Scrum Master – 5 Interview questions you’ll need to be able to answer

Preparing for an interview well in advance can increase your confidence and chances of success. We go through five frequent Scrum master interview questions, including both behavioral and definitional questions. Hiring managers may require you to demonstrate an understanding of Scrum fundamentals or indicate what you would do in certain circumstances.

There are three kinds of Scrum Master interview questions you may encounter.

An interview for the Scrum Master role is much like any other job interview, but with Scrum-related questions. Following are the kinds of interview questions you could encounter:

• Standard interview questions: These involve questions like “Describe your strengths and weaknesses” or “Tell me a little about yourself” that you generally encounter in interviews.
• Definitional: When a business hires a Scrum master, they are most likely looking for someone well-versed in Scrum. Many of the interview questions will likely examine your real understanding of Scrum, as well as related concepts such as Agile. Answer these with the term definition and tell them why it is essential.
• Behavioral questions: These demonstrate how you would handle certain scenarios as a Scrum master. Think of numerous anecdotes from your experience that you may share during the interview.

Definitional Interview Questions for the Scrum Master Role

Hiring managers frequently use definitional questions to assess the candidate’s understanding of Scrum. However, it is possible that the interviewer is searching for more than a dictionary definition. Use this chance to emphasize why that specific term is important to the Scrum process, the team, or the job.

Define Scrum.

This question might be used by an interviewer to initiate a conversation. In response to this question, provide a brief definition and discuss why Scrum is important. How does Scrum add value to an organization and a team? What are the advantages of using Scrum techniques over other project management methods? Even if you’re familiar with Scrum, coming up with fundamental concepts on the fly might be difficult. Prepare a strong definition, as well as some remarks on the value it may give to a business. This question might also take the following forms:

• Explain Scrum to someone who is unfamiliar with it.
• What are its benefits?
• What is Scrum to you?

What are the values of Scrum?

Scrum’s success is driven by the five following values: focus, commitment, courage, respect, and openness. Scrum is more than simply a set of processes, and its ideals are a big part of what distinguishes it from more conventional approaches to project management like Waterfall. Consider discussing why these values are vital in a team in your answer. You might explain how they vary from other methods of project management. It will also be beneficial to link the values to the Scrum team’s performance. Have an experience about how a project was saved by encouraging a Scrum team member to share honest feedback? This is the perfect opportunity to share. This question may also take other forms like what are these values to you?

What are Scrum’s limitations?

Scrum has many advantages, but it is not appropriate for every business or team. A Scrum master should understand Scrum’s limitations and when it is preferable to delegate project management to other methods. Scrum is commonly advised for teams or sectors that anticipate change. Scrum teams are often small since they are meant to change rapidly and function in short cycles, making it difficult for pure Scrum to perform projects with huge teams without some adaptations. Scrum may also not be the greatest solution if you have really stringent limitations, such as a budget or timetable. Discuss how alternative project management methodologies could replace or enhance Scrum in a project if you’re familiar with them. Other variations of this question include:

• When would you utilize Waterfall instead of Scrum?
• Have you ever utilized customized Scrum versions?
• When a Scrum method didn’t work for a project, how did you adapt?

Situational Interview Questions for the Scrum Master Role

Situational questions serve two functions: they measure your experience and your behavioral abilities.

What would you do to scale Scrum?

Some project managers are specifically employed to help firms expand Scrum. Check the job description to determine if this type of work is expected of you. There are various approaches to scaling Scrum across a big team or business. Scrum@Scale, Nexus, and SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) are a few examples. Be open about what you’re familiar with and what methods have worked or not worked for you. Other variations of this question include:

• Which Scrum scaling methods are you familiar with?
• Do you have any Scrum scaling experience?

How do you deal with team conflict?

Conflict can arise as a result of competing personalities or differences in how to approach a task.

• You can handle disagreement in a variety of ways, including:
• Hold one-on-one conversations with interested stakeholders to better grasp the problem.
• Organize the Scrum team to come up with solutions.
• If the decision-making ability is not in your power, escalate the situation.

Allow team members to resolve conflicts on their own, and interfere only when they are actually impeding project execution. You might also discuss preventative strategies to avoid confrontation as much as possible. This might involve developing efficient communication strategies or encouraging cooperation through icebreaker activities. Other variations of this question include:

• Can you manage a team successfully?
• How would you go about a situation where you and a team member have different opinions on how to tackle a task?

Final Thoughts

If you want to get hired for the post, you should research Scrum Master interview questions and answers. By preparing for questions about your experience, what a Scrum Master performs, and frequent challenges in the job, you can guarantee a seamless interview process. You should be well on your way to acing your next interview with these questions. Just keep your responses brief, precise, and honest. Best wishes!