A deep dive into hiring product managers: Insights from product experts
Jan 10, 2024
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Insights on hiring top-notch product managers and tips for candidates in the competitive product job market. Qualities to look for when hiring, importance of compelling storytelling, approaching the hiring process, listening to the whole team, and future questions in hiring product roles.
A balance between soft skills (curiosity, collaboration, growth mindset) and hard skills (technical abilities, domain knowledge) is crucial when hiring product managers.
Communication skills, practical experience, storytelling abilities, and problem-solving capabilities are important factors to consider when assessing candidates for product roles.
Deep dives
What to Look for When Hiring Someone for a Product Role
When hiring someone for a product role, it is important to consider a balance between soft skills and hard skills. Soft skills include traits like curiosity, collaboration, and a growth mindset, while hard skills encompass technical abilities and domain knowledge. To assess soft skills, some companies conduct panel presentations where candidates share their passion and vision on unrelated topics. Communication and proven practical experience were emphasized as key factors, with women tending to emphasize communication and men focusing on demonstrated capabilities. Additionally, attitude, excitement, customer empathy, and resilience were highlighted as important attributes for successful product hires. Lastly, qualities like ambition, listening, and evidence-based decision-making were also mentioned as essential traits to consider during the hiring process.
The Importance of Soft Skills and Practical Experience
When hiring for a product role, it is crucial to strike a balance between soft skills and hard skills. Soft skills, such as curiosity, collaboration, and a growth mindset, contribute to a candidate's ability to add value to the organization. Practical experience, such as having a demonstrated understanding and passion for the product, is also valued. Communication skills and the ability to ask insightful questions about the company and product during the interview process stood out as important indicators of suitability for the role. It was noted that women tend to value communication, while men often emphasize practical experience. The ability to narrate impactful stories and demonstrate problem-solving abilities were also highlighted as important factors in assessing candidates.
Traits and Attitudes for Successful Product Hires
When hiring someone for a product role, certain traits and attitudes are highly valued. These include customer empathy, resilience, collaboration, and the ability to inspire others. Demonstrating a product mindset, having a collaborative mindset, and being passionate about the company's vision and industry were noted as important attributes. Additionally, curiosity, ambition, attitude, and the willingness to learn were addressed as qualities that contribute to success in product roles. Employers often look for candidates who exhibit confidence, excitement, and a proactive attitude towards problem-solving. The importance of having a growth mindset and the ability to listen and consider different perspectives within a team were also emphasized as crucial qualities for a successful product hire.
In this exclusive episode of The Product Experience podcast, we bring together a diverse panel of product experts from around the world to share their invaluable insights on the essential aspects of recruiting top-notch product managers. Additionally, we delve into actionable tips for candidates seeking to distinguish themselves in the competitive landscape of the product job market.
Join us for a compelling discussion featuring Mel McVeigh (VP Digital Product, Condé Nast), Namrata Sarmah (Chief Product Officer), Itamar Gilad (Product Coach), and other industry luminaries.
Our Hosts Lily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.
Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.
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