Question: Describe a time when you had to convince someone that had made or will make a mistake.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell us when you had to persuade someone above you that they had made a mistake. What did you do in this situation? How did it turn out?

Follow-up questions:

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment),Social – Persuasion,Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Deductive Reasoning,Cognitive – Inductive Reasoning,Cognitive – Perceptual Speed,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition)

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Estimating Characteristics of Objects, Events, or Information,Information Input – Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (for Problem Identification),Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Interacting with Others – Provide Consultation and Advice to Others,Interacting with Others – Selling or Influencing Others,Mental Processes – Analyzing Data or Information,Work Output – Quality Improvement

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Interpersonal Relationships – Relationship With Supervisor,Interpersonal Relationships – Work With Work Group or Team (As a member, not a leader),Job Structure – Consequence of Error,Job Structure – Work Accuracy (Importance of Being Exact or Accurate)

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Attention to Detail,Initiative,Social Orientation (Work Alone vs Group Work)

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

If the candidate portrays their keen observation and strong persuasion skills.
You are looking for the candidate’s interpersonal skills and how successfully they would communicate the mistake of others especially of some one above them.
If the candidate suggests solutions to take care of this mistake.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate bad mouths about the person who made the mistake and blames them for not being able to persuade them.
If the candidate gives a vague answer that they handled it many times but no specific example and doesn’t seem to showcase any required skills like persuasion, keen observer.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/most-common-competency-based-interview-questions