Tough Scrum Master interview questions | ScrumMastered

Learn the 7 Essential Scrum Master Skills for free: scrummastered.com/scrum-maste...
Or enrol in The Fundamentals of Agile Coaching: scrummastered.com/agile-coach...
◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾
✨ MENTORSHIP ✨
📅 Enrol in my mentorship program: scrummastered.com/scrum-maste...
📩 Subscribe to my newsletter to get updates on new stuff and special offers: scrummastered.com/free-downlo...
📚 BUY the essential Scrum Master tools: store.scrummastered.com/
◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾
✨ MY FAVORITE TOOLS ✨
Use my referral links to get some sweet bonuses
⚪ My digital notepad --- Get $40 off remarkable.com/referral/X55X-...
⚪ Try Figma for free 👉 --- bit.ly/smedfigma
⚪ My electric standing desk --- Get $30 off : share.flexispot.com/x/Vqw7rR
⚪ My office chair --- secretlabcanada.refr.cc/daryab
⚪ My business pen --- bastionboltactionpen.com/?rfs...
⚪ Loom --- loom.grsm.io/uy4artv49x2l
◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾
☕ Support me - buy me a coffee ☕ offers.scrummastered.com/prod...
👋 Follow me and ScrumMastered on social media:
LinkedIn: / dariabagina
LinkedIn Company: / scrummastered
Instagram: / scrummastered
📖 Check out MORE COOL THINGS at scrummastered.com/quick-links/
✅ SUBSCRIBE to this KZbin channel: / scrummastered
❗ DISCLAIMER
If you are using my affiliate links I will make a small commission on the sales made. This has no additional cost to you.

[@jnieho1]

It's helpful to hear the skills horizontally (coach, mentor, facilitate) but then go vertically and talk about HOW and give real examples of coaching/mentoring/facilitating. Give a story. Thank you Daria and Ryan!

[@MaisonNdukong]

Learned so much! Thank you 🙏🏾

[@ericmwai1149]

Thank you. This greatly helps!

[@chantelmason1862]

Very useful information! Thank you.

[@thereselouise7459]

Wow thanks for this.

[@UL439]

The question about working with coaches was really a behavioural question. Getting that one wrong would probably disintegrate whichever successful answer you gave prior to that. The "dumb" answer as suggested might work for a consultant selling her service, but would hint at a terrible person to work with in an organisational context. Her answer was perfect.

[@ScrumMastered]

Thank you for watching

[@PrasannaMunukutla]

Great collaboration! I follow both channels, so this is fantastic 😄. Besides Facilitation, coaching , teaching mentoring, I would go with Visualisation of team processes and flow analysis for clearing blockers and optimising.

[@ScrumMastered]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@AgileforHumans]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@ifthikaraliahmed1155]

Good prassnna

[@zadoksworld8905]

This is my first time here and I am interested in becoming a Scrum Master. I am glued to this channel

[@ScrumMastered]

Thank you🙏

[@ramseyabsessien8990]

Speaking of a good fit, no one actually knows if a company or an employee is a good fit until they get into it.

[@ScrumMastered]

That is true. Not all information is really given to you upfront, but you can still figure out how things are really going in the organization by asking the right questions.

[@BugTheRoot]

oooh. I don't know about that. It is absolutely possible to have a great interviewee who later turns out to be different than what they presented in the interview, but that should really be the exception and not the rule. The key is to ask questions that drive responses about mindset, openness, curiosity, humility, what it means to be a team member.

[@ScrumMastered]

Learn the 7 Essential Scrum Master Skills for free: scrummastered.com/scrum-master-action-week-course/ Or enrol in The Fundamentals of Agile Coaching: scrummastered.com/agile-coaching-certification/

[@BlocheValentin]

Hey Daria ! Those kinds of role playing games are very interesting ! It's refreshing by changing the regular format of the videos :) In your listing of the Scrum Master roles, unless the facilitation, coaching and mentoring stances, you do not include explicitly " team's impediments removal", which is, for me, an important role. If I missed the moment of the video when you talk about this, my bad :D Do you consider that mission implicit/included in the different stances of the Scrum Master ? Thx :)

[@mahmoudalaaeldin8755]

It was really helpful to hear like a practical interview in order to help us to pass the interview and get the scrum master job As it's the first time for me to learn about this new job opportunity

[@ScrumMastered]

@mahmoudalaaeldin8755, hopefully, it can help with the interviews. Of course, it's just a small example.

[@hoci2974]

Thank you so much for your inspiring and motivating videos. My question is, how do you write your resume when you are still looking for your first scrum master job and with zero experience?

[@ScrumMastered]

Make sure you clearly state that you are looking for the SM job at the top of the resume, like an objective. Because otherwise the recruiter might be confused on whether you know what the role even is. And then focus on highlighting the relevant skills - don't just write your regular job descriptions - see what you did that will be helpful in the SM role and write about that

[@abrahamigunma]

Can you give robust response on this question of "Tell me about yourself "?

[@ScrumMastered]

I mean you should definitely have a couple variations ready. I mean, actually write them down and learn them by heart. The most important part is to keep it short. A very common mistake is when people go on for 10 minutes telling all the details of their life. While it can be very interesting, it's important to keep it relevant. Think of the person you are speaking with - what do they want to know about you really? What information will help you win their trust? For example, I've been doing lots of introductions these past weeks as I started working with some team teams. When I speak with Software Engineers I talk a lot about more about my experience working with technical teams. While if I talk with someone in leadership positions I 'll put more focus on my experience working with executives in other companies.

[@JenVisualsASMR]

Hello I’m interested in starting

[@ScrumMastered]

Hey Jen, thanks for reaching out. I currently offer a one-time coaching session or mentorship. You can find more about it here: scrummastered.com/scrum-master-mentorship-program/ Please let me know if you have any questions. Cheers!

[@RogerMarket]

Good video and great answers to the questions, but I have some feedback: The video isn’t really applicable to someone looking for their FIRST scrum master job. This question and answer are for someone who already has experience and is a scrum coach as well.

[@terrortingle]

So where is the difference between a Agile Coach and a Scrum Master in your opinion?

[@ScrumMastered]

There isn't any :) Well, technically, in the hierarchy there is. I actually have a video about that: scrummastered.com/blog/difference-between-scrum-master-agile-coach/

[@BugTheRoot]

In theory the "scrum master is the coach", but anyone who has worked for a while in scrum will be able to tell you that most scrum masters acquire an adequate knowledge of team level scrum values and practices, but very few actually achieve a coach's level of proficiency in agility. In other words, some scrum masters barely understand their role and are nothing more than glorified assistants. Others are good facilitators and know scrum quite well at the team level, but do not know how to coach at the program, portfolio, or enterprise level. Some scrum masters can only guide by quoting back the agile manifesto, or perhaps the scrum guide, but do not know the WHY behind the guide. After having coached around 100 scrum masters, I would say that barely 10% are coaches. We coaches need to do a better job of elevating their skills and helping them mature.

[@ScrumMastered]

That's the unfortunate truth. As for "We coaches need to do a better job of elevating their skills and helping them mature." - that's really the reason for what I'm doing here on KZbin. Not everyone has access to a great coach or just even a more experienced Scrum Master, so learning online is the only option. It is tough to explain some of the concepts though, because in the end, it all comes back to actually practicing the skills in question.

[@ripsirwin1]

She never gave a story about a time she demonstrated any of these "skills". Anyone could have memorized the answers she gave.

[@ScrumMastered]

She is right here, btw ✋ The question was not 'give me an example of when you demonstrated these skills', the question was 'what skills do you have'. Basically, the question was to see if you understand what skills a Scrum Master actually needs.

[@aaliyahdiamond5227]

I felt the answers were too general and and yes in real life they ask tougher ones and scenario based ones