How to Answer: Please describe a time when your testing strategy and methodology conflicted with one your supervisor preferred and how you resolved the conflict.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Test Engineer job interview.
2. Please describe a time when your testing strategy and methodology conflicted with one your supervisor preferred and how you resolved the conflict.
How to Answer
During an interview, you will be asked a mix of technical, operational, general, situational, and behavioral questions. Recognizing these and framing your answer appropriately will help you navigate the interview and demonstrate your qualifications for the job. Having a framework makes it easier for you to construct your answer, especially if you were unprepared for the interviewer's question. Since this is a behavioral question, you should use the STAR framework for your answer.
Written by William Swansen on November 11th, 2021
Answer Example
"It has only happened once, but I did encounter a conflict with one of my supervisors about a software test strategy I recommended. They were new to the organization and felt they could improve the operations by implementing their former employers' test strategies. I knew that our current test procedures were effective and that the software development team helped develop them. I explained this to the supervisor and then suggested that perhaps we could integrate some of his new procedures into the existing test plan to improve the efficiency of the process. After reviewing the new procedures, we agreed to add several steps to the process to replace some of the initial tests. This allowed us to reduce the testing time by 20%, which pleased the software development team."
Written by William Swansen on November 11th, 2021