Executive Tips on How to Hire a Project Manager

The purpose of this post is to educate hiring executives on how certified project managers are distinct. We will also discuss the importance of formal and informal ( book smarts vs street smarts) education in hiring practices.

A project manager is not just a persona with the title, “project manager”. There is a distinct difference between a project manager in the traditional sense of the title and that of a true project management professional.

Certified project management professionals (PMP) systematically use tools of the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Projects managers who have a title without this credential are not practitioners with the tools of certified project managers. These tools of the PMBOK make us more significantly more effective at our work (some estimates say more than 30% more efficient and productive at managing time, budget, scope constraints effectively).

Project managers certified through Project Management Institute are distinct in 5 ways:

1. PMPs have obtained a formal credential certified and verified by PMI.org
2. They adapt to their organizations needs but abide by the project management body of knowledge code of ethics
3. Project managers champion their organization’s technology and bring information to its highest value of use by making contributions of knowledge and expertise to others within the profession at the local, national and global levels
4. They participate in training, continuing education, and skill development in the project management profession, in a related profession, and in other professions
5. They have technical project management skills, leadership skills, strategic and business management skills (Defined as the PMI Talent Triangle).

Organizations that advertise and recruit for Project Managers without the formal credential of a Project Management Professional may not be seeking a person to practice project management as the ANSI ISO International standard.

These organizations may be seeking an administrative or tasks lead without tools and techniques described to deliver items #1-5.

In my last few organizations, I have witnessed the confusion. It is important to hire project managers who have project management certifications through Project Management Institute. Otherwise organizations may just want to advertise for another title or role to avoid inefficiencies, disillusionment,  confusion, and misunderstanding.

The goal of this post is to assist executives  in making the best hiring decisions when looking to fill project management positions. In order to save time and resources, hire credentialed project managers. An organization can expect better results by hiring  credentialed project management professionals.

Hiring someone without this credential as a project manager, is similar to taking a roll of the dice.

Slideshow Description:

This post includes a fishbone analysis of hiring a non-certified project manager. It would be a gamble and have negative consequences.

This post includes an ethical model for decision making for project managers. (ETHICS acronym)

Certified project managers with the PMP credential are more likely to consider external and internal ethical choices as well as the “E.T.H.I.C.S. acronym” displayed in the slide.

Created and curated by Emi Akiode, PMP

Emi Akiode is a project management professional with 13 years experience in managrment and support of the life cycle of a project. She is available for limited private consulting engagements through her LinkedIn page and her Instagram page @projectmangerpro or @project_insider .