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IT Business Consultant Mock Interview

Question 3 of 33 for our IT Business Consultant Mock Interview

IT Business Consultant was updated by on March 8th, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 3 of 33

How do you handle situations when the needs of the business conflict with the direction of a technology team?

"I leverage my facilitation skills heavily in cases where my business clients and the technology teams responsible for developing or maintaining their solutions do not agree. I adopt a neutral standpoint and consider all of the perspectives involved. From there, I work to create mutual understanding between the parties and develop a way forward that ensures everyone gets something of value in the end.

For example, I worked with a business that was a customer-facing and fast-paced 24x7 operations organization. It was difficult to find time for small maintenance updates, and scheduling large upgrades was a challenge. I worked with the management across each operating team to determine the best possible windows to make changes and train their staff. I developed a custom roll-out strategy for large initiatives and a standing maintenance window for smaller deployments. This often meant that my team and I were working overnight or during weekends, but our flexible attitude and commitment to customer service were greatly appreciated. Additionally, I ensured that the members of my team were rewarded for their hard work with extra paid time off."

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How to Answer: How do you handle situations when the needs of the business conflict with the direction of a technology team?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an IT Business Consultant job interview.

  • 3. How do you handle situations when the needs of the business conflict with the direction of a technology team?

      Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

      Interviewers understand that technology teams and their clients are not always in alignment. This question is asked to gain insight into a candidate's ability to resolve conflicts, empathize with the needs of a business partner, and ensure that important technical milestones are met.

      Written by Karrie Day on March 8th, 2022

      What to Avoid

      Avoid examples that resulted in sacrifices made by one party or another. Outcomes that do not transcend the conflict involved or offer rewards when one side makes concessions in a conflict do not leave the best impression possible.

      Written by Karrie Day on March 8th, 2022

      Answer Example

      "I leverage my facilitation skills heavily in cases where my business clients and the technology teams responsible for developing or maintaining their solutions do not agree. I adopt a neutral standpoint and consider all of the perspectives involved. From there, I work to create mutual understanding between the parties and develop a way forward that ensures everyone gets something of value in the end.

      For example, I worked with a business that was a customer-facing and fast-paced 24x7 operations organization. It was difficult to find time for small maintenance updates, and scheduling large upgrades was a challenge. I worked with the management across each operating team to determine the best possible windows to make changes and train their staff. I developed a custom roll-out strategy for large initiatives and a standing maintenance window for smaller deployments. This often meant that my team and I were working overnight or during weekends, but our flexible attitude and commitment to customer service were greatly appreciated. Additionally, I ensured that the members of my team were rewarded for their hard work with extra paid time off."

      Written by Karrie Day on March 8th, 2022

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