What does a project manager do?
A project manager plans, organizes, and oversees projects from start to finish—ensuring they meet deadlines, budgets, and objectives. They coordinate teams, manage risks, and maintain stakeholder communication to achieve successful outcomes.
What are the key skills to assess while looking for a project manager?
- Planning & Scheduling: Setting realistic timelines and managing dependencies.
- Leadership & Team Motivation: Inspiring teams and resolving conflicts effectively.
- Risk & Issue Management: Anticipating problems and creating contingency plans.
- Budgeting & Resource Allocation: Tracking costs and optimizing resources.
- Communication & Stakeholder Management: Providing transparency and updates.
- Technical Knowledge: Understanding tools, processes, or industry-specific workflows.
- Agile & Waterfall Expertise: Adapting methods to project type and team structure.
- Decision-Making Under Pressure: Balancing scope, time, and cost effectively.
What are the KPIs for a project manager?
Before measuring success, connect project management excellence to tangible business outcomes like quality, delivery, and stakeholder satisfaction.
- On-Time Delivery %
- Budget Variance % (Cost Performance Index)
- Scope Change Requests / Creep Frequency
- Schedule Adherence (Schedule Performance Index)
- Resource Utilization Rate
- Risk Closure Rate / Issue Resolution Time
- Quality Metrics (Defect Rate, Rework %)
- Customer or Stakeholder Satisfaction Score
- Project ROI / Benefit Realization
- Team Engagement / Turnover Rate During Project
