Xero Product Owner Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 22 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Xero.
Xero
Product Owner
Mid Average Neutral experience Decline offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Presentation
Interview formats
Presentation Behavioral
The interview process started with a screening call, followed by three additional interviews. One of these interviews involved an exercise where I had to outline my first 90 days in the position. It was a lengthy process, and I had to actively push for scheduling the subsequent interviews more quickly because I was interviewing with other companies and wanted to compare my options. Ultimately, they couldn't present an offer in a timely manner, so I accepted another opportunity. I got the impression they were hesitant to engage in a bidding war with other offers or preferred candidates who considered them their top choice.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you describe your plan for the first 90 days if you were to get this role?
Xero
Product Owner
Mid Easy Positive experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen Presentation
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Presentation
The whole process took about 3 weeks. Everyone I interacted with at Xero was fantastic, from the talent acquisition specialist to the product managers and designers involved. I applied in the morning and heard back the same day about scheduling a phone interview for the next week. After that, the talent specialist emailed the same day to let me know I was moving on to an interview with two product managers the following week. The next step was a panel-style interview where I had to give a 15-20 minute presentation on how to improve a specific Xero feature. The day after that, the talent acquisition specialist called with some helpful feedback about their decision. Thanks for the chance, Xero!
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Can you tell me why you're interested in joining Xero?
- Describe how you would collaborate with other product-focused roles.
Xero
Product Owner
Senior Average Neutral experience Decline offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The recruiting folks made this super smooth. It kicked off with a phone chat, then I had three more video interviews over Skype/Google Hangout because I applied from out of town. The last step was an in-person interview. Everyone I spoke with was really nice and easy to chat with, making the interviews feel pretty conversational. They asked me about my past experiences and threw in some hypothetical questions. I really liked all the people I met, and the San Francisco office is pretty cool.
Confirmed questions1 question
- If you were to pick a product, what three things would you change about it, and how would you decide which of those changes to make first as the product owner?
Xero Product Owner Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Xero interview reports.
“Which app do you like the most?”
Read reports →“Can you explain your understanding of the Product Owner role?”
Read reports →“How would you handle a disagreement between a stakeholder and a technical team member?”
Read reports →“How do you prioritize your backlog?”
Read reports →“What is your biggest frustration as a product owner?”
Read report →“If you were to pick a product, what three things would you change about it, and how would you decide which of those changes to make first as the product owner?”
Read report →“Can you share your perspective on lean product methodology?”
Read report →“How do you prefer collaborating with the Business Analyst and Product Manager?”
Read report →“Were basic phone interview questions asked?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 22 Xero interview reports.