Sign up to get personalized answers based on your resume
Can you share an experience where you had to reject or modify a request for technical reasons? What did you say to explain your concerns and how did things turn out?
The interviewer wants to know how well you can determine if something is technically feasible, how you explain your concerns to others, and how you work together to find other options when there are technical challenges.
- Assess the technical feasibility of requests thoroughly before communicating concerns.
- Provide clear, data-driven explanations of technical constraints to stakeholders.
- Maintain open and professional communication with all parties involved.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to explore and propose alternative solutions.
- Demonstrate strong understanding of the technical limitations and business needs.
- Show leadership by guiding multiple teams towards a feasible solution.
- Avoid suggesting that you always agree to unrealistic requests or that you never communicate your concerns. Don't give examples where you failed to find an alternative solution or where your communication was unprofessional or unclear.
Sample Answer 1
In a previous role as a Principal Engineer, a strategic partner proposed a system integration that wasn't viable due to different technology stacks used across teams. After assessing the implications, I gathered technical leads from each team to discuss the challenges. I presented a detailed analysis of the constraints and facilitated a brainstorming session to identify a workaround. Together, we developed a middleware solution that allowed the integration without a complete tech stack overhaul. This not only met the partner's requirements but also promoted cross-team collaboration and innovation.
Sample Answer 2
As a Principal Engineer, I once encountered a request for a cross-product feature that was technically challenging due to conflicting system architectures across teams. I organized a meeting with key stakeholders from each team, clearly explaining the technical roadblocks and their implications on timelines. By fostering a collaborative environment, we identified a viable alternative that aligned more closely with our existing capabilities, ensuring delivery within resource constraints while maintaining system integrity.
Sample Answer 3
During a large-scale project, a feature was requested that required real-time data analysis beyond our current capabilities spread across multiple teams. I led the effort to assess the technical constraints, collecting input from each team. I communicated my findings through a technical review meeting, detailing why real-time processing was not feasible with current resources. By prioritizing open dialogue, we conceptualized a batch processing approach that met the project's objectives and educated teams on managing similar challenges in the future.