Question: Describe a time when you worked on a project that needed input and buy-in from other teams and departments. How did you approach the situation or persuade the stakeholders?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Think about a project where you needed to secure input from other departments. How did you ensure buy-in from the appropriate leaders and managers?

Follow-up questions:

What challenges did you face while interacting with the managers?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Science and Logic,Complex Problem Solving,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Persuasion,Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others,Systems Analysis,Systems Evaluation

Abilities:

Cognitive – Flexibility of Closure (Pattern Detection),Cognitive – Originality,Cognitive – Perceptual Speed,Cognitive – Speed of Closure (Thinking Speed)

Other Factors:

Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Interacting with Others – Monitoring and Controlling Resources,Interacting with Others – Selling or Influencing Others,Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Work Output – Process Management

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Interacting with Upper Management,Interpersonal Relationships – Relationship With Supervisor,Interpersonal Relationships – Responsibility for Outcomes and Results of Others,Interpersonal Relationships – Work With Work Group or Team (As a member, not a leader),Job Structure – Level of Responsibility (Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Organization Results),Job Structure – Structured versus Unstructured Work

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Analytical Thinking,Approachability,Compassion/Concern for Others,Cooperation,Handling Ambiguity,Initiative,Patience,Self Control,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for candidate’s strong interpersonal and persuasion skills.
If the candidate has used the relevant strategies and highlighted the win-win result both the departments will get from their input.
If the candidate has done enough research on the other department’s leaders and managers to know their working style.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate’s approach to this situation sounded very casual and did not have a strategic plan to get help from the other department.
The candidate’s response sounded overly optimistic about persuading the leaders.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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