Tell me about a time you discovered the real problem was different from the one you were asked to solve.

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests critical thinking. Questions the stated problem, separates symptoms from causes, and challenges premature solutions respectfully with evidence.
• What to bring out: Shows probing for root causes, uses evidence to reframe the problem, and brings stakeholders along to the new understanding.
• Expect a follow-up like: How did the person who asked react when you reframed it?

Another way it may be asked: Have you ever been asked to fix one thing and found the actual cause was something else? What happened?

A structure to follow: STAR, with the weight on Action and Result

1. Step 1

   Situation

   One or two sentences: where, when and what was at stake. Pick a real example you were close to.

2. Step 2

   Task

   What you personally were responsible for. Say "I", not only "we", so the critical thinking you showed is visible.

3. Step 3

   Action

   The two or three things you did and why you chose them over the alternatives. This should be about half your answer.

4. Step 4

   Result

   What changed, in your own measure of it, and what you would do differently. Only use numbers you can stand behind.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
• Choosing an example with no clear outcome, or one you cannot answer detailed questions about.
• Ending on the action and skipping the result and what you learned.

How to practise it

Write two bullet points for each STAR letter, then say the answer aloud in about two minutes.

Related questions

• A senior leader has already chosen a solution before the requirements are clear. How do you handle it?
• If a manager says their team's reporting process is too slow, what questions would you ask first?
• How would you write a requirement so that a developer and a tester both read it the same way?
• Tell me about a time you had to understand a process or business area you knew nothing about. How did you learn it?
• Walk me through how you would map how a process works today and how it should work in future, and which tools you would use.

Browse all questions