How to Answer: Are you experienced with process development?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Project Manager job interview.
26. Are you experienced with process development?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Most project teams have the need for new structures and processes from time to time. Additionally, some companies are lacking formal processes for various business functions and they call upon their project managers to assist in this area. Your interviewer wants to know if you have experience in this area and which business functions you helped to define and implement.
Written by Karrie Day on April 24th, 2023
How to Answer
Let the interviewer know if you have experience in this area or not. If you do, provide an example or two and discuss any cost or time savings that resulted from what you created. Remember to consider processes you developed on behalf of your team, your customer, your partners, your stakeholders, or your company.
If your experience in this area is limited, talk about how excited you are to have the opportunity to put new processes in place. Alternatively, consider discussing an improvement you made to an existing process.
Written by Karrie Day on April 24th, 2023
Answer Example
"During my career, I've had the privilege of working for several startups. As a result, I'm well-versed in creating new processes, as well as modifying existing ones. In my last role, I oversaw a project that involved implementing a new sales process for the company. Until that point, the company had allowed its sales employees to decide individually how they wanted to sell various products and services, but the time had come to standardize this to ensure consistency. At the end of the project, there were clear processes in place around cold calling and emailing prospects, when and how to follow-up, how to schedule demos and on-sites, and more, which resulted in higher sales across the entire team. I am very process-driven and always thinking about how to put more structure in place around sales, marketing, customer service, and HR tasks to increase productivity and effectiveness."
Written by Marcie Wilmot on January 5th, 2021
About the Author
I began my professional career as an IT Business Systems Analyst. I enjoyed the role, but I knew early on that I wanted to explore project management after moving through the analyst ranks. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to partner with several talented project managers while I was working to grow my own skill set. I learned a lot from them about how to approach strategic planning, communication, conflict resolution, and how to motivate various personality types to perform their best under pressure. I learned even more from their failures.
It was clear that project management was as much an art as a science, and I eventually got my shot at taking everything I had observed over the years and blending it into my own style for steering projects and programs successfully. While project management was not my ultimate career goal, I greatly value my time managing projects. I have utilized the skills I worked to refine in project management in every position I have held since. For example, I use the communication, strategic thinking, and tactical planning skills I regularly leaned on as a project manager each time I work with one of my coaching clients.
Whether working as a project manager is a career goal of yours, or you fell into it through circumstance, you’re in good company. Over 16 million professionals claim the title of project manager, and project management isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the number of project managers is expected to grow by 7% over the next 8 years according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. According to the Project Management Institute, the global outlook is even more impressive boasting up to 33% growth through 2027. Regardless of the specific location, there will likely b a strong demand for project management skill sets in the years to come.
As a coach and writer for MockQuestions, I want to help you successfully navigate your upcoming interview for a project manager position. While some project manager skills are specific to the industry, location, and types of projects involved, many skills and behavioral traits are universally applicable to project management roles. This article will help any project manager prepare for a successful interview, and I encourage you to check out all of our sets dedicated to project management listed below.
Learn more about Karrie Day