Product manager

What the interview listens for: How the candidate decides what to build next and in what order, and how they explain what they chose not to do.

1. Level 1Describes plans as lists of tasks given to them; cannot say why one item came before another.
2. Level 2Weak barPrioritises a single team's backlog with a simple method; names trade-offs but does not weigh them.
   • Ability to prioritise one team's backlog with a stated methodMust-have
   • Awareness of the trade-offs between competing requests
3. Level 3Moderate barBuilds and defends a roadmap for one product area from evidence and constraints, including what was dropped and why.
   • Ability to build a roadmap for one product area from evidence
   • Approach to deciding and explaining what was left out
   • Understanding of how capacity and deadlines shape a plan
4. Level 4Strong barSets direction across several teams or a product line, ties it to business goals, and changes the plan when the evidence changes.
   • Ability to set direction across several teams or a product line
   • Ability to tie a product plan to business goals
   • Approach to changing a plan when the evidence changes
5. Level 5Every strong indicator met, plus exceptional evidence: shapes strategy for a portfolio, and shows how a planning decision changed the organisation's direction and how the result was measured.

What the interview listens for: Whether the candidate has carried a new product or a major feature through discovery, build and launch, and what they did themselves at each step.

1. Level 1Has contributed to a launch led by someone else; cannot describe the steps between idea and release.
2. Level 2Weak barHas delivered a defined feature to launch with guidance; describes the steps but not the decisions behind them.
   • Experience delivering a defined feature through to launchMust-have
   • Understanding of the steps between an idea and a release
3. Level 3Moderate barHas led a new product or a major feature from the problem to launch, and explains the decisions that shaped it.
   • Ability to lead a new product or major feature to launch
   • Ability to explain the decisions that shaped what shipped
4. Level 4Strong barHas led several launches, including one that changed course on evidence, and explains how risk was reduced before committing.
   • Experience leading several launches end to end
   • Approach to changing course on evidence during a launch
   • Approach to reducing risk before committing to build
5. Level 5Every strong indicator met, plus exceptional evidence: has created new product lines or entered new markets, and shows how the approach was taken up by other teams.

What the interview listens for: How the candidate learns about users, customers and competitors, and how that learning changed a decision.

1. Level 1Relies on requests and opinions; describes no research method.
2. Level 2Weak barHas run or used basic research (interviews, surveys, competitor reviews) with guidance.
   • Experience running or using interviews, surveys or competitor reviewsMust-have
3. Level 3Moderate barChooses a method to fit the question, runs it, and turns the findings into a product decision.
   • Ability to choose a research method that fits the question
   • Ability to turn research findings into a product decision
4. Level 4Strong barPlans research across segments or markets, notices when findings conflict and resolves that before deciding.
   • Ability to plan research across segments or markets
   • Approach to resolving conflicting findings before deciding
5. Level 5Every strong indicator met, plus exceptional evidence: sets up research that others rely on, and shows research that changed a strategic bet.

What the interview listens for: Whether the candidate defines how success is measured before acting, and reads the results critically.

1. Level 1Describes decisions with no reference to data.
2. Level 2Weak barUses metrics defined by others; reads results but rarely asks whether they are reliable.
   • Ability to read the metrics that describe a product's useMust-have
   • Experience using data in a product decision
3. Level 3Moderate barDefines success measures before a change, reads experiment or usage results critically, and acts on them.
   • Approach to defining success measures before a change
   • Ability to question whether an experiment result is reliable
4. Level 4Strong barDesigns measurement for a product area, weighs conflicting signals, and says when the data was not enough to decide.
   • Ability to design measurement for a whole product area
   • Approach to weighing conflicting signals in the data
   • Awareness of when the data is not enough to decide
5. Level 5Every strong indicator met, plus exceptional evidence: sets the measurement approach for a product line, with examples where the data overturned what the team expected.

What the interview listens for: How the candidate understands and improves what customers experience across the whole journey, not only inside one feature.

1. Level 1Talks about features without reference to the people using them.
2. Level 2Weak barFixes customer problems reported to them within one part of the journey.
   • Understanding of who the product's customers are and what they needMust-have
   • Experience fixing problems customers reported
3. Level 3Moderate barMaps the journey for a product area, finds where customers struggle, and improves it with a measured result.
   • Ability to map the customer journey for a product area
   • Experience improving the experience with a measured result
4. Level 4Strong barImproves the experience across teams or channels, balancing what customers need against cost and business goals.
   • Ability to improve the experience across teams or channels
   • Approach to balancing customer needs against cost and goals
5. Level 5Every strong indicator met, plus exceptional evidence: sets customer-experience standards that other teams adopt, with evidence of their effect.

What the interview listens for: How the candidate makes sure a product works for its users before it is released and once it is live.

1. Level 1Leaves testing to others; cannot describe how a release was checked.
2. Level 2Weak barWrites acceptance criteria and checks features against them.
   • Ability to write acceptance criteria and check features against themMust-have
3. Level 3Moderate barPlans testing for a release (acceptance, beta or staged rollout) and decides what blocks a launch.
   • Ability to plan testing for a release, from acceptance to staged rollout
   • Approach to deciding what blocks a launch
4. Level 4Strong barSets up testing and rollout practice for several teams, and uses the results to change scope or timing.
   • Ability to set up testing and rollout practice for several teams
   • Approach to changing scope or timing on test results
5. Level 5Every strong indicator met, plus exceptional evidence: shapes how the organisation tests and releases, with examples of failures caught and lessons applied.