How to source and shortlist {role_name}

Where can you find qualified {role_name}?

You can source strong Digital Product Manager talent from multiple platforms depending on geography, experience level, and hiring budget.

1. Professional Networking Platforms

These platforms help you reach active and passive candidates.

2. Educational Institutions (Product & Tech Programs)

Ideal for junior or mid-level profiles.

3. Company Career Pages

Look at companies that already hire Digital Product Managers such as:

  • SaaS companies
  • Retail and e-commerce companies
  • Fintech and EdTech
  • Media and content platforms

4. Role-Specific Job Boards for Product Management

United States

India

UAE & KSA

Remote Positions

What are the best practices for headhunting {role_name}?

  • Target profiles with keywords: “Product Manager”, “Digital Product Owner”, “Agile Product Manager”, “Product Strategist”.
  • Personalize outreach messages with a reference to their portfolio or product accomplishment.
  • Offer role clarity: product ownership level, challenges, tech stack, and KPIs.
  • Approach candidates working in similar product-led companies.

"Find Talent Quickly" – Leverage Headhunting and Referrals

How to shortlist candidates?

Once you have started to get applications from applicants, a thorough screening process and shortlisting of prospects will help you make the most of your time spent with the most qualified ones. 

Automated shortlisting tools :

Automated screening quickly filters out unqualified candidates, saving time for manual review. This allows the manual process to focus on the most promising candidates, ensuring the best ones are considered for further evaluation.

Screening questions to auto-shortlist based on predefined criteria

like qualifications, location, experience, and skills. Either use job board or use an ATS such as whitecarrot. Here are some questions for {role_name}

  • How many years of experience do you have as a Digital Product Manager
    • Auto-reject if the answer is below 2 years (unless hiring junior role).
  • Do you have experience working in Agile or Scrum environments?
    • Reject if the answer is “No” for mid-senior roles.
  • Have you worked on digital product lifecycle from discovery to launch?
    • Prefer “Yes” with real examples.
  • Are you located in [preferred location] or open to relocation/remote?
    •  Reject if the candidate is unwilling to align with hiring preference.

Skill based question to auto shortlist candidate

Analyze the skill test data to automatically shortlist top-performing applicants. (recommended screening test time - 15 minutes). Here are some skill test questions for {role_name}

Product Strategy

This skill evaluates the candidate’s ability to align product direction with business goals.

  1. What is the main purpose of a product roadmap?
    A) UI styling
    B) Planning product direction and priorities
    C) Engineering task assignment
    D) Finance and budgeting
    Correct Answer: B

  2. What should be the starting point when creating a product?
    A) Choose technology first
    B) Copy competitors
    C) Understand user problems
    D) Pick features randomly
    Correct Answer: C

  3. What does MVP stand for?
    A) Market Validated Plan
    B) Minimum Viable Product
    C) Main Value Prototype
    D) Managed Version Product
    Correct Answer: B

  1. What is the goal of a user journey map?
    A) Track project deadlines
    B) Understand user steps, emotions, and pain points
    C) Identify marketing channels
    D) Choose engineering tools
    Correct Answer: B

  2. A/B testing helps teams:
    A) Compare two product versions to improve performance
    B) Review employee performance
    C) Finalize UI colors
    D) Test only backend systems
    Correct Answer: A

  3. Why is user research important?
    A) To validate assumptions and understand user needs
    B) To create internal presentations
    C) To reduce developer workload
    D) To skip competitor analysis
    Correct Answer: A

  1. Agile development is based on:
    A) One final release only
    B) Fixed requirements and no change
    C) Iterative and incremental improvement
    D) Yearly waterfall planning
    Correct Answer: C

  2. Who is responsible for maintaining the product backlog?
    A) Designer
    B) Developer
    C) Product Manager/Product Owner
    D) CEO
    Correct Answer: C

  3. What is discussed in a sprint retrospective?
    A) Hiring plan
    B) Budget review
    C) What went well, what didn’t, and improvements
    D) Roadmap presentation
    Correct Answer: C

Note - Auto reject candidates if scores less than 70% in this section

One way video interview

Recruitment Bullet

Use tools like hirevue, whitecarrot.io to ask candidates pre-recorded questions about their experience and skills.

Recruitment Bullet

Use sample question given in scorecard.

Collect other information 

Recruitment Bullet

Collect data from shortlisted candidates, such as salary expectations and visa status.

"Shortlist in Seconds" – Use our CV scoring feature to get top candidate recommendation

Manual candidate profile shortlisting:

Recruitment Bullet

Thoroughly review the CVs of the top scoring candidates from the automated process

Recruitment Bullet

Look for evidence of the required skills, experience, and achievements

Recruitment Bullet

Review the candidate’s portfolio or GitHub repositories to see examples of their work.

Schedule recruiter calls with the candidate

Recruitment Bullet

Use a tool like calendly or whitecarrot to allow candidates to self-schedule calls based on your availability

Recruitment Bullet

Confirm the call details (date, time, dial-in info) with the candidate via email

What questions to ask in the recruiter phone screen?

Recruitment Bullet

 Use scorecard for rating candidates for recruiter

Recruitment Bullet

Sample scorecard : 

Criteria Sample Question Rating (1–5)
Product Thinking How do you decide what feature to build first?
User Empathy How do you understand user needs and pain points?
Communication Explain a complex product decision in simple words.
Ownership Share an example where you led a feature end to end.
Cultural Fit What motivates you in a product role?
Recruitment Bullet

Check for consistency in responses from the candidates.

Recruitment Bullet

Record such scorecards in an ATS like whitecarrot or use google doc

Frequently Asked Questions?

What are the most common skills to look for in a Digital Product Manager?

Look for product strategy, user empathy, UX understanding, agile experience, communication, prioritization, and analytical thinking.

How do I keep Digital Product Manager candidates engaged?

Share product vision, roadmap challenges, growth opportunities, and impact metrics. They respond well to clarity, ownership, and innovation challenges.

How can I assess cultural fit?

Ask questions about ownership, decision making style, collaboration preferences, handling ambiguity, and feedback approach.