?
How to Answer
Success in business consulting is most often measured in the achievement of goals for clients and for this question, your interviewer will ideally be looking to hear that you are driven by goals and that you have the ability to set them as well. In your answer, give your interviewer the sense that you are goal oriented by giving an example or two of a time where you set and worked towards a goal as part of a team effort. Explain your part in the achievement of the goals and your ability to stay focused on the end result.
1st Answer Example
"If hired for this position, one of the first things that you'll learn about me is that I am very driven to succeed in all that I do on the job. For me, personal drive definitely centers around goals and my desire to achieve them. I have the focus to set goals myself and to work towards goals that are set by my organization, my leaders or my customers and I would bring this ability with each client that I work with here at Palladium Group."
2nd Answer Example
"I would definitely say that I am goal oriented in the work that I do on a daily basis. In project management, I work off of both time related goals and production related goals and these really drive my daily tasks and my delegation of responsibilities to other team members. If given the opportunity to come work for Palladium Group, my clients would greatly benefit from my ability to both set and achieve goals with them."
15. If you are hired for this position here at Palladium Group, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?
How to Answer
For this question, you can showcase your research that you've done on both Palladium Group and the role you are interviewing for by being upfront and honest about what you feel would be the biggest learning curve for you if hired for the position and giving your plan for how you would approach this hurdle. In your answer, make sure that you highlight your skills and abilities in making a molehill out of a mountain on your way to success in this role.
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, most of my career experience is in the food industry. If fortunate enough to be hired for this position, the biggest area for learning for me would be the finance side of other industries like technology, telecommunications and healthcare. From day one, I would begin by thoroughly research the clients here at Palladium Group and speaking with as many industry experts that I know through business networking. While learning the ins and outs of other industries is the biggest learning curve for me, I see it as a great opportunity for me to become more proficient and effective in the work that I'd be doing for you."
2nd Answer Example
"While this may sound funny to you at first, I think the biggest challenge for me from the start will be adapting to the great corporate lifestyle and culture here at Palladium Group. When I saw this position being open for applicants and I did my research, I was extremely excited to hear about the flexibility and openness to the ideas of your staff members. I've been working for six years in an environment that is very opposite of an open culture for new ideas and for me personally, it will feel foreign for me to bring new ideas to the team here and have them be accepted."
16. For our clients here at Palladium Group, we are brought in as consultant project managers that are working with unfamiliar teams of people. What leadership style would you bring to our clients that would be effective and efficient with our clients?
How to Answer
Successful project managers are able to bring a leadership style to their teams that both inspires and motivates them to work cohesively and efficiently. In a consultant role with Palladium Group, the need to have an effective leadership style is compounded by the fact that you will be working with clients across many different businesses and industries. This elevates the need to have an effective leadership style. No matter how you answer this question, try to highlight your ability to inspire teams to work in a cohesive and efficient manner.
1st Answer Example
"My leadership style in a team setting is a good mix between a democratic and a coaching style. I'm a believer that gaining consensus on team decisions helps boost morale and vision within a team and I love facilitating team meetings in that style. I want to make sure that all have their voices heard and have a chance to weigh in on important decisions. Then, when necessary, I use my experience and knowledge to help develop and coach members of the team."
2nd Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, I've had extensive leadership training. Through my years of experience as a project manager, I have developed the ability to cater my leadership style to the individuals and teams that I work with. I can be the pacesetter on a team that needs motivation and I can easily switch to the harmonizing leader when needed to build a team based atmosphere. My ability to be flexible with those that I work with has certainly contributed to my successes as a project manager and I'd love to bring this ability to the clients of Palladium Group"
17. Many of the management and higher level roles with Palladium Group require a Degree in Business or similar. Please walk me through your post-secondary education.
How to Answer
Your post-secondary background is on your resume; however, the interviewer is asking for you to go into further detail on your experience. This is a great time to brag a little bit about any scholarships, awards, or accolades you may have received during your post-secondary studies. Be sure to discuss how your education has prepared you for a position with Palladium Group.
1st Answer Example
"I would be thrilled to be considered for a management level position with Palladium Group. Although I do not have many years' experience in this type of position, I do have a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Walden University online. I graduated with a 3.6 GPA. I am very proud of this grade because I worked full time during my studies and still graduated top of my class."
2nd Answer Example
"If you do not have a formal post-secondary education: "I did not have the opportunity to attend University; however, everything that I have learned on the job has been incredibly valuable. I would be thrilled to join your management team down the road so if you feel there are gaps in my knowledge, I would be happy to consider attending any required classes or workshops."
18. If hired for this position at Palladium Group, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?
How to Answer
To fully understand the reasoning behind this question, your interviewer is looking to get a sense for what type of work you prefer to do, what your strong points are and where to best position you with clients if hired for the position. Prior to your interview, be sure that you research the clients of Palladium Group and the typical projects that are led with them. Make sure your desires align in some aspect of the business and speak openly and honestly about your most desirable project.
1st Answer Example
"If I'm fortunate enough to come consult with Palladium Group, my ideal project would be working with the leadership staff of a high profile employer on a corporate restructuring project that makes them more efficient and more profitable in a short amount of time. As you can see from my experience, I really thrive when working with high level leaders like CEO's and Presidents on what I would consider my greatest area of expertise."
2nd Answer Example
"Being passionate about manufacturing and technology, my ideal project would put me face to face working with a team of engineers and production staff to help implement the creation of a life changing product in the medical field. This area of manufacturing involves high cost materials and the need to produce items accurately and efficiently. My project management skills would thrive in this atmosphere."
19. How did you maintain a good relationship with your most recent boss?
How to Answer
The interviewer wants to know that you are capable of maintaining a harmonious relationship with those who are considered your leaders.
If your relationship with your boss wasn't fantastic, what efforts did you take to make it better? Here are some suggestions:
- Try to understand what your boss values the most
- Keep your cool, even when you want to lose it
- Anticipate their needs and stay one step ahead
- Take leadership opportunities to show your worth
- Adapt to their preferences
Some basic ground rules for a stable working relationship with your boss are open communication, proactive listening, and not taking things personally. Discuss the ways that you cultivated a healthy relationship with your boss.
1st Answer Example
"My current boss is a very particular individual. Over the years I have taken the time to understand her preferences, her stress triggers, and what she enjoys seeing in my work. I find that if I stay one step ahead and maintain a positive attitude, we can work productively together."
2nd Answer Example
"I value having a strong working relationship with my boss. I want to learn what they do and take on as much work to help our team as possible. I scheduled regular update meetings with my boss and went the extra mile wherever I could."
20. At Palladium Group, we look to hire those who will be a long term fit. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
How to Answer
It's impossible to know where you will be in 5 years but you need to assure the interviewer that, given all possible circumstances, you could see yourself as a long-term fit for the position at Palladium Group.
1st Answer Example
"Ideally, 5 years from now, I would love to see myself growing into a more prominent leadership role within your organization. My career interests align very nicely with your company's goals which helps me to see a great long-term fit here."
2nd Answer Example
"5 years from now, I would like to supervise or manage a team of my own with Palladium Group. I feel like I am progressing in my career at a rate that will make this a possibility."
21. How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline
How to Answer
In the world of project management, it is rare that a project goes from the planning stages through to implementation without a hiccup or two along the way. As the manager of the project, you are ultimately responsible for keeping the project on task and your interviewer is looking to hear how you will do that for the clients at Palladium Group. One important thing to consider highlighting is your ability to monitor and track progress regularly so the train doesn't get too derailed off the tracks. As well, you can talk about your ability to think on your feet, problem solve and coach others to bring tasks back up to date.
Answer Example
"As an experience professional in project management, I pride myself on my ability to consistently monitor the progress of the project and spot where we may be falling behind on items. At those times, I work closely with the person or individuals assigned to that task to ensure that the job gets back on track. At times, this has involved me intervening and taking care of things that I can or reaching out to other resources for help. Milestones and deadlines are the key to the successful completion of a project and one missed item can create a bad domino effect that pushes a project back. For me, not letting that first fallen domino touch the next is the key to staying on track."
22. Do you have any experience handling a budget as part of a project?
How to Answer
As a consultant for Palladium Group working as a project manager with clients, you will likely be relied upon to work around a budgeting process. Talk to your interviewer about your experience in working with budgets on large projects and give them some idea of your ability to plan for, monitor and stay within a budget for a project. If possible, give any details on your experience that you can and talk about how you would bring this experience to working with clients.
1st Answer Example
"During my ten years of working as a project manager with a large manufacturer, I've definitely had to manage a budget for every project that I've led. The scope of my experience really spans the budgeting process from the research necessary to create a budget plan, tracking and updating through the process and meeting the requirements of the budget. At times when I realized that we may have under-budgeted a project, I approach whoever is necessary to ensure that proper funding is available, and if not, I take necessary measures to stay within budget."
2nd Answer Example
"As we've discussed already, a bulk of my experience as a project manager comes in the construction field where budgeting and meeting a budget are the key to success. I'd consider my expertise, and the biggest factor for budget success, to be my ability to plan for and create a budget during the planning phase of a project. With industry experience and research, a properly planned budget sets the tone for the project and what resources can be used up front. I think my ability in this area would be extremely beneficial to my potential clients here at Palladium Group."
23. What would you say is the key factor for an organization to consider when building an action plan for growth?
How to Answer
Creating an action plan for growth can entail many steps and processes. As the clients at Palladium Group will look to you to be an expert on the entire process, your interviewer is simply looking to take a dive into your mind to hear what you feel is the most important factor. No matter how you answer this question, be sure to speak passionately about why this factor is important and how you will help their clients understand this and put it to use.
1st Answer Example
"In my experience in going back and measuring the successes of past organizations that I have been a part of a growth plan for, the top determining factor in success was having and following a five year plan for growth. The development of a solid five year plan entails setting goals, establishing the resources needed to meet the goals and pinpoints any potential hurdles on the way to the goals. An integral part of the plan also includes timelines for adding resources along the way to ensure that milestones are met on time."
2nd Answer Example
"To me, companies that seize opportunities in their market are best suited for growth into the future. For a lot of companies, seeing opportunity is a huge area for improvement and its a passionate area of mine where I could bring expertise the clients of Palladium Group. As a consultant, the process of seeking out opportunity would involve detailed SWOT analyses, market research and surveying of staff. These processes will help clients see their best opportunities for growth, then further plans can be made to turn plans into reality."
24. To help the clients of Palladium Group kick off successful program management campaigns, you will need to have the ability to draft program charters. Do you have firsthand experience in developing program charters during your career?
How to Answer
In understanding that a program charter is a written document that outlines the idea, scope and result of a program or project, speak to your interviewer about the importance of drafting a charter in seeking approval from leadership for the program. Make sure your interviewer know that you understand the importance of the document in obtaining funding for the program and setting timelines with the management team of an organization. Be sure to hit on any direct experience you have in writing program charters and your ability to do this with clients.
Answer Example
"Having written project and program charters for many years while consulting in the retail industry, I would bring a great amount of detail and knowledge to your clients here at Palladium Group. Effective charters clearly outline the overall idea of a project or program, lay out the entire scope of the program and then discusses what the ideal end result of the program will be. In my time creating charters, I know that my success rate for approval from leadership was increased greatly and my ability to obtain funding for my clients to utilize was greatly increased. This helped ensure that all resources necessary to make the program a success were available."
25. A key component to success here at Palladium Group is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?
How to Answer
The fast paced world of business consulting requires the ability to build relationship after relationship with all of the clients that you will potentially be working with. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to gain insight into how you build relationships with new people from the first time you interact with them. In your answer, talk about how you gain and build trust with new people and explain how the little things in your initial interactions go a long way toward building long lasting working relationships.
Answer Example
"I am a firm believer that success in any role I've played in my career was due in part to the relationships that I've built in those roles. Whenever I have the chance to work with a new colleague or a new customer, my approach is to create an initial connection with them to build trust. After that point, my interpersonal skills take over through active listening. I use my listening skills to learn about the motivating factors and needs of the person that I will be working with and this helps mold that respect and trust between us even more. I think this approach would be very critical in working with new clients on a regular basis here at Palladium Group and I'd love the opportunity to bring these skills to the table for you."
Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback
Anonymous Answer
Chad's Feedback
26. A career move to a consultant with Palladium Group may find you working on new challenges that you haven't faced during your career. What's been the most challenging project you've led up to this point in your career?
How to Answer
No matter what challenge you choose to discuss during your answer to this question, keep in mind that your interviewer is mostly looking to hear how you handled yourself during a time when you were pushed to your limits. In your answer, discuss the importance of being resourceful and team oriented and talk about how these things helped lead to success in the project. Also, be sure that your interviewer walks away from the interview knowing that you are willing and able to tackle any challenge in front of you.
1st Answer Example
"Looking back at the 12 years of project management experience that I have, the most challenging project I led was about five years ago. The challenge started from the beginning when I was tasked with improving waste efficiency at one of my organizations warehouses. At the time, I was not very well versed in warehouse operations, so I took the time to research and talk to experts within my organization to start the brainstorming process. The high level leader that tasked me with the project didn't really do a great job of defining any end goals for me and those are really important in planning for a project. So I scheduled several follow up meetings with him to define more specific goals for the project. In the end, I assembled a great team of experts that ended up reducing costly waste by almost 80% in our operation."
2nd Answer Example
"I'd have to say that the most challenging project I have faced during my career was a project that assembled team members from different departments within a manufacturing plant operation. During the planning and kickoff process where we all met together, I got the sense that things would run smoothly and cohesively and was I ever wrong. As I monitored progress, I quickly noticed that we were getting off schedule on initial deadlines. In communicating out to team members, it became evident that internal communication at this plant was a struggle. As some team members told me in person that there was a lot of internal strife between some of the departments, I decided to call a project meeting to discuss my expectations for communications while also holding a team building exercise. I made it a priority to clear the air right away that bickering and childish behavior would not be tolerated and that we were all working toward a common goal that benefited everyone. Following that, the team building activity really helped make some eyes open up to who people were really working with. By taking the bull by the horns and putting people in an uncomfortable situation, a difficult situation turned into a team that accomplished a major task with ease and teamwork."
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Chad's Feedback
27. What project management software are you familiar working with?
How to Answer
Effective project managers are able to readily utilize tools available to help in the planning, implementing and monitoring of a project and for this question, your interviewer is looking to gauge your ability to handle the available software that is out there and use it to your advantage. Project management software has improved vastly over time and now enables project managers and their teams to focus more effort on important aspects of a project. Talk about which programs you have work with and make sure your interviewer understands that you have the ability to pick up and use new systems with ease.
1st Answer Example
"Prior to last year, I had been working on the online software system called Wrike. I really loved the ability to utilize the collaboration function within the system to involve members of the team in the editing of documents, review of materials and even the ability to start discussion threads within the system. Last year, we implemented a new system called Clarity PPM when my organization implemented this organization wide. At first upon the announcement, I was a little saddened to hear we'd be losing a great resource but I kept an open mind to the new system and its features and benefits. I've really mastered and come to love the reporting functions in this system that are saving me hours of work that I can spend on other areas of a project."
2nd Answer Example
"After attending a few conferences and talking to colleagues in the project management field, we are really blessed with the great technology that we have to keep us on task and on track to hit deadlines with our big projects. Being very adept with computer skills and open to learning new things, my experience while in the corporate world and then moving into my own personal consulting business has been using Trello. While a great system altogether, I love its ability to connect teams that work together from across the country and its organization of a tasks board that all team members have access to."