Screening checklist
Project Manager Screening Checklist
Structured Project Manager screening checklist covering planning skills, stakeholder management, risk assessment, and delivery track record evaluation.
The short answer
Screening Project Manager candidates well means fixing the pass criteria before the first résumé is opened. The checklist below covers résumé triage, a short phone screen with model answers, a technical check with passing criteria, and the deal-breakers that end a conversation early.
- Must have: 3+ years PM experience
- Must have: Cross-functional team management of 5+ people
- Must have: Proficiency in PM methodologies
- Deal-breaker: Cannot provide specific delivery examples with metrics
Cohesyve finds, contacts and tests Project Manager candidates on the real work and ranks them. Ten candidates free, no card.
Being screened for a role like this? Practise free →This checklist evaluates Project Manager candidates across planning, execution, stakeholder management, and risk mitigation competencies.
Résumé screening
- Track record of on-time, on-budget delivery
- PM methodology experience (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid)
- PM tool proficiency (Jira, Asana, MS Project)
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Budget and resource management experience
- PMP or equivalent certification
Must-have qualifications
- 3+ years PM experience
- Cross-functional team management of 5+ people
- Proficiency in PM methodologies
- Strong communication and stakeholder management
- Risk identification and mitigation experience
Phone screen questions
Ask every candidate the same set, in the same order, and note the answer against the model before you form a view.
Walk me through how you plan and kick off a new project.
A strong answer Describes stakeholder identification, scope definition, WBS creation, timeline planning, resource allocation, risk assessment, and communication plan.
How do you handle scope creep with a fixed deadline?
A strong answer Discusses change management process, impact assessment, trade-off negotiation, and documentation with approval tracking.
Tell me about a project at risk of failure that you saved.
A strong answer Shows early risk identification, transparent stakeholder communication, corrective action planning, and lessons learned.
How do you manage team conflicts?
A strong answer Addresses conflicts early, facilitates dialogue, focuses on shared goals, and establishes constructive team norms.
Describe your reporting and communication approach.
A strong answer Tailors communication to audience, uses dashboards, maintains regular cadence, and escalates issues proactively.
Cohesyve
Reach the phone screen with Project Manager candidates who have done the work
Cohesyve finds and contacts Project Manager candidates from your job description, tests each one on an AI job simulation of the role and ranks them, so the checklist above starts from a shortlist. Ten candidates free, no card.
Technical screening
| Area | What to test | Passing criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Planning & Execution | WBS creation, timeline management, resource allocation | Creates comprehensive plans with realistic timelines |
| Stakeholder Management | Communication planning, expectation management | Builds strong relationships and manages expectations proactively |
| Risk Management | Risk identification, mitigation planning, contingency strategies | Proactively identifies risks and develops mitigation plans |
| Methodology | Agile, Waterfall, hybrid application | Adapts methodology to project context and team needs |
Fit and deal-breakers
Good signs
- Servant leadership mindset
- Transparent communicator
- Organized yet strategically aware
- Adaptable to changing priorities
- Builds trust through follow-through
Deal-breakers
- Cannot provide specific delivery examples with metrics
- Avoids difficult stakeholder conversations
- Rigid methodology adherence without adaptation
- Cannot handle risk or project failures
Scoring rubric
Planning & Delivery
30%- Planning thoroughness
- Execution management
- Delivery track record
Leadership
25%- Team motivation
- Conflict resolution
- Decision-making
Communication
25%- Stakeholder management
- Reporting transparency
- Cross-functional coordination
Risk Management
20%- Risk identification
- Mitigation planning
- Adaptability
Common questions
How important is PMP certification?
PMP demonstrates foundational knowledge. Valuable for traditional environments but less critical for Agile teams. Consider it a positive signal rather than a hard requirement.
Should PMs have a technical background?
Technical understanding improves engineering team credibility and estimation accuracy. Strong leadership and communication can compensate for limited technical depth.
How to evaluate PMs with only Agile experience?
Assess adaptability. Good PMs apply Agile principles broadly and adapt to different project types. Ask how they would handle non-Agile projects.
Cohesyve · Skill assessments for hiring
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