MockQuestions

Project Manager Mock Interview

Question 45 of 50 for our Project Manager Mock Interview

Project Manager was updated by on May 9th, 2023. Learn more here.

Question 45 of 50

How do you manage customers and stakeholders?

Project managers interact with and oversee many different groups during projects, ranging from vendors and teams to customers, executives, and stakeholders. The interviewer wants to know how you change your communication style and approach depending on who your audience is, particularly when the person or group you're addressing has authority over the project.

Next Question

How to Answer: How do you manage customers and stakeholders?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Project Manager job interview.

  • 45. How do you manage customers and stakeholders?

      Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

      Project managers interact with and oversee many different groups during projects, ranging from vendors and teams to customers, executives, and stakeholders. The interviewer wants to know how you change your communication style and approach depending on who your audience is, particularly when the person or group you're addressing has authority over the project.

      Written by Karrie Day on April 26th, 2023

      How to Answer

      Discuss how you convey the project's objectives, costs, and timelines to customers and stakeholders. It can be helpful to provide a generic response and then communicate your understanding that each client, customer, or stakeholder is different and you customize your approach accordingly. Interviewers are more likely to resonate with your response if you can clearly demonstrate your ability to deploy a variety of communication styles based on what works best for the individuals involved.

      Written by Karrie Day on April 26th, 2023

      Answer Example

      "Communication is one of the most important parts of my job. I have to convey expectations, establish boundaries, maintain control, soothe disgruntled workers and/or stakeholders, and so much more. When it comes to customers and stakeholders, I aim to please them and keep them 100% satisfied. I do this by initiating communication early on and then keeping them updated on the progress of the project.

      Some stakeholders and clients want frequent communication while others don't. I gauge this and then react appropriately. In general, my conversations with stakeholders and customers are concise and just overviews unless they have requested additional detail. If something changes during the project, I keep them apprised so they are fully aware of any potential changes to the project's budget or timeline."

      Written by Karrie Day on April 26th, 2023

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "It is very important to have effective communication with Customers and Stakeholders. Having them on board is critical to project success. Whether it is via regular project status updates or direct one-on-one discussions as a project manager you need to keep them in the loop. Each stakeholder is different so you need to tailor your communication strategy to that person, but generally regular and focused communication regarding the project in my experience has resulted in favorable outcomes."

      Amanda's Feedback

      Good job! Clear, timely communication is vital to partnering successfully with customers and stakeholders. You can make this response more memorable by talking about a recent project that required you to manage multiple stakeholders. Share how you tailored your communication to each stakeholder, how you built a trusting relationship, and how that helped you to overcome obstacles or tackle challenges effectively to achieve project deliverables on time and within budget.
  • 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