Kanban
Kanban is a method for organizing and managing work that originated in manufacturing but is now widely used in many industries, especially in business and technology. Think of it as a visual system that uses boards (physical or digital) with columns like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done" to track tasks. Teams use Kanban to see what work needs to be done, who's doing what, and where bottlenecks might be occurring. It's similar to other project management approaches like Scrum or traditional to-do lists, but Kanban is especially focused on visualizing work and limiting how many tasks a team handles at once to avoid overload.
Examples in Resumes
Implemented Kanban system that improved team productivity by 30%
Led department transition from traditional project management to Kanban methodology
Trained team members on Kanban Board usage and work-in-progress limits
Managed multiple projects using Kanban and Kanban Board techniques
Typical job title: "Kanban Practitioners"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Kanban Practitioners
Online Communities
Professional Networks
Learning Resources
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How have you implemented Kanban in a large organization and what challenges did you face?
Expected Answer: Look for answers that show experience in managing organizational change, dealing with resistance, and successfully adapting Kanban to different team needs. They should mention specific examples of overcoming challenges and measuring success.
Q: How do you handle multiple projects using Kanban?
Expected Answer: The candidate should explain how they prioritize work across different projects, manage work-in-progress limits, and ensure team members aren't overloaded. They should mention techniques for visualizing multiple projects on Kanban boards.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What metrics do you use to measure Kanban effectiveness?
Expected Answer: Expect answers about lead time (how long tasks take), cycle time (time in active work), throughput (completed tasks), and how they use these measurements to improve team performance.
Q: How do you determine and adjust work-in-progress limits?
Expected Answer: They should explain how they observe team capacity, identify bottlenecks, and adjust limits to maintain smooth workflow without overwhelming the team.
Junior Level Questions
Q: Explain the basic principles of Kanban.
Expected Answer: Look for understanding of visualizing work, limiting work in progress, managing flow, and making process policies explicit. They should be able to explain these in simple terms.
Q: What's the difference between a Kanban board and a to-do list?
Expected Answer: Should explain that Kanban boards show workflow stages, limit work in progress, and help identify bottlenecks, while to-do lists are simpler and don't show process flow.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic Kanban board setup and maintenance
- Understanding of work-in-progress limits
- Daily stand-up participation
- Basic workflow visualization
Mid (2-5 years)
- Kanban metrics tracking and analysis
- Team training and coaching
- Process improvement implementation
- Multiple project management
Senior (5+ years)
- Large-scale Kanban implementation
- Cross-team coordination
- Strategic process optimization
- Change management leadership
Red Flags to Watch For
- No understanding of work-in-progress limits
- Cannot explain basic Kanban principles
- No experience with visual management tools
- Lack of team collaboration experience
- Unable to describe how to measure process improvement
Related Terms
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