Tell me about a time an analyst or business team asked for data in a way you thought was the wrong solution. How did you handle it?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests stakeholder communication. Digs into the underlying business need behind a request, offers alternatives in plain language and confirms agreement.
• What to bring out: Asks about the real goal, explains trade-offs without jargon, proposes an alternative and reaches a shared decision.
• Expect a follow-up like: What did you do when they still preferred their original approach?

Another way it may be asked: Someone asks you for a giant daily export when you think a shared table would serve them better. What did you do in a situation like that?

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 stakeholder communication 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.

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