Project Managers are needed in every industry and, as the world gets back to business after two years of uncertainty and lockdowns, more companies are looking for new talent. According to the Project Management Institute, demand for PMPs is expected to surge all over the world during the first quarter of 2022.
However, finding the right manager for your project is not an easy task. Even more, as the demand increases, the best and most experienced people can easily switch jobs if there isn’t a connection with the team.
So how do you find a Project Manager (PM) that has the right level of experience and fits well with the team?
You look for some of the most common “green flags” that predict a good candidate for this position:
1. Ask About Their Certification
A candidate who took the time and made the effort to go through a PMP certification course is someone you want leading your project! This means they are proactive about their career as a PM and eager to learn all the skills they need in order to do a good job.
Plus, a certification course teaches the most valuable skills needed for this job. These skills can then be translated to all industries and lines of work so there’s no need for further specialized training from the company.
2. Look for Behavioral Traits
Education and certifications are important, but you also need to find someone who can connect with the team and knows how to deal with stakeholders and customers. This type of position often requires a person who can switch between emotional and mental states according to the situation.
While you can’t fully assess a person’s behavior and reactions during a job interview, you can check their work history and chat with former employees and colleagues. This will let you know if you have the right person or not.
3. Ask About Conflict Management Skills
Even if your team includes the wisest people in the world, there will be tense situations. People have different ideas, personalities, and thought processes, which is a good thing because it brings diversity into the project. However, it also leaves room for conflict if the situation is not properly managed.
The job of a PMP is to make sure the team works in a cohesive manner and that communication and collaboration are always first. That’s why you have to look for a person who is comfortable with conflict and who knows how to recognize it before it hinders the team’s productivity.
A good PMP has problem-solving skills and understands conflict resolution and how to apply various methods to diffuse high-stress situations.
4. Look for Organization and Prioritization Skills
PMPs have to wear a lot of hats so they have to be open to change and flexible. And yet, they also need to be organized and capable of seeing the path when chaos surrounds the building.
The main job of a manager is to lead the team towards achieving the project goals in a timely manner. However, this task is very difficult when you don’t have a clear, well-organized view of the project itself. Also, the PMP needs to be able to prioritize in order to get things done as requested.
5. Comfortable With Technology
Nowadays, it’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t use some sort of tech device and app. However, the right PMP needs to be comfortable with technology specific to the field such as a workforce management system or a project management software.
Wrap Up
In summary, the right PMP has the proper certification (preferably some experience as well), can connect with the team but knows how to manage conflicts, is organized, and can handle themselves around specialized software tools.