IntermediateSITUATIONAL
Imagine your manager assigns you a recurring weekly report that typically takes 4 hours, but this week you have only 2 hours and several other urgent requests. How would you decide what to change (level of detail, format, data sources, timing), and how would you communicate this to your manager and any affected stakeholders?
Other
General

Sample Answer

I’d first clarify priorities and impact. In the first 15 minutes, I’d review last week’s report and ask: which 20% of insights drive 80% of decisions? I’d propose a “lite” version focusing on 3–5 core KPIs, using existing Excel templates and saved SQL queries to avoid rebuilding visuals. I’d temporarily remove deep-dive breakdowns (e.g., by region/product) and advanced charts, documenting what’s excluded and why. I’d email my manager a one-paragraph plan: scope reduction, expected time (2 hours), risks, and when the full report will resume. I’d copy key stakeholders, noting that any urgent drill‑downs can be provided on request within 24 hours. Afterward, I’d log what worked and explore longer‑term efficiencies (macros, Power BI automation) so the standard report can fit into a 2‑hour window going forward.

Keywords

Quickly identify which sections of the report drive actual decisionsDeliver a streamlined KPI-focused version within the 2-hour constraintCommunicate trade-offs, timing, and risks clearly to manager and stakeholdersUse the incident to justify future automation and process improvement
Related Questions

On your resume you mention working on a cross-functional project (e.g., involving multiple teams or stakeholders). Describe a situation from that project where priorities conflicted—how did you navigate the trade-offs and what was the final outcome?

IntermediateSITUATIONAL

Walk me through a recent multi-channel digital marketing campaign you managed end-to-end. How did you set objectives, choose channels, allocate budget, and measure success?

IntermediateBEHAVIORAL

In your resume you note improving or optimizing [a process, KPI, or metric]. What specific baseline metrics did you start from, what steps did you personally take, and how did you verify that the improvement was due to your changes rather than external factors?

IntermediatePROBLEM_SOLVING

Based on your hydrology and irrigation engineering background, explain how you would estimate the irrigation water requirement for a kharif crop in a semi-arid region of Gujarat. Walk me through each step: from reference evapotranspiration estimation, crop coefficient selection, effective rainfall calculation, to arriving at canal discharge for a given command area.

IntermediateTECHNICAL

In your civil engineering studies, what specific design coursework or project work did you complete related to irrigation channels or canals (e.g., design of lined/unlined canals, distributaries, minors)? Describe one such design in detail, including how you determined discharge, permissible velocity, section dimensions, and lining choice for Gujarat-type soil and climate conditions.

IntermediateTECHNICAL