When is a Project Manager not a Project Manager?

I have been interviewing project managers for a specific assignment with one of our most important clients. The CVs that I shortlisted were very similar in terms of background and on paper any of them would have been more than suitable for the role. It soon becomes apparent on interview that these are significantly different candidates with varied levels of experience. The art of interviewing comes into its own together with the ability to establish the levels of detail that each person has worked to. Getting accurate information seems to become more difficult. The more senior the individuals become as they have already developed good communication skills and confidence in order to achieve their current status.

When it comes to interviewing there is no alternative to experience, natural judgement of character and a detailed understanding of the environment into which you intend the individual to work. A golden rule that I work to when meeting associates or interviewing for specific assignments is that the interviewer should not be doing all the talking. If this is the case then the questions asked are not open enough. Secondly, do not accept the first level of detail as satisfactory if you require more detail for your role, ask for more examples and more depth. This does not need to be an interrogation and all of the information that you need in order to make a decision can be gained in an informal and relaxed atmosphere.

Finally, the answer to the question posed in the title of this blog is when the candidate turns out to be an engineer, business analyst, support analyst etc etc……