Problem
Tell me about a time you needed to influence an important decision, but you did not have direct authority over the people making it. What was the situation, how did you approach it, and what happened in the end?
What This Probes
This question tests whether you can lead through persuasion rather than title. Interviewers want to see how you build alignment across peers or cross-functional partners, especially when priorities differ, the path forward is unclear, or you cannot simply mandate an outcome.
Strong candidates show that they understood the other stakeholders' incentives, used facts and context to shape the discussion, and stayed accountable for the outcome even if the final decision was not exactly what they initially wanted. Weak answers usually sound generic, rely on escalation too quickly, or focus on "convincing people" without showing listening, trade-off management, or measurable impact.
What 'Good' Looks Like
A strong response uses one concrete example with clear stakes, explains why authority was limited, and walks through how alignment was built step by step. The best answers include a quantified result, evidence of adapting their approach based on feedback, and a lesson learned about influence.
Practicing as: Engineering Manager interview at AtlassianHi, I'll play your Atlassian interviewer for the Engineering Manager role. Candidates describe these interviews as mixed and moderately difficult, so expect me to be professional and fair. Take your time with the question above and answer like we're in the room.
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