Behavioral interview question · prioritization
Describe a situation where you had to say "no" to a request from a stakeholder.
What interviewers listen for
Explain the situation clearly (Situation), how you communicated "no" while offering alternatives (Action), and the stakeholder relationship and project outcome (Result).
Likely follow-up questions
- How did the stakeholder initially react?
- What alternative did you offer?
- What would have happened if you had said yes?
Practice this question out loud with an AI coach that asks the follow-ups, scores the answer against the STAR method and tells you what to tighten.