"Tell me about a time you had to decide whether to escalate an operational issue to leadership. What signals told you it needed escalation, what did you do before escalating, and what was the outcome? If relevant, you can use an example involving a Meta surface such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Ads Manager operations."
This question tests your judgment under pressure: whether you can distinguish between issues you should solve at your level versus issues that require leadership visibility. For an Operations Manager, the interviewer wants to see risk assessment, prioritization, and ownership — especially when the situation is ambiguous, cross-functional, or fast-moving. They are also looking for how you communicate upward without creating noise or escalating too late.
A strong answer uses a specific incident with clear stakes, explains the decision criteria for escalation, and shows what you did to contain the issue before and after involving leadership. The best responses are structured in STAR format, quantify impact, and show mature judgment: not escalating everything, but not waiting until the problem becomes unmanageable either.