Latest / Interview Prep with Fexingo: Behavioral Questions, Case Studies, and Hiring Manager Insights / The One Behavioral Question Hiring Managers Love
Transcript
- Lucas: Let me ask you something. You're in an interview, maybe thirty minutes in, and the hiring manager leans back and says, 'Tell me about a time you had to influence someone without authority.' Luna: Oh, that's a good one. And honestly, it's one of the most underrated questions out there. Lucas: Underrated but brutal. Because it's not testing your technical skills. It's testing your ability to navigate real workplace politics — how you persuade peers, stakeholders, even people above you when you don't have the title to demand anything. Luna: Right. And it comes up way more than people expect. I see it especially in cross-functional roles — marketing, product management, project leads. Lucas: Exactly. So let's break down why this question matters, what hiring managers are actually listening for, and how to build an answer that lands. I want to use a real example I came across recently. Luna: Let's hear it. Lucas: There was a marketing manager — let's call her Sarah — at a mid-sized SaaS company. She needed the engineering team to prioritize a feature for an upcoming campaign. But engineering had their own roadmap, and she had no authority over them. Luna: Classic pain point. So what did she do? Lucas: She didn't go in with a demand. She first spent time understanding the engineering team's constraints. She learned they were worried about technical debt and had a big release coming up. So she reframed her ask — she showed them how this feature could actually reduce support tickets, which aligned with their goal of stability. Luna: That's smart. She found common ground. Most people skip that step — they just pitch what they need without thinking about what the other team needs. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the core skill. Influence without authority is about building a case that serves mutual interests. Sarah also offered to help with QA testing for the feature, which showed she was willing to invest her own time. Luna: So she essentially became a partner, not a requester. That's powerful. Lucas: It is. And in an interview, that's the story you want to tell. But you need to structure it well. That's where the STAR method comes in — Situation, Task, Action, Result. Luna: Yes. And I think people often rush through the Situation. They give a vague 'I was working on a project' and jump straight into what they did. But the hiring manager needs context. Lucas: Right. So start with the Situation: 'Our marketing team was launching a big campaign in six weeks, and we needed a specific integration built. Engineering had a full roadmap and was resistant to adding anything new.' That's specific and sets up the stakes. Luna: Then the Task is clear: 'My goal was to get engineering to prioritize this feature without me having any authority over their timeline.' Lucas: Exactly. Then the Action is the longest part — and the most important. That's where you show your thought process. Sarah's action wasn't just 'I talked to them.' It was 'I scheduled a meeting, researched their backlog, identified their pain point around support tickets, and proposed a solution that addressed both our goals.' Luna: And the Result — did she get the feature? Lucas: She did. The feature was built a week ahead of the campaign launch. The campaign generated 15 percent more leads than expected. And the engineering team started including marketing in earlier planning meetings because they saw the value of that cross-functional collaboration. Luna: That's a full-circle result. And it shows that influence isn't a one-time thing — it builds relationships. Lucas: Exactly. Now, here's what hiring managers are listening for. First, can you diagnose a situation before acting? Second, do you understand others' incentives? Third, do you have a flexible toolkit — like offering to help with QA, or finding data to support your case? And fourth, can you articulate the outcome in terms of business impact? Luna: I'd add one more: do you show self-awareness? If the result wasn't perfect, owning that is actually a strength. Lucas: Good point. Not every influence attempt works. But if you can say, 'I tried X, it didn't work, so I pivoted to Y' — that's even more impressive. Luna: Let's talk about timing. Why do you think this question often comes up around the thirty-minute mark? Lucas: Because by then, the hiring manager has already assessed your technical fit. They've asked the standard questions. Now they want to see if you can operate in the messy reality of the workplace — because most jobs are less about individual brilliance and more about navigating teams. Luna: Right. And if you stumble on this question, it can really hurt your candidacy. I've seen candidates with great resumes lose out because they gave a generic answer. Lucas: Yeah. So let's talk about the pitfalls. One is telling a story where you actually did have authority — like 'I was the project manager, so I told them what to do.' That doesn't answer the question. Luna: Another pitfall is making it sound like a conflict. 'I had to convince this difficult person.' That frames you as adversarial. Lucas: Right. Frame it as collaboration, not confrontation. Use words like 'aligned,' 'understood their goals,' 'found common ground.' Luna: Also, avoid vague results. 'It worked out fine' doesn't cut it. Be specific: 'The project launched on time and we saw a 20% increase in engagement.' Lucas: Exactly. Now, a quick honest thing — we're able to dive deep into topics like this because of listeners who support the show through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small group, but it literally funds making episodes like this one, and it keeps the entire podcast ad-free. Luna: Yeah, seriously. This show is listener-supported, and we're grateful for every person who chips in. It lets us focus on giving you real, actionable advice without commercial breaks. Lucas: So back to the question. Let's say you're preparing for an interview tomorrow. How do you practice this? Luna: I'd say pick one specific example from your work history — ideally where you influenced someone in a different department or level. Write it out in STAR format. Then practice saying it out loud, timing yourself to about two minutes. Lucas: And vary the language. The same story can be framed for different contexts. If you're interviewing for a product role, emphasize the trade-offs you considered. For a sales role, focus on how you built a business case. Luna: Also, anticipate a follow-up. Hiring managers might ask, 'What would you do differently?' Have a thoughtful answer ready. Lucas: Good advice. So to wrap up: the 'influence without authority' question is a gold mine for hiring managers. It reveals your emotional intelligence, your strategic thinking, and your ability to get things done in a team. If you prepare a strong, specific STAR story, you'll stand out. Luna: And remember — the best answers are honest. You don't need to be a hero. Just show you understand how work really happens. Lucas: Next time, we'll tackle a question that makes even seasoned candidates freeze: 'Why do you want to leave your current job?'