Question: Describe a time when you had to strongly advocate for an idea or decision at work.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell me about a time when you had to fight for an idea at work.

Follow-up questions:

How effective was your approach?
How did you get the buy in of your team and superiors?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others)

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility)

Other Factors:

Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Interacting with Others – Selling or Influencing Others,Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Analytical Thinking,Assertiveness/Courage,Patience

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The candidate’s assertiveness.
The candidate’s analytical and critical thinking skills.

Red Flags to Watch For:

Answers that reveal non-assertiveness
The candidate’s analytical and critical thinking skills.

Sample Answer:

There was this instance when I had to be assertive in fighting for a marketing idea that I believed would enhance sales. I did my research and presented a solid proof of how effective it is and I got the go signal to proceed with the implementation.

Question Source: Unknown