Jessika Sheridan on LinkedIn: Careers | Wrapbook (2024)

Over the last 3 years, I've interviewed 168 candidates for 11 Product Management roles, from early career PM (2-3 years experience) to Lead/Principal (7-10 years experience). With an average of 461 resumes received per role (which includes 2 roles that garnered over 1500 applicants!), that means there is a ~2% hiring probability per applicant. I wrote this post to share my thoughts, learnings, and advice as a hiring manager for Product Managers looking for a job right now. In the post, I also share a link to my Airtable Universe template - a PM wouldn't be a PM without tracking and measuring the job search process, right? 😉

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One of my favorite questions when interviewing for product managers is:What's your favorite product?This question tells me a variety of things:* Is this person decisive - It's an easy question that people often overthink.* What values are important in a product - This helps me understand how they think about prioritizing.* What do they find important about their favorite product - This tells me something about what they're like outside of work and what aspects of a product (e.g., aethetics, utility, brand, fun, etc.) they consider when designing.* Do they have the empathy they need in product management - There is nothing better than seeing the light come on for a candidate and their reaction to what their favorite product or service does for them. Although I've only hired for technology products, some of my favorite answers have been low-tech products (I'm looking at you Vitamix Blender). Have you been asked this question before? What's your favorite product and why? #productmanagement #interviewquestions

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The weirdest thing I've seen in a test assignment for a product role is when it gives you the exact feature you'll be working on and then as one of the tasks tells you to provide the reasoning for building it. So it asks you to start with the "what" and come up with the "why" and if that's how your organisation works you clearly have some problems to solve before hiring a product manager. I understand the desire to see how the PM thinks about "why" and how they make an argument but for that you should really provide a broader problem statement or a set of options to chose from instead of a particular solution to argue for.

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Hiring a Product Manager is Challenging – Here’s What I Learned:I’ve recently been involved in hiring a Product Manager at our tech firm, and here’s the breakdown:▪ We received 1,250 applications.▪ Only about 5% (around 62 candidates) excelled in our initial product scenario assessment.▪ 30 candidates shined in a strategic thinking exercise, representing about 48% of those who passed the first round.▪ We invited 15 for in-depth interviews regarding their vision and approach > 8 proceeded to a case study day > 1 outstanding candidate was hired 🌟So, what insights did we gather?🔥 Many applicants are great at talking the talk, but fall short in demonstrating strategic and tactical product management skills.🔥 It's essential to have a structured hiring process, focusing on real-world scenarios and problem-solving abilities, not just theoretical knowledge.🔥 Implementing multiple stages in the recruitment process helps in making quicker, more confident hiring decisions. Each step should have a clear purpose and outcome.🔥 Finding a product manager who aligns with your company culture is as crucial as their technical skills. Structure your interviews to gain insights into both aspects.✊ Practical skills and cultural fit are key – far more revealing than what’s just on the resume.

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Product Quality Vs Moving metricsI came across this great blog post by Peter Yang over the weekend that for some reason, really resonated with me, despite not being a #productmanager. I recently took on some home improvements and the satisfaction and enjoyment I took out of carefully crafting window seats and floating desks, was second to none. So perhaps for this reason this article on #productquality made sense. As a #product recruiter, we're often asked how to shape a CV and what to include and inevitably this boils down to showing outcomes and metrics you've moved shipping products in your past roles. But if product quality matters the most in delighting users, why isn't this focused on more as opposed to what metrics you've moved? I guess it's down to quantifying it. 💁♂️ It would be great to see more of a focus on this though, after all, as Steve Jobs mentions in the quote below, the best things are created with care and love.Feel free to share any thoughts on how as PM, you can focus on product quality, in a world where data and metrics are king.(Link to Peter's blog post in the comments).

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I’ve been taking a few days off to explore the beautiful Colorado mountains.Next week I’m back at it and am meeting many folks across Denver and Boulder on the 15th, 16th and 17th Aug.If you are getting back to work next week and are fed up with your current Product Management gig, let’s find some time to talk.If you are planning to hire or are struggling to find the right Product pro for your team, I can help you make the hire you need.Producto is making Product Management recruiting easier for customers all over the USA!#productmanagement #hiring #recruitment

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For all of you 'get to the point' people out there, my book 'Hiring Product Managers' is a quick read. But it's still packed with wisdom and practical ways to transform your hiring process. So if you're looking to hire someone new in the new year, then I highly recommend you read this first. You can grab a copy here: https://buff.ly/3RjIx6W 👈#productmanagement #hiringprocess #leadershipdevelopment

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"Hire people that will do the job well, not people you like!" makes some assumptions about Ol' Jeff's likes and dislikes that I don't particularly care for. 😎 This may come across a bit pedantic, but there's a reason I often use the tag #JeffIsTheWorst. 🤷♂️ When I was a people manager, I *liked* when candidates were very different from me. I liked when they were strong at the areas I wasn't. I liked when they could be self-deprecating without appearing unconfident, or when they would be honestly vulnerable by disagreeing with me politely.I knew what I wanted from a candidate because I had inventoried the skills of my team, found gaps or thin areas I wanted to strengthen. Then I developed questions and interview techniques that would allow me to discern these skills across all candidates fairly.So when I interviewed somebody and I said I really liked them, it doesn't mean that I liked them because they remind me of myself. Or because they looked a certain way. Or because they'd be easier to manage, get along with the team, or want to join my Quizzo group.So don't be afraid to hire the people you like! Just make sure that you like them for the right reasons. 😜 And while you're considering who you'll hire... if you like people who think critically, crave learning, and bring the culture... Hire Jeff Raum!www.hirejeffraum.com

For the Product Managers in my network.Want to leave a lasting impression on hiring managers and stand out more as a candidate? Consider these tips to effectively communicate what you've been working on and how you've delivered value. #CareerAdvice #ProductManager

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Hi future product managers!Have you ever felt lonely scrolling through endless articles, books, and videos to get ready for your dream job? You're not the only one. A Harvard Business Review study says that 72% of people preparing for new roles feel isolated or under-supported.⚡ To solve this, we are announcing PEARMOCK PRODUCT OFFICE HOURS, where our product team will take up any and all kinds of queries, thoughts and comments you would come across while preparing for product management interviews. ⚡ Our product team will join a virtual office on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. You can join the link provided in the comment below and join the office hours for absolutely free! Come with your product management related queries, concerns or thoughts. We’ll discuss!Prepping for product management doesn't have to be a solo mission. With Pearmock, we are building a community of product managers who all solve problems together to land interview opportunities, all for free! #pearmock #productmanagement #officehours #productofficehours #interviewpreparation~ Patrice Palekar~ Pearmock team

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