Top 10 stakeholder management interview questions and answers

How do you balance your priorities when working with stakeholders?

There are many types of stakeholders who contribute to a company, including investors, employees, suppliers and clients. When working in a role with stakeholder management responsibilities, it’s important to coordinate the priorities of multiple groups. Hiring managers may ask this question to learn about how you gather information and make educated decisions to support stakeholder relationships. When answering this question, try mentioning your process for learning the top priorities of each stakeholder to show how your personal workflow connects to the entire organisation. You can also discuss strategies for finding compromise and validating the concerns of each stakeholder group.

What would you do if your stakeholders had conflicting views on an important issue?

Part of stakeholder management is collecting information from stakeholders and using that feedback to make choices and develop your project management methods. Hiring managers may ask this question to learn about your strategies for resolving conflicts between stakeholders when they have differences of opinion about a project. When answering this question, you can discuss how you mediated a problem between colleagues or stakeholders at a previous position to demonstrate your conflict resolution skills. Another strategy is to focus on ways you can collaborate and incorporate elements of each stakeholder’s ideas into a solution for the project.

Example: “In a past position, we had two key investor groups who had very different strategies on how to approach a project. One was ambitious and wanted to take risks, while the other was more cautious. Because their goals directly conflicted with one another but I appreciated both of their perspectives, I conducted research and looked for ways to create a moderate approach that incorporated some risks but also included backup plans to account for possible losses. I coordinated a meeting with representatives from each investor to present my pitch and we reached a compromise on the project.”

What strategies do you use to develop strong professional relationships with stakeholders?

When working in a stakeholder management role, it’s useful to oversee stakeholder involvement with short-term projects and their long-term relationships with the organisation. Hiring managers can use this question to learn more about how you build trust and develop open channels of communication with key stakeholders across the company. Try reviewing some of the long-term professional relationships you developed throughout your career and how you can apply similar relationship-building techniques to stakeholders in future positions.

Example: “The main strategy I used throughout my career is showing consistent appreciation for the input that stakeholders provide. Whenever stakeholders contribute an idea that leads to a successful project, I always acknowledge their role. In my past role, sending annual appreciation notes reflecting on our shared successes over the year helped me develop lasting professional bonds with several stakeholders throughout the organisation.”

Why are stakeholder management interview questions important?

Competency questions are important because they show employers that you have previously handled the situations and tasks likely to arise in the role you’re applying for.

As a candidate, you should prepare real-life examples of your skills in action. Make sure that the examples you provide not only address the question asked, but equally provide interviewees with a tangible link between your past roles and the one you’re applying for.

Two popular preparation tools are the S.T.A.R. (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and C.A.R. (Context, Action, Result) methods. These techniques provide a framework for answering competency questions by providing a structure to follow and identifying the most important points to share with your interviewee.

What matters most is that your role in the positive outcome is substantial and understood by your interviewees. The examples you use are up to you, and they need not be complex, as long as they are clear and structured.

Stakeholder management interview questions will often begin with “tell me about a time when…” or “give me an example of…” and you can expect that questions will vary according to the role, industry and seniority level of the position you’re applying for.

For example, customer service or administration roles will likely focus on organisational and interpersonal skills, while more senior or management roles will focus on problem-solving abilities and leadership skills.

1. Give me an example of when you used your communication skills to win over a stakeholder who was initially reluctant or hostile to your project.

Situation: In this example, you should start by painting a picture of your project. You need to explain why initially there was little reception to the project and why the person was hostile to the idea.

Task: Explain that you understood it was important to have this stakeholder’s approval and enthusiasm, and you knew, because of your vast knowledge of the project, that once explained, they would be enthusiastic about it too.

Action: Describe in detail how you were persuasive, but patient, ideally mentioning some of the challenging questions that arose. Most importantly, make sure you explain how you were able to answer those questions calmly and confidently.

Result: Ultimately, using your exceptional communication skills, you were able to explain the benefits of your idea and get full stakeholder buy-in and participation. If the project was successful, or exceeded forecast earnings, for example, then be sure to mention this too.

“Yes, I very much like to work with the software because it is important to get work done efficiently and at a faster pace. In doing this, the work gets done quickly and has the touch of a professional in the documents. I have experience in handling much software that increases the accuracy of the work.”

To conclude this article, researching the company and being sure to read several articles about the same topic will let you be prepared for any questions. The questions we have given you are the framework that will help you build on it and understand this position and allow you to present a valid argument for the same. Be sure to be confident for the interview and dress well. Being polite goes far, and be honest about all of your answers. These tips will give you an edge.

The term Stakeholder Management itself means communicating and making positive relations with the people who have as take in the company. It includes the employees, board of directors, customers, and shareholders, basically, everyone who has interacted with the company and derives benefits from it or gives the company benefits. This solidifies the position of the people working and gives the company a track record of which areas to improve relations on.

“Yes, I most definitely am. Working with my peers will help me get better at my work while also helping me get faster and better results. Many things can go wrong with bad communication, and being a team player can solve all of those problems. This is why I like to work together with people.”

The important thing to remember while answering questions related to the stakeholder management position is that the interviewer always asks questions that are the most relevant and helpful to solve the problems the companies will have whenever they tackle tasks that surround maintaining good relationships and offering advice to people of their company. Therefore it is important to remember your stakes in the company and your position before proceeding to answer.

2. What will you do if two stakeholders have two different opinions toward you?

You need to respond to the interviewer by saying you will try to understand both parties and provide answers to their queries in a polite manner to resolve the conflict.

Response:

“I will be attentive to both parties and understand their plight to come up with an ideal solution that will calm the conflict. Also, I will talk politely in a way they won’t get furious or underrate them.”

3.What would you do if your stakeholders had conflicting views on an important issue?

Part of stakeholder management is collecting information from stakeholders and using that feedback to make choices and develop your project management methods. Hiring managers may ask this question to learn about your strategies for resolving conflicts between stakeholders when they have differences of opinion about a project. When answering this question, you can discuss how you mediated a problem between colleagues or stakeholders at a previous position to demonstrate your conflict resolution skills. Another strategy is to focus on ways you can collaborate and incorporate elements of each stakeholder’s ideas into a solution for the project.

Example: “In a past position, we had two key investor groups who had very different strategies on how to approach a project. One was ambitious and wanted to take risks, while the other was more cautious. Because their goals directly conflicted with one another but I appreciated both of their perspectives, I conducted research and looked for ways to create a moderate approach that incorporated some risks but also included backup plans to account for possible losses. I coordinated a meeting with representatives from each investor to present my pitch and we reached a compromise on the project.”

4. What strategies do you use to develop strong professional relationships with stakeholders?

When working in a stakeholder management role, it’s useful to oversee stakeholder involvement with short-term projects and their long-term relationships with the organisation. Hiring managers can use this question to learn more about how you build trust and develop open channels of communication with key stakeholders across the company. Try reviewing some of the long-term professional relationships you developed throughout your career and how you can apply similar relationship-building techniques to stakeholders in future positions

5. How do you identify what details to share with stakeholders during a project?

Part of maintaining successful stakeholder relationships is understanding what types of information to share and how often to communicate with each stakeholder. It’s important to provide stakeholders with updates while also ensuring that you have the independence to make choices for your project. This question helps interviewers learn your perspective on a stakeholder’s involvement with the project management process. You can use your answer to explain your strategy for helping stakeholders feel involved and informed while also knowing when to manage problems within the team.

6.Tell me about a time you convinced someone to understand your perspective in the workplace.

A significant element of managing stakeholders is explaining information and advocating for your own perspective and goals. Hiring managers may ask this question to learn about your ability to manage the opinions of stakeholders and persuade them to agree with the organisation’s plans for a project. Employers often look for answers that show effective, professional communication strategies. In your answer, discuss how you used negotiation and persuasion to gain stakeholder buy-in for a project and how that created positive outcomes for the company.

FAQ

How do you demonstrate stakeholder management skills?

1. Summarize Each Stakeholder’s Status. …
2. Decide What You Want From Each Stakeholder. …
3. Identify Your Key Message to Each Stakeholder. …
4. Identify Your Stakeholder Communication Approach. …
5. Implement Your Stakeholder Management Plan.

What are the key questions in stakeholder management?

• Who are our stakeholders. …
• What are their stakes. …
• What opportunities and challenges do they present to the firm. …
• What economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities does the firm have to them.

What is a stakeholder management interview?

What are the 4 steps for managing stakeholders?

• Identify Stakeholders. The first stage in stakeholder relations involves researching individuals and third-party organizations that may be relevant. …
• Study Stakeholders. Once potential stakeholders have been identified, do your homework. …
• Prioritize Stakeholders. …
• Contact Stakeholders.