Hiring Project Managers
As a business scales, so does the complexity of its projects. Is it enough to delegate tasks to team members and hope for the best? At a certain point in a company’s growth, this might no longer be feasible. For a project to be completed successfully, a point person needs to be at the center, driving the team to move forward in the right direction, within a timeline, and on budget. This key team member is called a project manager.
The first step in hiring a project manager is to define your typical project’s needs. This will help in making a detailed job description that is smart and specific; the more detailed, the better. Keep in mind that the job description is more than just a list of responsibilities. Make sure to promote your company and highlight what you can offer the candidate. What would make your company stand out? A great way to do this is to let them know about your company’s mission and goals. In this way, the ideal candidate will be encouraged to apply.
Responsibilities of a Project Manager
From a general standpoint, the scope of work of a project manager depends on your particular company and industry. Development of a specific project plan, proper allocation and distribution of needed resources, and ensuring that the work is within the timeline and budget are key responsibilities. This means that the project manager is responsible for coordinating across different team members, vendors, and anybody who has a hand in the project.
Schedules, due dates, deadlines, and budgets are to be monitored and managed at all times. Effective communication at all levels and across disciplines is needed to keep all parties updated on a project’s status. If there is any issue or concern along the way, you can be sure that the project manager will be on top of it and identify the steps needed to prevent a disruption. Moreover, the project manager evaluates each project’s completion to identify what went well and areas for improvement. They also communicate their evaluation’s conclusions with the client and team members.
Skills and Qualifications
The ideal candidate for a project manager role is an individual who can lead and is highly organized and detail-oriented. As somebody who will constantly be engaging with people, the project manager must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and be unafraid to make necessary changes and adjustments in the process.
For this role, a Bachelor’s degree is usually required, with proven experience in project management or a similar role. In-depth knowledge of best practices and project management methodologies may also be required. Aside from these, financial know-how is a plus for budget management.
