Besides, managing a complex project or attaining an organizational objective requires the art of hiring an effective program manager. Program managers combine technical capabilities with outstanding leadership to facilitate various projects and lead teams made up of members from diverse backgrounds.
If you are assessing the program management skills of a candidate remotely, it can be tough to go in-depth with your evaluation. This process can, however, be smoothed out with the right strategy and tools like OnlineExamMaker. The following article will elaborate on how to check the technical and leadership skills of program management candidates online with the help of OnlineExamMaker.
- What Are Program Management Technical Skills?
- What Are Program Management Leadership Skills?
- How to Create An Online Program Management Skills Assessment in OnlineExamMaker?
What Are Program Management Technical Skills?
Program management technical skills focus on practical tools and techniques used in the planning, execution, and monitoring of projects. The key technical skills include the following.
Project Scheduling and Planning
Program managers can plan and develop detailed project schedules with the use of Gantt charts or any other Microsoft project methods for purposes of tracking deadlines and deliverables.
Risk Management
Identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks is inevitable. The sooner a program manager foresees an issue, the better he or she can take measures to minimize the actual impact.
Budget Management
It is necessary to manage the program budget. Program managers are responsible for planning the use of resources in the best way to maintain projects within the financial limits.
Process Optimization
This is a key technical responsibility to ensure the program is at its best by improving workflows and eliminating inefficiencies.
Tool Proficiency
Good experience with project management tools like JIRA, Trello, or Monday.com that will help in group work, progress tracking, and task management.
Data Analysis and Reporting
This would involve analyzing data and reporting, which is critical in monitoring progress and making informed decisions as well as strategy adjustments.
It’s also possible to test technical skills online by offering quizzes or simulations that demonstrate how knowledge can be used in practical situations, such as creating a project timeline or reviewing project risks.
Just so you know
With OnlineExamMaker exam software, anyone can create & share professional online skills assessments easily.
What Are Program Management Leadership Skills?
While technical skills are important, leadership skills are equally important in managing teams and aligning efforts toward the goals of the business.
Key leadership skills include:
Communication
Clear communication with stakeholders and team members is crucial to ensure everyone is aligned and informed about the program’s progress.
Team Leadership
Program managers are supposed to lead the teams, resolve conflicts, and ensure collaboration in order for the projects to move forward.
Stakeholder Management
Good relations with stakeholders, whether clients, team members, or executives, are important for program success.
Decision Making
Program managers are very often in dilemma situations. Sound decision-making involves option evaluation, consideration of consequences, and keeping it aligned with program objectives.
Problem-Solving
Unexpected hurdles will be encountered, and managers of programs should devise quick solutions that would work in the best way possible to save projects from running behind schedule.
Conflict Resolution
Conflicts among team members or stakeholders can bring progress to a grinding halt. A good program manager addresses these issues effectively and keeps the work environment smooth.
Assess leadership competence online by describing case studies, behavioral questions, or scenario questions in terms of how candidates deal with common leadership challenges.
How to Create An Online Program Management Skills Assessment in OnlineExamMaker?
OnlineExamMaker is a pretty user-friendly tool to create custom skill assessments. Here’s how you can use it for the evaluation of candidates for the post of Program Management:
Create Your Next Quiz/Exam with OnlineExamMaker
Step 1: Create your test
An account created on OnlineExamMaker will help in creating a new exam. You can use any of the templates or create your custom assessment from scratch.
Step 2: Edit questions about program management skills
Clearly specify which technical and leadership skills are to be evaluated, for example, budgeting, risk management, communication, or decision-making. Use Diverse Question Types: Multiple-choice questions, scenario-based questions, and practical exercises to assess technical skills and leadership qualities.
You can edit questions in an Excel file and upload it to OnlineExamMaker Question bank in bulk. It is also possible for users to generate program management questions automatically using our AI Question Generator.
Step 3: Assessment settings & UI
Pick a theme of the online assessment to fit your brand, you can also add your brand logo or business domain in the welcome screen. Moreover, you can add time limits for certain tasks, like creating a project plan within a limited timeframe to simulate the pressure candidates might face on the job.
Step 4: Release the assessment
After you configure the assessment settings, you can save the exam and preview it on your own computer or mobile phone. Then you can publish the assessment and share the direct link or QR code to candidates.
Step 5: Analyze assessment results
Once the candidates have been assessed, detailed reports on results will be provided through OnlineExamMaker. Therefore, you should point out where the candidates scored in terms of their strengths and gaps regarding both technical and leadership skills.
With the right set of tools, program management skills can be much easier to assess, even while hiring remotely.
Focusing on both technical and leadership competencies will go a long way in helping you gauge whether a particular candidate fits the bill or not. OnlineExamMaker offers you custom assessments to accurately measure key skills. The intuitive interface, variety of question formats, and deep analytics of OnlineExamMaker make the process for the assessment of program management candidates effective and seamless.
