Tell me about a project you worked on that wasn't on the roadmap. This could be a request from leadership or a pivot you made. What initiated it? How did you decide to work on it?

This question is probing your ability to be adaptable, proactive, and to take initiative in your work. These are key aspects that hiring managers look for as they indicate a high degree of initiative and the depth of your proactive attitude and problem-solving skills.

To answer this question properly, you need to:

1. Briefly describe the project that wasn't formally planned or in the project roadmap.
2. Explain the reason or the opportunity that led to the initiation of the project.
3. Discuss how you took charge or decided to work on it and the steps you took.
4. Share the outcomes of the project and what you learned from it.

In my previous role as a UX designer in XYZ company, there was a project I undertook that was not part of our roadmap. We had received customer feedback that our website's checkout process was not user-friendly and was causing confusion.

Recognizing the importance of a seamless checkout process to our business, I decided to take the initiative to investigate the issue and propose an improvement plan. I solicited support from my manager and the web development team.

The project involved me assessing the customers' feedback, analyzing website analytics, and hosting focus group testing to uncover the exact areas for improvement. Upon completion of the research phase, I presented a redesign of the checkout process that simplified it, reducing the number of steps from five to three.

The result of this initiative was extremely positive. Post-implementation, our analytics showed a 25% increase in successful checkouts and a decrease in customer queries about the process. This experience truly enlightened me on the value of being proactive and the importance of centering user experience in project planning.

At my previous role with ABC Corporation, I oversaw a project that was not initially on our development roadmap. We were primarily focused on product feature development, but after analyzing user feedback and observing a steady user drop-off, I identified the need for a dedicated customer support function.

Despite being a product manager, I realized that this was an urgent need that would significantly impact our product's success. After proposing the idea to the leadership team and gaining approval, I worked with a cross-functional team, including representatives from sales, marketing, and IT, to set up a comprehensive customer support section on our software platform.

The new addition was met with widespread satisfaction from our clients, resulting in increased customer retention rates and positive reviews. This experience taught me the importance of cross-functional collaboration and placing customer feedback at the forefront of our development projects.