Resource Manager Skills Interview
Author:
Peanut AdamsPeanut Adams’ template will help you identify the best candidate for a Resource Manager role in a context that involves managing resources across multiple departments with a variety of different functions and projects. The role also involves hiring and managing freelancers to ensure projects/departments are effectively supported with their unique needs and requirements.
Focus area:
Question
1
There are a lot of processes involved with managing resources effectively across multiple departments. What have you done in the past to ensure processes were followed effectively?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to manage different resource-related tasks to ensure operations are smooth and efficient
Explore tips
- Uses high touch communication (e.g. get confirmation from others)
- Ensures tasks are executed by following up and following through with others
- Uses a system and tools to stay organized and extensively document information
- Helps people adhere to process by holding specific/relevant individuals accountable
- Loops in senior people for accountability of adherence if it becomes an issue
Question
2
Imagine a scenario where multiple offices were competing for limited resources and there was a freelance hiring freeze across the organization. How would you work with managers to fill their requests for staffing needs?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to manage/support different program needs while dealing with resource constraints
Explore tips
- Communicates with managers to determine whether their requests are justified
- Consults others to identify any available labor elsewhere internally
- Reallocates talent as appropriate and documents all decisions/changes
Question
3
Imagine a manager approaches you with a sense of urgency and asks for additional staff for a project approaching its deadline. The project is billable to the client and the budget has already been reached. What would you do?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to accommodate unexpected requests/changes in demand for resources
Explore tips
- Assess request and determine whether the need is really necessary/urgent
- Considers that additional staff requires a cost increase for client or business
- Plans for a few different options (e.g., full versus partial support available)
- Contacts other Resource Managers to identify support from other departments
- Coordinates with manager and provides thorough documentation of agreement
Question
4
Imagine you’re finding resources for a project and a leader approaches you demanding you halt your efforts. They are visibly frustrated and tells you the project did not have approval for more support. How would you respond?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to respond in a logical and rational manner when managing conflict
Explore tips
- Acknowledges the leader’s frustration and apologizes for the potential error
- Emphasizes the importance of staying calm/having a solutions-oriented mindset
- Asks questions to clarify why the expectations were not aligned
- Suggests alternative use of resources based on knowledge of project and budget
- Notes the importance of getting stakeholder buy-in early to prevent such issues
Question
5
What are some general communication tactics you would use when communicating with stakeholders to ensure success in this role? How would you adapt these for junior versus senior stakeholders?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to communicate effectively to ensure success in their role
Explore tips
- Emphasizes importance of being clear and concise in all forms of communication
- Understands audience/stakeholder and tailors messages according to their needs
- Over-communicates to ensure expectations are understood and documented
- Follows up with stakeholders to ensure actions/tasks get completed
- Confidently advocates for resources, especially with senior management
Question
6
Imagine you were responsible for dealing with an aggravated employee who consistently vents or expresses their frustration because of poor management and process support. How would you manage this employee’s frustrations?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to build trust and provide support to others to build productive relationships
Explore tips
- Explains how they would provide support by listening to employees concerns
- Facilitates trust and open communication to foster relationship
- Relays information to relevant others in aim to productively resolving issues
- Emphasizes importance of building healthy relationships for employee retention
Question
7
Describe a time your initiative was particularly effective in solving a problem. What were you responsible for, specifically, and why was the solution effective?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to use initiative to drive impact
Explore tips
- Independently identified resources to support the project's success
- Sought professional/operational improvements where appropriate
- Took a forward-thinking approach to spot opportunities and take action
- Took action to make things happen before others did
- Went above and beyond what was expected of them
Question
8
Imagine you're responsible for creating and managing the monthly budget for your resource scope in the organization. How would you go about creating this budget for a given month?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to create and manage budget effectively
Explore tips
- Considers data from former months to plan/anticipate budget needs (slow/busy)
- Ensures all project information and resource requests are up-to-date
- Presents it out to the relevant project/departments for feedback
- Presents to the larger team to get feedback from other relevant stakeholders
Question
9
Imagine a project manager comes to you saying they need 100 hours for a worker for $16,000 and you get that approved, but the person only ends up working 30. How would that impact the budget, and what would you do?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to account for unexpected changes in resource use when planning/managing budgets
Explore tips
- Confirms the discrepancy and ensures they've been provided accurate information
- Considers how it will skew data for finance team (flag for them if necessary)
- Factor the changes in for the next month and document the impact
- Ask manager to justify the discrepancy in order to hold them accountable
- Consider how this discrepancy can be prevented again in the future
Question
10
If you just started working with a new talent sourcing agency to fill a number of new freelance positions, what steps would you take to collaborate with them effectively and help them source great talent for your company?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to leverage agencies’ capabilities to efficiently and effectively source talent
Explore tips
- Views agencies as partners and leverages them to enhance sourcing process
- Identifies those in agency with relevant subject matter expertise for roles
- Clearly communicates the position requirements, details, and expectations
- Helps agency be an ambassador for the company to impress talent
Question
11
Imagine a contractor approaches you asking for more hours than approved. You know they've been exhibiting problematic behavior to their managers. How would you manage this? What would you do if it continued to escalate?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to deal with workers’ performance issues effectively
Explore tips
- Manages expectations and communicates their hours are outlined in the contract
- Notifies relevant leadership to inform them of red flags/gaps in performance
- Documents details of all interactions with this person
- Decides to end the contract if poor behavior continues to escalate
- Pass off to human resources/senior HR if the issue escalates further
Question
12
What would you do if a freelancer agreed to work for a given rate, signed a contract/addendum for that amount, and then demanded more for their work and held assets hostage. How would you handle this situation?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to deal with workers’ performance issues effectively
Explore tips
- Manages expectations and communicates their hours are outlined in the contract
- Notifies relevant leadership to inform them of red flags/gaps in performance
- Documents details of all interactions with this person
- Decides to end the contract if poor behavior continues to escalate
- Pass off to human resources/senior HR if the issue escalates further
