Question: Describe a time when you had to pitch an idea or proposal to a group of your superiors. How did it go and what happened after?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Follow-up questions:

What approach did you use to sell your idea?
How did you make sure your idea was clearly communicated?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Speaking,Basic – Writing,Social – Persuasion,Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Oral Expression,Cognitive – Written Expression

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Extraversion,Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (Informing),Interacting with Others – Selling or Influencing Others

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Interacting with Upper Management,Interpersonal Relationships – Public Speaking/Presentation,Interpersonal Relationships – Relationship With Supervisor

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The candidate’s communication skills.
The candidate’s ability to sell an idea.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate has any issues or problems presenting an idea to a group of senior stakeholders, this could be a red flag.

Sample Answer:

There was an instance when we needed to innovate to make the project successful. With limited budget, I proposed to using old print outs to save on cost. I am proud to say that we were able to pull it through.

Question Source: Unknown