1. What is a Project Manager at Workiva?

As a Project Manager at Workiva, you play a central role in orchestrating the delivery of the company’s flagship platform, Wdesk. Workiva is a leader in connected reporting and compliance solutions, meaning the products you help manage are critical for thousands of organizations worldwide to handle complex data, finance, and ESG reporting. This role is not merely about tracking tickets; it is about driving clarity in a complex SaaS environment and ensuring that cross-functional teams—spanning engineering, product, and customer success—move in sync.

You will act as a bridge between technical execution and business strategy. Workiva places a heavy emphasis on collaboration and "humble competency." The environment is fast-paced and innovative, but the company culture prioritizes sustainable work practices and genuine teamwork. You will be expected to manage scope, mitigate risks, and foster communication across distributed teams, often helping to translate high-level product visions into actionable development cycles.

2. Common Interview Questions

The following questions are representative of what you can expect based on candidate reports. Workiva interviewers generally avoid "gotcha" questions or brain teasers. Instead, they focus on behavioral patterns and practical PM knowledge.

Behavioral & Collaboration

• "Tell me about a time you had to influence a team without having direct authority over them."
• "Describe a time you made a mistake at work. How did you handle it?"
• "How do you approach building trust with a new team?"
• "Give an example of a conflict you resolved between two team members."

Project Management Scenarios

• "How do you determine if a project is successful?"
• "If a key deliverable is at risk of being late, when and how do you communicate this to leadership?"
• "How do you handle a Product Manager who keeps adding requirements mid-sprint?"
• "Describe your process for managing risks in a high-stakes project."

Cultural Alignment

• "Why do you want to work for Workiva specifically?"
• "What does a 'collaborative work environment' mean to you?"
• "How do you handle feedback, both positive and constructive?"

These questions are based on real interview experiences from candidates who interviewed at this company. You can practice answering them interactively on Dataford to better prepare for your interview.

3. Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation for the Workiva Project Manager interview requires a shift in mindset. You should not just prepare to list your certifications; you must prepare to demonstrate how you influence people and manage ambiguity. The interview team is looking for authentic leadership and the ability to maintain composure under pressure.

Key Evaluation Criteria:

• Collaboration and Culture Fit – Workiva protects its culture fiercely. Interviewers will assess your humility, your willingness to help others, and how you handle conflict. They are looking for "force multipliers"—people who make the whole team better, not just individual high performers.
• Project Management Fundamentals – While you do not need to be a developer, you must demonstrate a mastery of PM methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Kanban). You will be evaluated on your ability to structure chaos, manage timelines, and utilize tools like Jira or Asana effectively.
• Communication Style – You will face questions designed to test how you convey bad news, how you negotiate scope with stakeholders, and how you present complex information to non-technical audiences. Clarity and conciseness are paramount.
• Adaptability – The SaaS landscape changes quickly. You need to show that you can pivot strategies when business needs shift without losing momentum or morale.

4. Interview Process Overview

The interview process at Workiva is generally described by candidates as transparent, structured, and relatively fast-paced, often concluding within 2 to 4 weeks. The process typically begins with an initial screening with a Talent Acquisition Specialist. This call is non-technical and focuses on your background, salary expectations, and interest in the company. If successful, you will move to a video interview with the Hiring Manager or a Senior Project Manager. This conversation digs deeper into your resume and specific project experiences.

Following the manager screen, the "loop" or onsite stage (often conducted virtually) involves multiple rounds. You can expect to meet with peer Project Managers, members of the development or operations teams, and potentially a General Manager. A distinctive feature of the Workiva process for Project Managers—particularly in recent years—is the inclusion of a presentation round. You may be asked to prepare a presentation on a past project or a hypothetical scenario to demonstrate your communication skills and strategic thinking in real-time.

Overall, the atmosphere is frequently described as "laid back" and conversational rather than an interrogation. However, do not mistake this friendliness for a lack of rigor; interviewers are meticulously assessing your soft skills and behavioral alignment throughout every interaction.

This timeline illustrates the typical flow from application to final decision. Use this to plan your energy; the final stage is the most intensive, requiring you to switch contexts rapidly between behavioral questions with peers and strategic discussions with leadership.

5. Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

The core of the Workiva interview focuses on how you work with people and how you manage the mechanics of project delivery. Based on candidate data, you should focus your preparation on the following areas.

Behavioral & Situational Leadership

This is the most heavily weighted area. Workiva interviewers want to know how you achieve results, not just what you achieved. They will probe into your history of conflict resolution and stakeholder management. Strong performance here means providing specific examples where you led through influence rather than authority.

Be ready to go over:

• Conflict Resolution – How you handle disagreements between developers and product owners.
• Failure Analysis – A specific time a project went off track and how you recovered.
• Team Motivation – How you keep a team engaged during a long or difficult sprint.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you had to deliver bad news to a stakeholder. How did you handle it?"
• "Describe a situation where a team member was not pulling their weight. How did you address it?"
• "How do you handle scope creep when a deadline is approaching?"

Project Management Knowledge & Execution

While the role may not require you to write code, you must speak the language of the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle). You will be tested on your practical application of PM principles. The "General Manager" or "Senior PM" interview often focuses specifically on these knowledge areas.

Be ready to go over:

• Agile/Scrum Ceremonies – Your specific role in stand-ups, retrospectives, and sprint planning.
• Risk Management – How you identify risks early and what mitigation strategies you employ.
• Prioritization – Frameworks you use to decide what gets built now versus later.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you plan a project from kickoff to delivery."
• "What tools do you use to track progress, and how do you ensure data accuracy?"
• "How do you balance technical debt against new feature development?"

Communication & Presentation

If you are asked to do a presentation, this is a critical evaluation of your ability to synthesize information. Even without a formal presentation round, your verbal communication is under a microscope.

Be ready to go over:

• Stakeholder Analysis – Tailoring your message to different audiences (e.g., engineers vs. executives).
• Project Post-Mortems – Presenting lessons learned without assigning blame.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Explain a complex technical challenge you faced to someone without a technical background."
• "Presentation Round: Present a project you managed, highlighting the challenges, the outcome, and what you would do differently."