Google Product Manager Interview Questions And Answers

Design A Dictionary Lookup For Scrabble

Business objective considerations:

• Is this for online Scrabble games or the physical board game? Will the dictionary be in print or a website/app? What will set this apart from a standard dictionary? Will it be English-only or need functionality in several languages?

Possible user problems:

• Standard dictionaries lack the point score of Scrabble letters
• Physical standard dictionaries take time to find the right words
• If a word is not playable, users lack suggestions to other words with the same letters

Possible solutions:

• App-based dictionary where users can type in the word
• Automatic calculation of word value, with options to input triple or double letter-score
• Options to suggest high-value words with a given string of letters

List Of Product Manager Interview Questions: Communication

We move on to the communication segment of our list of product manager interview questions.

This question seeks to determine just how good your communication skills are. A product manager cannot be successful in their role if you do not practice proper communication. Granted, it is true that managers are always expected to communicate. However, in the case of product management, the need for proper communication is even more important than it is in standard managerial positions. As a product manager, you constantly liaise with multiple teams and individuals, sometimes all at once.

Given the nature of the task you have to do, you have to speak about the importance of effective persuasive writing. You should mention that the writing should generate excitement among your target audience while still respecting the brand, image, and voice of the company.

I have included a sample communication framework below to provide you with additional guidance on what goes into solid communication strategies.

Here are some additional communication questions that an interviewer can ask you in a product manager interview.

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What Qualities Make A Product Great

This question is a favorite among recruiters whenever they’re scouting for product managers. This is because the answer to this question provides them with insight into how you view product design and development from a general standpoint. It also lets them know more about the possible design features and modifications that you may implement in their own products. Most of all, this product manager interview question is one of those that will tell a recruiter how much you know about creating great products.

For that reason, prospective product managers need to respond to this question with utmost precision. Granted, there is no hard and fast rule to design a great product. After all, each product is different and will have its own unique set of features.

However, when responding to this question, you must state that there are universal elements that characterize products that perform well. A product must:

• Have a unique value proposition.
• Solve a problem experienced by a given target market.
• Be simple and easy to understand.
• Allow users to leverage it in an efficient and effective way.

Product Strategy Interview Questions

Like product design interview questions, strategy questions are another critical component of the product manager interview.

• Amazon is launching free storage for photos. If you’re a Google PM for Photos, what would you do?Watch an expert answer to this interview question here.
• How would you monetize Facebook Dating?

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How Do I Prepare For A Product Manager Interview

• Step 1: Research the company you’re applying to and learn the product manager interview loop for that company.
• Step 2: Choose one type of interview questions for that role .
• Step 3: Review the most common interview questions. Create stories from your resume to prepare for your interview. Practice using the STAR method to answer each question.
• Step 4: Compare your answers to the most popular answers to interview questions from people who landed the job.
• Step 5: Move between interview question categories and repeat.

Google Behavioral Interview Questions

Overall, Google loves behavioral interview questions. They help hiring managers learn more about how you think and what you would do in specific situations.

Plus, most Google behavioral interview questions ask you to describe past experiences. Since many people think past success predicts future potential, its not a surprise that behavioral interview questions might make up the bulk of your Google interview.

Okay, but how do you handle those tricky behavioral interview questions? Those dont have right or wrong answers in most cases, so what do you do?

The key here is to adopt the right strategy. Take the STAR Method and then combine it with the Tailoring Method. Together, those let you create meaningful, engaging, relevant answers, increasing the odds that youll make a good impression during your interview.

If you want to learn more, check out our article on behavioral interview questions for additional details.

Just remember, hiring managers tend to ask more generalized interview questions as well as company specific ones. Thats why we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview.

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Product Manager Interview Questions With Sample Answers

What criteria do you use to determine if a product is well-designed?

Without referring to an instruction manual, intuition clearly defines the product function while also allowing the goal of the product to be read and accurately comprehended. Intuitive product design helps the user to utilize and comprehend the product.

One of the most essential characteristics of well-designed goods is functionality. Sure, weve all dealt with items that, despite their good looks, didnt operate well or did not do what they stated on the package, and in some cases, they even caused issues rather than fixing them.

Name a Google product that you like. What are some improvements you might add to the product?

Although Google appreciates how much you admire and purchase their products, they would rather you tell them some innovations that could be done instead.

Answer:

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat is one of my favorites. It may appear basic, but the way it learns our preferences during the day and adjusts our homes temperature as needed is extremely clever. Not only does it decrease the temperature while were away and raise it by the time we get home after work, but it also pays for itself quickly thanks to the energy savings.

Is there any way to make it better? Make it work with more devices, such as the Apple Home Kit. Youre missing out on potential purchasers.

How would you explain our offering to someone looking for something comparable but $20 less?

How To Answer Product Manager Interview Questions

While you would be in pretty good shape if you review these 50 product manager questions, there is no doubt that you will be asked several interview questions not found on this list.

Have no fear!

No matter the question, every great answer in the PM interview will follow the same general format.

Just follow these seven steps during your interview, and you will be in a great place to ace every question that comes your way.

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Design An Umbrella For Kids

Business objective considerations:

• If the user is a child, who is the customer? Parents? Schools or summer camps?

Possible user problems:

• Difficulty holding an umbrella due to its weight and size of handle
• Buttons and opening mechanisms pinch fingers
• Difficulty opening and closing an umbrella with small hands
• Easily confused with other umbrellas grouped together at school, on field trips, etc.

Possible solutions:

• Smaller, ergonomic handle for small hands, which sizes up by age
• Easy push-button for opening and closing
• Customizable design and option to print childs name in visible spot

What Is A Poorly

Any product that does not fulfill its purpose and leaves the user dissatisfied is a poorly designed product.

For e.g. ABC company launched a mobile phone with an alphabetically ordered keypad.

The phone was a major flop as mobile users are habitual of using QWERTY keypads. This led to constant confusion while texting, making it uncomfortable to use.

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Top 3 Google Interview Questions

Now, its important to note that the Google interview questions you face will vary depending on the position. They arent going to ask a software engineer the same set of questions theyll use when hiring a recruiter.

However, certain questions are more common, applying to a range of niches. Heres a look at the top three Google interview questions you may encounter.

Example Answer: Tell Me About A Challenge Or Conflict You Faced At A Past Job

Now that you know some approaches for answering behavioral questions, let’s look at a full example. Well use one of Googles most frequently asked questions.

Try answering the question below following your preferred method. Play both the role of the interviewer and the candidate. Write down your answer, then practice saying it out loud before going through our example response. Once youve finished, compare your response to our example to fill in any gaps in your story.

Try this question:

Tell me about a challenge or conflict you faced at a past job

Answer:

Well use the IGotAnOffer method described above and answer as if interviewing for a product manager job at Google. You will find our proposed answer to the question below.

Notice that the question asks for a past challenge OR conflict, which lets you choose what youd like to highlight in your answer. If you choose a past challenge, this would be a good way to show off your leadership and problem-solving skills. However in this case, weve chosen to focus on a past conflict, which well use to display conflict-resolution and collaboration skills.

For a sample answer to the past challenge question instead, take a look here.

1. Situation

As this question isnt necessarily about a specific role, it allows you to describe a variety of situations. Well use a generic example, but you should of course use an example from your own work experience.

2. Problem

3. Solution

4. Impact

5. Lessons

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What Do Companies Look For In A New Product Manager

Before we dive into questions, its important to get inside your interviewers head. What are they looking for?

Aside from intellect, smarts, the power to adapt, think and act on their feet? They want a person who is motivated to do the job, can work with different teams and has the ability to prioritize features that they already know users are looking for. A Product Manager has to be resilient, strategic and insightful. Which means the hiring company will ask a multitude of questions to figure out if you are the one.

Here is the ultimate list of questions you can expect to be asked in a Product Management interview. Get ready to nail the interview!

Tell Me About Yourself

As straightforward as it is, this is one of the most critical questions to prepare for. Youll hear it in literally every product manager job interview you take probably in every job interview in general.

This question is an excellent opportunity to offer the recruiter snippets of stories youd like to share during the interview. Treat it as your opportunity to make a first impression and spark the recruiters interest, not as just an icebreaker.

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How Do You Decide What And What Not To Build

I follow a 5-step process to understand what needs to be built-

Identification of market trends and demand for the product, available resources and if it is feasible.

Brainstorming with the team to plan out product design, development, and process of execution.

Measuring scalability to figure out the availability and quantity of resources for product development.

Preparation for the execution by collecting resources and resolving challenges

Execution to bring the plan to action.

Break Down The Process You Use To Gather User Feedback Explain How You Interacted With Your Users In A Previous Company

This question is a favorite among interviewers. This is because the answer you give will provide recruiters with the insight they need to gauge how you leverage consumer data in order to improve their product.

The answer you provide will vary. One of the major factors that will influence your user feedback process will be the type of product you are collecting data on. Another huge element is the type of customers that you are targeting.

However, regardless of the process you use, the key is to state the importance of using both statistical data as well as qualitative data. The best product managers understand that statistics tend to be insufficient in gauging how a user feels about a given product. For that reason, you must allocate part of your user feedback strategy to collecting qualitative data samples that you can analyze and extract meaning from.

Here are some more questions on gathering product user feedback:

2. What was your process for gathering feedback from users? How did you use this feedback to shape your roadmap?

3. How do you know if your users are satisfied with your product?

4. How do you think about onboarding new users to your product?

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Product Design Interview Questions

Now that youve seen a framework to answer product design questions as well as a sample answer that illustrates it, lets get into some other questions that you can use to practice.

Below, weve listed ten product design interview questions that were asked in PM interviews at Google and Facebook according to data from Glassdoor.com.

For each question, weve included a few bullets and jumping-off points to consider as you craft your answers. Youll find important questions and clarification points under each Business objective, three possible pain points under User problems, and three possible solutions under Solutions.

Of course, these lists are not exhaustive, and you should add your own insight as you work through them. Theyre designed to get your wheels turning and offer some hints if youre stuck. If you’d like to learn about the other types of questions you may face, you can also visit our ultimate guide to product manager interview questions.

Practice By Yourself Or With Peers

In our experience, practicing by yourself is a great way to prepare for PM interviews. You can ask and answer questions out loud, to help you get a feel for the different types of PM interview questions. Practicing by yourself will help you perfect your step-by-step approach for each question type. It also gives you time to correct your early mistakes.

You can find free practice questions on articles like this one or on YouTube. Alternatively, if youre looking for a comprehensive database of PM interview questions as well as high quality answers from ex-FAANG interviewers, then check out our online course.

If you have friends or peers who can do mock interviews with you, that’s a great option too. This can be especially helpful if your friend has experience with PM interviews, or is at least familiar with the process. You can also find peers to practice with on our PM mock interview platform.

In addition to practicing by yourself and with peers, it can be a huge advantage to do mock interviews with experienced PM interviewers.

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How Do You Make Sure That You Are Your Colleagues Remain Accountable

Accountability is critical in the eyes of every employer. Google wants to know that youll handle your tasks and hold yourself to a reasonable standard. Additionally, the hiring manager may favor candidates who can also help team members stay accountable, especially if group projects are the norm.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

For me, accountability is always a priority. One of the key steps I take is to track all of my deliverables and associated due dates. A list allows me to create notifications and block out time on my calendar as necessary, ensuring I can focus on the task and finish on time.

When a project is larger, I also use the mini-milestone approach. This creates an opportunity for me to examine each step along the way, making it easier to chart a course.

As far as when Im working with my colleagues, I find that follow up is often effective. At times, this many involve scheduling team meetings to discuss our progress or transition work between coworkers, or simply reaching out to see if they are on target or if I can offer assistance.

Additional Personal Product Manager Interview Questions

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