How To Hire The Right Product Manager

The responsibilities of this position are plentiful. After all, a product release is a complicated affair and a product manager will oversee the product throughout the entire cycle - from design and development to its eventual launch.

But even when the product is officially out of the door, the manager is still not done, they will oversee updates or any maintenance.

The main challenge of being a product manager is the fact that it’s not limited to one field. A person working in this position has to complete tasks related not only to product development, design and engineering but may also have to be familiar with customer service and possess knowledge in marketing and sales.

More precisely, product managers are in charge of:

1. Discovering customer needs and challenges

2. Pitching product ideas and facilitating productive discussions to come up with even more ideas 

3. Establishing a vision for the project 

4. Coming up with product strategies to deliver value to end-users

5. Establishing clear objectives for team members and distributing the necessary resources

6. Maximizing the value of the product and its development

7. Balancing quality, profitability, and functionality of the product

8. Working with the design and development team to make the product and implement any adjustments

9. Ensuring the launch goes smoothly

Since they fill an important role and require comprehensive skill sets, finding a good project manager is hard. If that wasn’t bad enough, to find the right person, you have to consider certain skills that go beyond basic technical knowledge.

When hiring a product manager, look for the following:

1. Problem-solving

Since the role itself is complex and often involves a lot of creative thinking, the person you hire has to be a master at problem-solving. Just consider how many solutions to unexpected challenges they’ll have to figure out while launching the product. 

So how do you test their problem-solving skills? Is there a test?

No - the best way to test this skill is simply to have them talk about the previous projects they worked on, and when you describe your product, ask how they would improve it or manage it. You’ll be able to figure out if they’re a right fit after this discussion. 

2. Empathic thinking

Why does empathy matter in a product manager?

Quite simply, they’ll have to put themselves in your customer's shoes and help design a product that solves their needs and challenges. With an empathic approach, you’ll avoid the situation in which your product is fine, but doesn’t do anything for your customers because they simply don’t need it.

Unfortunately, this trait isn’t quite common, especially in the age of ‘’the grind’’.

3. Communication skills

Communication is key when designing and releasing a product. Even if the candidate you’re interviewing checks all the technical boxes, they won’t do a good job if they cannot communicate with other professionals effectively. 

Make sure that communication skills are non-negotiable.

4. Leadership skills

Product managers have to coordinate and lead a team even though they don’t have any authority over them. Because of this, the person you hire needs to have the necessary skills to inspire and lead the entire team through their natural charisma.

A good manager has the rare ability to build enthusiasm across different teams during development. Without natural leadership skills, the person filling this role will struggle with pushing others to get their jobs done. 

This is why you should hire only those that possess this rare skill if you want your entire team invested in the success of the product, just as you are.

5. Drive and persistence

This one is usually hard to spot, but it’s also important. If you go with someone without a drive, they’ll quickly lose their footing in a long product development process. 

For instance, their performance will dip, and they simply won’t have enough willpower to push through, especially if there are any setbacks. Since a manager drives the entire process, if they aren’t passionate about the product’s success, they’ll practically fail at their job as the morale of the team will drop.

6. Willing to accept failure

You might think that failure is not an option, but sometimes it’s a reality. A good manager knows this and doesn’t get discouraged when it happens. 

A bad hire, on the other hand, will simply crumble after the first disappointment they face. If that happens, you’ve got a problem.

With a balanced individual who can accept failure, they’ll quickly move on and focus on the next potential success.

We recommend asking the candidates how they would handle a bad product launch during the interview.

Since you’ve got a better understanding of the positive traits, let’s take a look at some red flags, shall we?

First, you should never hire someone who lacks enthusiasm during the interview. For instance, talk about the release day, customer feedback, and stakeholder meetings. If they’re unenthusiastic about these, they probably won’t change when they get hired.

Next, consider if they’re perfectionists. If they aren’t willing to deliver 120% on every project, you’ll never reach favorable results. A good manager will never settle for just ‘’good enough’’.

Great product managers are very rare, which is something you’ll find out soon enough. They not only possess a plethora of technical skills, but they also possess extraordinary soft skills that are not that easy to come by.

This can be especially tough if you can barely find enough candidates, to begin with.

To get the confusion out of the process, you can try contacting a staffing agency. That way, you can receive prescreened candidates that possess the technical skills required for the job, and you only have to worry about the intricacies we described above.

Contact Griffing Global today and find a highly skilled product manager who will become an important asset in your company and ultimately help you deliver a quality product.