Scenario Based Interview Questions: What Are Situational Interview Questions?
Key takeaways: What are scenario-based interview questions?
Also known as situational interview questions, these show interviewers how you would handle real job challenges.
How you handle common scenarios including workplace conflicts, managing deadlines, adapting to change and exceeding client expectations often feature in this style of interview question.
The popular STAR method is a useful framework for answering these questions.
Why do interviewers use situational interview questions?
Hiring managers use scenario based interview questions to test your skills in hypothetical situations and your critical thinking and decision making.
Employers ask them to reflect the job role’s challenges and responsibilities. They create realistic scenarios you will face in the workplace.
But when do interviewers ask scenario-based questions? While it varies, interviewers tend to assess you on your skills and suitability for the role first, before moving on to this assessment based on hypothetical situations.
Scenario-based interviews also help show whether candidates have the soft skills necessary to do well at work.
Ideally interviewers should have clear scoring criteria to keep things objective and consistent when evaluating answers in scenario based interviews.
Common types of scenario-based interview questions
Typical questions focus on problem-solving, communication, and leadership. Try to show your critical thinking and analytical skills when responding.
- Handling workplace conflict: Workplace conflict is a frequent interview topic. Employers want to see candidates demonstrate communication and mediation skills. Check out our full guide on answering the how to manage conflict at work interview question.
- Managing tight deadlines: Managing deadlines well is essential in many jobs. Employers are looking for candidates who prioritise the right tasks under pressure. They expect you to show adaptability when handling high workloads. Explain your strategies for prioritising tasks and improving efficiency. A strong response shows logical decision-making and the ability to deliver results on time.
- Dealing with mistakes at work: Try to share a specific mistake and explain the lesson learned. A strong response highlights accountability and the ability to improve from feedback. Employers want to see candidates who take responsibility for their mistakes and correct them fast. Showing signs of resilience and professionalism helps.
- Persuading stakeholders: Persuasion is a key skill for many roles. Employers are looking for candidates who make informed decisions and influence others. A strong response could be presenting well researched arguments and gaining stakeholder buy-in. Try to show signs of logical reasoning and clear communication.
- Adapting to change: Employers want to see how well you can adapt to workplace changes. They look for resilience and the ability to stay productive in changing situations. Try to show flexibility when discussing unexpected changes in priorities. Strong examples show a proactive approach to change and team communication.
For related, relevant advice, we also recommend reading our guide on answering the tell me how you handled a difficult situation interview question and also – how do you work under pressure?
Preparing for scenario-based interviews
The STAR method is a structured way to answer scenario based interview questions. It includes:
- Situation
- Task
- Action
- Result
Breaking responses into these four parts keeps answers on topic and concise. For the Situation, set the context – then the Task explains the role, the Action details what steps were taken, and the Result highlights the outcome.
It helps you organise thoughts and present clear responses. This approach shows the ability to handle complex situations logically.
Use the STAR method when discussing difficult projects or workplace challenges. Employers look for clear examples of problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Writing down responses and practising with a mentor can improve confidence. And if you don’t have real, relevant STAR-style experiences to draw on when answering these questions, don’t panic:
- Say something like “while that exact scenario hasn’t happened to me before, there are some similarities to a time when…” and then use the STAR method to describe that situation
- Or imagine how you would address the scenario – using your common sense, industry knowledge, other partially relevant experience, and so on
Self-assessment after interviews helps identify strengths and areas for improvement and setting specific goals based on feedback improves future performance. Here’s how to know if an interview went well.
Scenario based interview questions and sample answers
You need to convince a client or stakeholder to accept a different approach than what they requested. How would you do it?
- [Situation:] A client wanted a website redesign with a specific colour scheme that didn’t align with their brand identity. As the lead designer I knew their request would weaken the brand’s impact.
- [Task:] I needed to persuade the client to consider an alternative design that maintained brand consistency while meeting their requirements.
- [Action:] I created a detailed comparison showing how their proposed colours contrasted with industry standards, made two mock-ups: one with their colours and another with a refined palette that maintained brand recognition, then also presented market research on colour psychology and user engagement.
- [Result:] The client loved the research backed approach and agreed to the revised colour scheme. The website launched and we saw a 20% increase in user engagement within three months.
Describe a situation where you had to step into a leadership role unexpectedly.
- [Situation:] The manager took leave due to a family emergency during a product launch. The project involved co-ordinating multiple departments and delays could have impacted the launch.
- [Task:] I had to ensure the team was aligned, tasks were on track and all stakeholders were informed.
- [Action:] We had a team meeting to clarify roles and outstanding tasks. I communicated with senior management to update them on our progress and set up daily check-ins to address any issues. I also gave extra support to colleagues who needed guidance.
- [Result:] The product launched on time and senior management praised the team’s efficiency. Stepping into a leadership role unexpectedly gave me confidence in my ability to manage high pressure situations and lead a team.
Other situational interview questions
Here are some other scenario-based questions:
- Tell me about a time you faced a major issue at work.
- You have two deadlines but only time to meet one. What do you do?
- Tell me about a time when you had to make a tough decision with limited info.
- Two senior managers give you conflicting instructions. What do you do?
- A colleague doesn’t agree with how you’re doing a task. How do you resolve it?
- Tell me about a time when you got unfair criticism. How did you react?
- You and a colleague have different work styles and it’s causing tension. What do you do?
- How do you handle multiple high priority tasks due at the same time?
- A client wants to change something on a project that’s almost done. How do you handle it?
- Your manager asks you to do something outside your job description. How do you respond?
- A client is unhappy with your work. How do you handle the situation?
- Describe a time when you had to manage a difficult relationship with a client or stakeholder.
- Tell me about a time when you had to motivate a team during a challenging project.
- A team member isn’t meeting expectations. How do you address the situation?
- How have you handled delegating tasks to ensure a project’s success?
While the possibilities are endless, you can use similar principles to answer most questions.
Final thoughts: Scenario-based interview questions
Keep in mind that if the situation or scenario-based question is hypothetical (‘how would you…’) you can still answer it using a real life example from your past.
Similarly, if the interviewer asks you to ‘give me an example when you faced this situation…’ it’s ok to reply with a hypothetical example, if you don’t have a relevant story to share from past experience.
Ideally, interviewers should use clear scoring criteria to keep things objective and consistent when evaluating answers in scenario based interviews.
For more interview advice, check out our blog. Recently we covered the what motivates you interview question and of course, we have also covered the top 10 most common interview questions and how to answer them.
We also have a range of articles covering interviews for specific professions, including:
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