What to Consider When Hiring a Project Manager

Project Managers play a crucial part in ensuring the successful completion of projects. You’ll want to hire the right one; otherwise, the project may suffer from delays, budget overruns, poor quality, and unmet objectives.

Here are a few things to consider when hiring a Project Manager according to CareerBuilder’s Supply & Demand tool:

1. Similar Titles

Don’t just search for “Project Managers,” widen your search by seeking similar job titles. Here are some job titles often interchanged by “Project Manager.”

• IT Project Manager
• Project Manager (Management)
• Scrum Master
• Business Analyst (Business and financial operations)
• Project Manager (Computer and mathematical)

2. Experience & Compensation

What is the experience level you are looking for in a candidate? According to CareerBuilder’s Supply and Demand tool, the average salary range of a Project Manager is between $95,000 to $125,000 per year. The typical candidate earns a median of $110,000 per year, holds a Bachelor’s Degree, and has 16-20 years of experience.

3. Skills & Responsibilities

If the experience and salary sound too steep or too costly for your team to compensate, you may want to reevaluate what you are looking for in a hire. Here are some typical skills and responsibilities of a Project Manager you should be keeping your eye out for as you sift through resumes.

4. Location

Depending on where you are trying to hire a Project Manager to operate, it could be more or less easy to find a great fit. One thing that can help attract candidates is remote flexibility – the more, typically the better. However, if remote flexibility isn’t an option, here are the top 10 cities where CareerBuilder says it’s easier to recruit Project Managers. 

5. Supply vs. Demand

CareerBuilder updates its insights monthly with data from active candidates on its platform and third-party aggregators to pull job postings from job boards, career pages, and careerbuilder.com. Here is the supply and demand for Project Managers in the United States:

Supply: 133,867 active candidates on CareerBuilder

Demand: 5,166,270 jobs across various platforms

With demand being greater than supply, there is a shortage of candidates for Project Manager roles in the US. With that, you can expect these 3 recruitment challenges:

Challenge #1: Increased competition for candidates…

Solution: Enhance compensation and benefits, strengthen employer branding, and leverage referral programs. 

Challenge #2: Longer hiring times…

Solution: Streamline the hiring process, engage with passive candidates, and build a talent pipeline. 

Challenge #3: Emphasis on retention…

Solution: Invest in professional development, create clear career paths, and enhance employee engagement.

To successfully hire the right Project Manager for your team, it’s crucial to consider these factors. Not only can working with a staffing agency allow you to leverage tools like CareerBuilders Supply and Demand tool to provide insights and streamline your recruitment strategy; but they can also do the heavy lifting for you while you work on what you do best for your company. 

It’s free to start your search.

Just tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll send you over some great candidates.