Effective Work Sample Exercises for Hiring an IT Governance Manager

The IT Governance Manager role is critical for organizations seeking to align their technology initiatives with business objectives while maintaining regulatory compliance and managing risk. This position requires a unique blend of technical knowledge, strategic thinking, analytical capabilities, and strong communication skills. Traditional interviews often fail to reveal a candidate's true abilities in these areas, making practical work samples essential for identifying the right talent.

Effective IT governance requires more than theoretical knowledge—it demands practical application of frameworks, risk assessment methodologies, and policy development skills. By incorporating realistic work samples into your hiring process, you can observe candidates applying their expertise to scenarios similar to those they'll face in the role. This approach provides deeper insights into their problem-solving processes, communication style, and ability to balance compliance requirements with business needs.

The best IT Governance Managers possess both technical expertise and the ability to influence stakeholders across the organization. Work samples allow you to assess how candidates translate complex technical concepts into clear communications that drive action. They also reveal a candidate's approach to balancing competing priorities—a critical skill in governance roles where security, compliance, and business objectives must be carefully weighed.

The following exercises are designed to evaluate the core competencies required for success as an IT Governance Manager. Each activity simulates real-world challenges the role will face, providing a window into how candidates think, communicate, and solve problems. By observing candidates in action, you'll gain valuable insights that go far beyond what resumes and traditional interviews can reveal.

Activity #1: Risk Assessment and Mitigation Planning

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to identify, analyze, and develop mitigation strategies for IT-related risks—a fundamental responsibility of an IT Governance Manager. It tests their analytical thinking, knowledge of risk assessment methodologies, and ability to prioritize risks based on potential impact and likelihood.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a fictional case study of a mid-sized company implementing a new cloud-based ERP system. Include details about the company's industry, current IT infrastructure, and basic business operations.
• Provide a template for risk assessment that includes columns for risk identification, impact assessment, likelihood evaluation, risk rating, and mitigation strategies.
• Allow candidates 45-60 minutes to complete the exercise.
• Have a senior IT leader or risk management professional available to review the assessment and provide feedback.
• Evaluate the candidate on their thoroughness in identifying risks, accuracy in assessing impact and likelihood, practicality of mitigation strategies, and clarity of documentation.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided case study of a company implementing a new cloud-based ERP system.
• Identify at least 8-10 potential risks associated with this implementation, considering technical, operational, compliance, and strategic dimensions.
• For each identified risk, assess the potential impact (high/medium/low), likelihood of occurrence (high/medium/low), and calculate an overall risk rating.
• Develop practical mitigation strategies for each identified risk, focusing on the highest-rated risks.
• Document your assessment using the provided template, being prepared to explain your reasoning.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After reviewing the candidate's risk assessment, provide specific feedback on one risk that was well-analyzed and one area where the assessment could be improved (e.g., missed risks, inaccurate impact assessment, or impractical mitigation strategy).
• Ask the candidate to revise their approach to the area needing improvement, allowing 10-15 minutes for this adjustment.
• Observe how receptive the candidate is to feedback and how effectively they incorporate it into their revised assessment.

Activity #2: IT Governance Policy Development

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to develop clear, comprehensive governance policies that align with regulatory requirements and business objectives. It evaluates their knowledge of governance frameworks, attention to detail, and ability to create documentation that is both technically sound and accessible to various stakeholders.

Directions for the Company:

• Select a specific governance area relevant to your organization (e.g., data classification, third-party vendor management, or cloud security).
• Provide background information about your organization's current state in this area, including any existing policies, known gaps, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Include examples of your organization's policy format and style guide if available.
• Allow candidates 60-75 minutes to complete the exercise.
• Evaluate the policy based on comprehensiveness, clarity, alignment with regulatory requirements, and practical implementability.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided information about the organization and the specific governance area requiring policy development.
• Draft a governance policy that addresses the identified needs, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and alignment with business objectives.
• Your policy should include: purpose and scope, roles and responsibilities, policy statements, compliance requirements, exceptions process, and references to related policies or standards.
• Consider how the policy will be implemented, communicated, and enforced within the organization.
• Be prepared to explain your rationale for key policy elements and how you would approach stakeholder buy-in.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After reviewing the draft policy, provide feedback on one strength (e.g., clarity of roles and responsibilities) and one area for improvement (e.g., addressing a specific compliance requirement more explicitly).
• Ask the candidate to revise the section needing improvement, allowing 15-20 minutes for this adjustment.
• Assess the candidate's ability to incorporate feedback while maintaining the overall integrity and consistency of the policy document.

Activity #3: Stakeholder Communication Role Play

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to communicate complex governance concepts to different stakeholders and gain buy-in for governance initiatives. It tests their interpersonal skills, ability to translate technical requirements into business language, and effectiveness in influencing without direct authority.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a scenario where a new governance requirement (e.g., enhanced access controls, data privacy measures, or third-party risk management) needs to be implemented across the organization.
• Create profiles for two different stakeholders: a business unit leader concerned about productivity impacts and a technical team leader worried about implementation complexity.
• Assign company representatives to play these stakeholder roles, providing them with specific concerns and objections to raise.
• Allow the candidate 15 minutes to prepare after receiving the scenario.
• Conduct two 10-minute role-play sessions, one with each stakeholder.
• Evaluate the candidate on their ability to address concerns, articulate benefits, adapt their communication style to different audiences, and find constructive solutions.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the governance initiative that needs to be implemented and the profiles of the stakeholders you'll be meeting with.
• Prepare your approach for explaining the initiative, its importance, and how it aligns with both compliance requirements and business objectives.
• During the role-play sessions, focus on addressing each stakeholder's specific concerns while maintaining the core requirements of the governance initiative.
• Be prepared to negotiate and find creative solutions that meet governance requirements while minimizing negative impacts on business operations.
• Your goal is to gain stakeholder buy-in and commitment to supporting the initiative.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After both role-play sessions, provide feedback on one effective communication strategy the candidate employed and one area where their approach could be more effective.
• Give the candidate an opportunity to reflect on how they would adjust their approach based on the feedback.
• Ask them to briefly demonstrate this adjusted approach in a 5-minute follow-up with the more challenging stakeholder.
• Assess their ability to incorporate feedback and adapt their communication strategy accordingly.

Activity #4: Compliance Gap Analysis and Remediation Planning

This exercise tests a candidate's knowledge of regulatory requirements and their ability to identify compliance gaps and develop practical remediation plans. It evaluates their technical understanding of compliance frameworks, analytical skills, and ability to prioritize remediation efforts based on risk and resource constraints.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a fictional scenario describing an organization's current IT environment, including systems, data types, and existing controls.
• Select a relevant compliance framework (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS) and provide a summary of key requirements.
• Create a simplified compliance assessment template that includes requirements, current state assessment, gap identification, and remediation planning.
• Include some documentation about the organization's current controls and practices (e.g., network diagrams, data flow diagrams, existing policies).
• Allow candidates 60-90 minutes to complete the exercise.
• Evaluate the candidate on their understanding of compliance requirements, thoroughness in identifying gaps, and practicality of remediation recommendations.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided information about the organization's IT environment and the compliance framework requirements.
• Conduct a gap analysis by comparing current controls and practices against the compliance requirements.
• Identify and document compliance gaps, assessing the risk level associated with each gap.
• Develop a prioritized remediation plan that addresses the identified gaps, considering both risk level and implementation complexity.
• For each remediation action, specify required resources, estimated timeline, and responsible parties.
• Be prepared to explain your methodology and rationale for prioritization decisions.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After reviewing the gap analysis and remediation plan, provide feedback on one well-analyzed compliance area and one area where the analysis or remediation approach could be improved.
• Ask the candidate to revise their approach to the area needing improvement, allowing 15-20 minutes for this adjustment.
• Evaluate how effectively the candidate incorporates the feedback while maintaining a practical, risk-based approach to compliance remediation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these work sample exercises?

Each exercise is designed to take 45-90 minutes, depending on the complexity of the scenario provided. For a comprehensive assessment, we recommend conducting at least two different exercises, ideally spread across separate interview sessions to prevent candidate fatigue. The total time investment, including preparation, execution, and feedback, should be approximately 2-3 hours per candidate.

Should we use the same scenarios for all candidates?

Yes, using consistent scenarios across all candidates ensures fair comparison and evaluation. However, you may need to adjust the complexity or focus areas based on the seniority level of the position. Ensure that all interviewers use the same evaluation criteria and scoring approach to maintain objectivity.

How should we evaluate candidates who have experience with different governance frameworks than those used in our organization?

Focus on the candidate's approach and methodology rather than specific framework knowledge. A strong IT Governance Manager should demonstrate transferable skills that can be applied across different frameworks. During the feedback portion, observe how quickly they can adapt to new frameworks and requirements, which is often more valuable than pre-existing knowledge of a specific standard.

What if our organization doesn't have the resources to create detailed fictional scenarios?

You can simplify these exercises by using publicly available case studies or sanitized versions of past governance challenges your organization has faced. The key is to provide enough context for the candidate to demonstrate their skills while protecting sensitive information. Industry-standard templates and frameworks can also be used as starting points to reduce preparation time.

How do we balance evaluating technical knowledge versus soft skills in these exercises?

Each exercise is designed to assess both technical expertise and soft skills like communication and stakeholder management. When evaluating candidates, assign weights to different competencies based on your organization's specific needs. For example, if your governance team struggles with stakeholder buy-in, you might place greater emphasis on the communication role-play exercise.

Can these exercises be conducted remotely?

Yes, all of these exercises can be adapted for remote interviews using video conferencing and collaborative document sharing tools. For the role-play exercise, ensure all participants have stable internet connections and are familiar with the virtual platform being used. Consider providing slightly more preparation time for remote candidates to account for potential technology challenges.

In today's complex regulatory environment, finding an IT Governance Manager with the right blend of technical knowledge, analytical skills, and communication abilities is crucial for maintaining compliance while enabling business growth. These work sample exercises provide a comprehensive assessment of candidates' capabilities in real-world scenarios, helping you identify individuals who can effectively navigate the challenges of IT governance.

By incorporating these practical exercises into your hiring process, you'll gain deeper insights into candidates' problem-solving approaches, communication styles, and ability to balance competing priorities—all essential qualities for success in this critical role. Remember that the best candidates will not only demonstrate technical proficiency but also show adaptability, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence stakeholders across the organization.

For more resources to enhance your hiring process, check out Yardstick's AI Job Description Generator, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator. You can also find the complete IT Governance Manager job description that informed these work samples at Yardstick's IT Governance Manager Job Description.

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