What to ask a scrum master?

The scrum master is a key member of the scrum team,

but also a somewhat misunderstood one, which can
make the hiring process problematic. Put simply, the scrum
master is the person responsible for promoting and supporting scrum.

But what does that mean? It means that the scrum master is the one who
helps everyone else understand scrum theory, practices, rules and values.
Think of the scrum master as a servant leader for the scrum team, but also
as a person who helps those outside of the team understand how to best
interact with the scrum team. However, as important as the scrum master
is, the position is not project leader. They are not accountable for outcomes:
the whole team is.

It’s a difficult position to fill, as the scrum master needs to help the team
reach consensus on tasks and timelines, facilitate the daily scrum meetings,
keep the team focused on what has been agreed on in those daily scrums,
remove obstacles in their way and protect them from distractions.

How do you find the right candidate to fill that role? That question can only
be answered by other questions. After thinning down the herd of resumes to
those who match your needs most closely, it’s time to speak individually to
the applicants. Here are some scrum master interview questions to help you
make the right decision.

1. How Do You Define Agile?

This is a tricky one. It’s a controversial question in that the definition of agile
is not commonly agreed upon. Is it a methodology? “No,” protest some, who
believe it’s a framework of approaches and behaviors that encourage
iterative development and collaboration between self-organizing teams. Is
there a right answer? Yes, the one that conforms to your approach and
culture.

2. What Differences Do You See Between

Agile and Traditional PM?
Since scrum is part of the larger agile idea, it’s always good to see how the
person distinguishes between the waterfall model that moves one phase at a
time and the short, frequent feedback loops of agile. If the person is unable
to make these distinctions clear to you, they will not serve as an influential
scrum master.

3. Is There a Time When Waterfall Is

Preferable Over Scrum?
There shouldn’t be an all-in-or-all-out approach to any project. Sometimes
a hybrid methodology works best. Other times a strictly traditional course
best serves the project. For example, if the work is simple, predictable and
fully defined, it would probably be right to use waterfall. This scrum master
interview question will determine if the candidate is thinking of their focus or
the overall good of the project.

4. How Does Agile and Scrum Differ, If They

Do?
If the person is unaware that scrum falls under the larger umbrella of agile
that’s, a problem. There are four main values and 12 principles of agile,
while scrum has its own set of values and principles. Scrum is a framework
to help teams become agile. This question will reveal whether the candidate
is in fact a scrum master.

5. Do You Know Other Agile Frameworks?

Scrum is not the only framework for teams to become agile. There is also
kanban (which uses kanban boards), test-driven development and feature-
driven development, to name a few. See what frameworks outside of scrum
the person has worked with and how that played out in the project. You
want to know how expansive their knowledge is.

6. Are You Certified?

There are certifications for scrum master, and that might be a prerequisite
for your hiring decision. But it might not be, either. Some believe in
certification, others less so, but either way it’s helpful to know a candidate’s
background. This is a way to open that door.

7. What Does a Scrum Master Do?

Like we noted above, the scrum master is a unique position. Scrum has
three main roles, which are the product owner, scrum master and delivery
team. They’re cross-functional but not shared among other projects. But not
all projects follow these rules precisely. How you run the organization and
how well the candidate can be flexible or has experience in your way of
doing the work will determine how good a fit they’ll be.

8. How Do You Run a Daily Scrum Meeting?

The daily scrum meeting, or standup meeting, is foundational to scrum.
They are held each day and run by the scrum master, who will ask these
three questions: “What did you do yesterday? What are we planning to do
today? What is blocking us from doing that?” This is not a status update for
stakeholders but a way to focus the team. If the person up for the job
doesn’t understand this, they’re not qualified.

10. Do You Encourage Automated Testing for

the Project?
Scrum often uses automated performance or regression testing to deliver
software as fast as possible. What are the tools the candidate prefers? How
well have teams worked with these tools?

11. How Long Are Your Sprints?

Sprints are usually one month or less, in which a usable and potentially
releasable product increment is created. But a sprint can be as short as a
week. Two weeks, however, is the average. Where does your candidate fall
on this spectrum? This can tell you a lot about how they’ll work on your
project.

12. Do You Allow Someone to Change a

Requirement?
The correct answer to this is yes. Agile requires a lot of feedback from both
customers and stakeholders. The goal is to improve the product. Change is
the constant in agile, so much as it’s embraced as a means of getting the
project done better and faster.

13. What Kind of Metrics Do You Use When

Measuring a Project’s Progress?
There are many ways to answer this, from burndown charts to burn-up
charts, which are the standard metric for determining how much you’ve
done within the time you’ve allotted for the work. But it’s always good to
know how the person measure the project, as it’s the only way to determine
how well things are progressing.

14. Have You Managed More Than One Scrum

Team at a Time?
Of course, scrum guidelines say that only one scrum master per team. The
key in the question is the use of the word “managed” rather than “led,” as
scrum masters don’t manage, they lead. So, ask this scrum master interview
question as stated above, and see if the candidate is really listening.

15. What Requirements Do You Use for

Teams?
The scrum requirements are written as user stories and the scrum master
isn’t usually the one who writes them. But they might help the product
owner do so. That way, the stories can be prioritized and ready for the
sprint.

16. How Do You Deal with Discord on Your

Team?
Here’s another practical interview question. There’s always going to be some
conflict when a group of people are working together for a common goal,
and sometimes that conflict is a positive thing. However, too much will derail
the project. Have the person explain when there was team conflict and what
they did to resolve that conflict such a fashion that egos weren’t bruised,
and the team remained bonded afterwards.

17. How Do You Motivate a Team New to

Scrum?
Maybe you’ve assembled a new team that is not practiced in scrum or even
skeptical of agile. They’re more interested in working and find meetings only
interrupt their progress. Has the candidate ever been in such a situation
and, if so, how did they handle it? This question relates to the one above,
only in a more specific scenario that might speak to your concerns.