The Ultimate Guide to Data Governance Interview Questions
If you're interviewing for a data governance or data management role, you're likely to be asked questions about your experience, knowledge, and skills in the field. In this guide, we'll provide you with a comprehensive list of potential interview questions, along with suggestions for how to answer them.
Possible Roles:
When applying for graduate roles in data governance, you may be interviewing for positions such as Data Governance Coordinator or Data Governance Analyst. These roles may require you to work closely with data stewards, data owners, and business stakeholders to ensure that the organization's data is managed effectively.
General Data Governance Questions:
1. What is data governance? Explain it to me as if I had never heard of it before.
Suggested answer: Data governance is the set of policies, processes, and procedures that organizations use to manage their data assets. It involves ensuring that data is accurate, complete, and secure, and that it meets regulatory and compliance requirements.
2. Why is data governance important?
Suggested answer: A possible way to answer this question is to explain that data governance is essential because it helps organizations manage their data as an asset, ensures data quality, mitigates risks associated with data, and enables compliance with regulatory requirements. You could also highlight the benefits of data governance, such as improving operational efficiency, reducing costs, and enabling better decision-making.
3. In your opinion, what are the various components of data governance?
Suggested answer: The various components of data governance include creating a business glossary, developing report specifications, ensuring data quality, implementing data stewardship, managing data security, and complying with regulations.
4. Who or what group at an organization is responsible for data governance?
Suggested answer: The responsibility for data governance usually falls to a dedicated team within the organization, such as a Data Governance Manager or a Data Governance Coordinator. However, data governance is a collaborative effort that involves many different departments and stakeholders within the organization.
5. Explain a sample data governance roadmap for an organization (what happens in what order).
Suggested answer: A sample data governance roadmap might involve creating a data governance framework, identifying data owners and stewards, developing policies and procedures, implementing data quality controls, and continuously monitoring and improving the data governance program.
Previous Governance Experience Questions:
6. How did you come to be involved in data governance?
Suggested answer: Describe how you became interested in data governance and how you have acquired the skills and knowledge necessary for the role. You could also highlight any relevant experience you may have gained through internships, coursework, or research projects.
7. Give me an example of how you went about implementing data governance before and what you would do differently this time.
Suggested answer: Use S-T-A-R framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe a specific project or initiative where you implemented data governance, including the steps you took, the challenges you faced, and what you learned from the experience. Also, explain what you would do differently if you were to undertake a similar project in the future.
8. How did you get buy-in for the data governance programs?
Suggested answer: Describe the strategies you used to communicate the benefits of data governance and how you addressed any concerns or objections from leadership.
Additional Questions About Past Experience:
9. What has been your biggest accomplishment in data governance?
10. What has been your biggest challenge in data governance?
11. Give me an example of how you went about implementing data governance before and what you would do differently this time.
Data Governance Content-related Questions (For Experienced Graduates):
12. Have you written a business glossary or functional definitions? Describe the writing process and what was included.
Suggested Answer: Describe the process of creating a business glossary or functional definition, including how you worked with data stewards and business stakeholders to define key terms and concepts. You could also highlight the importance of these documents in ensuring data consistency and accuracy across the organization.
13. Have you been involved in data quality issue resolution, assessments, and rules? Suggested Answer: A possible way to answer this question is to describe your experience with data quality assessments and issue resolution. You could discuss the steps you took to identify and resolve data quality issues, including how you worked with data owners and stewards to implement data quality rules and controls. You could also highlight the importance of data quality in ensuring accurate and reliable data for decision-making.
Data Governance and Organization related Questions:
14. How familiar are you with this organization?
Suggestion: Research the organization before the interview and familiarize yourself with its products, services, and mission. You could also highlight any relevant experience or skills that you have that are relevant to the organization.
15. From what you know, which data governance components would be most appropriate for this organization and why?
Advice for Graduates on Interviewing for Data Roles
Remember that you will be evaluated based on the same criteria as all other candidates, so it's important to thoroughly prepare for the interview and be ready to answer all questions.
Be honest about any limitations or areas where you may need more training. Employers appreciate candidates who are upfront and willing to learn.
After the interview, follow up with the interviewer to express your gratitude for their time and to reiterate your interest in the position. This can help to leave a positive impression and show that you are enthusiastic about the opportunity.
