Tell me about a time a colleague or stakeholder wanted to post something you thought would land badly. How did you handle it?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests collaboration & stakeholder communication. Shows how they manage requests from many teams, push back with reasons, and keep approvals moving without losing quality.
• What to bring out: Raises concerns with evidence and audience insight, offers an alternative, respects the decision process and learns from the outcome.
• Expect a follow-up like: What did you do if they still wanted to post it?

Another way it may be asked: Someone senior insists on a post you think will annoy your audience. Tell me about a time something like that 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 collaboration & 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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