How can you assess a candidate's project management skills remotely?

1 Review their portfolio

Prior to the interview, request that the candidate provide samples of their past or current projects, such as reports, presentations, or websites. Thoroughly examine their portfolio and search for evidence of their project management abilities, like the scope, objectives, and deliverables of each project; the timeline, budget, and resources allocated and used; the challenges, risks, and issues encountered and how they were addressed; as well as the outcomes, results, and feedback from stakeholders or clients.

2 Ask behavioral questions

During the interview, use behavioral questions to explore how the candidate has applied their project management skills in different situations. For instance, you can ask them to explain a project they are proud of and why, or how they initiate, plan, and execute a project from start to finish. It might also be useful to know how they communicate, collaborate, and coordinate with remote team members and stakeholders, as well as how they monitor, control, and evaluate the progress and quality of a project. Additionally, it would be beneficial to hear about a time when they had to deal with a change, conflict, or setback in a project and how they handled it.

3 Use online tools and exercises

Testing a candidate's project management skills in action can be done through online tools and exercises that simulate real-life scenarios. For instance, you can ask the candidate to create a project plan or proposal using Google Docs or Trello. Additionally, you can give the candidate a case study or a problem to solve and request they present their solution using Zoom or PowerPoint. Assigning the candidate a mini-project or task and observing how they complete it using Asana or Slack is another effective way to evaluate their skills.

4 Evaluate their skills and fit

Once the interview is over, you can evaluate the candidate's project management skills based on their portfolio, answers, and performance. Ask yourself questions such as how well they demonstrated their knowledge and best practices of project management, how effectively they used the online tools and exercises to showcase their skills and abilities, how well they communicated, listened, and responded to your questions and feedback, and how aligned they are with your organization's culture, values, and goals. By taking these criteria into consideration, you can identify the best fit for your team and projects in a remote setting.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?