Elena Prokopets
Are you preparing for a job interview? Congratulations! Your prospective employer believes you may be a new team member. However, they still need to understand if you can fit well into the new environment. This is why hypothetical interview questions have become increasingly common.
What Are Hypothetical Questions In An Interview?
Hypothetical questions involve putting a candidate in an imaginary situation and asking them to explain how they would handle it in real life. You can spot such interview questions by looking out for phrases such as “what would you do if…?” and “how would you respond to…?”.
Employers love hypothetical questions as they indicate the strength of candidates’ analytical and interpersonal skills. That’s why hip tech companies like Google and Facebook often ask probing hypothetical interview questions — to find the most promising, well-rounded talent with a combination of hard and soft skills.
For instance, here’s a sample hypothetical question that a prospective Product Quality Analyst was asked at Google:
“A restaurant opened in Alaska yesterday on Google Maps has got 15 reviews. What do you think about this? How can you make sure the reviews are genuine?”
The interviewers are looking for an answer that provides a step-by-step account of how the respondent would investigate the legitimacy of some (clearly rather dodgy) reviews. In this way, the question offers candidates an opportunity to display their business acumen and quick-thinking skills.
Hypothetical scenario questions at Google interviews also often include follow-ups, which encourage you to further explain your line of thinking when tackling a particular problem. For example, follow–up hypothetical scenarios can sound like this:
“A competitor started offering a $5 monthly fee for their email product. What recommendations would you make to your team based on your assessment of the situation?
Follow-ups: Which factors would you consider in your recommendation? What impact on the company would your suggestions make?”
Overall, hypothetical interview questions are common for managerial and executive roles. But they may also come up for several technical roles, especially in software development.
Hypothetical Interview Questions vs Situational Questions vs Case Problems
Hypothetical interview questions are different from behavioral interview questions, which test how well candidates responded to situations in the past. Hypothetical prompts ask you to consider future situations and allow you to get a bit more creative. While you may draw inspiration from past experiences, you must display problem-solving, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and conceptual skills in your answers.
Case problems, in turn, are a version of a hypothetical interview question that requires you to provide an in-depth analysis of a specific real or mock situation. Mostly, these are written test assignments you do in between interview rounds and then discuss your answers in person. When solving hypothetical scenarios and case problems you need to demonstrate how you apply your skills and domain knowledge to deliver real-world business outcomes. These also test your ability to analyze multiple factors that can influence the outcomes and present your thinking in a logical, well-structured manner.
18 Sample Hypothetical Interview Questions With Answers
Practice is key to doing well in all sorts of job interviews. Here are eighteen hypothetical interview questions and sample answers you can use as a cheat sheet.
Q1. You’re Leading A Project Which Requires Input From A Variety Of Teams. One Of The Teams Is Running Late And Claims They’re Snowed Under With Tasks. How Will You Deliver The Project On Time?
If you’re pepped with a similar question, the recruiter wants to test your people skills and ascertain how effectively you handle a heavy workload. They’re not asking you to rant and rave at the offending team (as tempting as that sounds).
Instead, you need to display your managerial skills. How will you convey the urgency of the deadline? Perhaps you will ask a third party to intervene, such as a more senior manager? Whatever way you decide to handle the situation, demonstrate that you understand the importance of stringent planning and solid communication.
Sample answer:
“First, I would assess the impact of the delayed team on the overall timeline of the project. If their tasks are critical to the project’s success, I would explore alternative solutions such as reallocating resources or outsourcing to ensure timely delivery. If their tasks are not critical, I would work with them to prioritize their workload and provide extra support if needed”.
Q2. You’ve Noticed A Coworker Harassing Another Employee. How Do You Respond?
This is one of the hard hypothetical questions, as it requires you to apply your subjective judgment. The recruiter is essentially testing your personality, and there are no correct or incorrect answers.
You could, for example, assertively intervene and stand up for the harassed employee. If you’re concerned about the repercussions, however, you can inform upper management. Try to answer this question as honestly as possible and give reasons for your judgment.
Sample answer:
“I would approach the person privately about the issue first. To avoid sounding accusatory, I usually use “I” statements as in, “I noticed your behavior the other day and it made me uncomfortable”. If they do not acknowledge their wrongdoing and continue with the same course, I would escalate the issue to the management and HR. I believe bullying is not acceptable.”
Q3. Your Manager Has Asked You To Work Entirely Remotely For A Few Weeks. How Will You Maintain Strong Lines Of Communication With Colleagues And Clients?
This hypothetical situation is increasingly likely to pop up in interviews as remote working becomes more common. It tests:
- How dependable you are
- If you are good with asynchronous communication
- How comfortable you are using popular communications software.
Make sure you display your knowledge of different channels, including email, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, and any other relevant software. Just don’t mention your penchant for sending memes to colleagues.
Sample answer:
“To keep the comms going, I’d establish a communication plan for regular check-ins. I usually prefer morning stand-ups where I can quickly talk about my plans/goals for the day, plus address the blockers. Afternoons are usually my “deep work” hours, so I’d avoid planning meetings around that time, but I’d respond to async messages via Slack or Microsoft Teams. Likewise, I’ll ensure that all of my client meetings are documented with notes/memos, and shared with other team members”.
Q4. You Find Out That A Colleague Has Been Inadvertently Breaching Compliance Laws By Sharing Customer Data. How Do You Respond?
This problem tests your understanding of compliance laws and your ability to handle urgent situations with care.
Compliance regulations such as GDPR and CCPA carry huge fines for breaches, so you would have to report the situation to your data governance team. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that you would treat the colleague with kindness and compassion rather than stirring up an argument about their negligence.
Sample answer:
“I believe that everyone has the right to make an honest mistake. So I’d approach the person privately first to address the situation and brief them on the current policies regarding customer data (that is if the breach/disclosure was minor). I would strengthen the importance of upholding compliance laws and offer to share some of my tips.”
Q5. Your Manager Has Asked You To Deliver An Important Presentation To A Potential Stakeholder. How Do You Ensure It Goes Well?
Such scenario questions are relatively easy to answer. Focus on describing your organizational skills. Will you use special software to track the process of your project? Who will you reach out to for help? What kind of research will you do to ensure the presentation is as compelling as possible? Provide a comprehensive narrative of your process, and don’t be afraid to toot your own horn.
Sample answer:
“My typical strategy is two-step: background stakeholder research (industry interests, affiliation, corporate values, etc). I use LinkedIn and online research to find the person’s public statements and interviews to get a better sense of their personality and professional affiliations. Also, I talk to customer success/service departments to get extra knowledge. Then I customize the presentation, based on the identified pain points and areas of interest, and practice my delivery with the team.”
Q6. You’ve Received Negative Feedback For A Project You Were Initially Proud Of. How Do You Process The News?
We’ve all been there – negative feedback can be soul-crushing and seriously bruise your confidence. Recruiters who ask this question want to discover whether you will crumble under pressure or turn negative situations into positives.
In your answer, acknowledge that you would find the news upsetting (the recruiters aren’t looking for robots!) but that you would attempt to learn from the feedback. Perhaps you would make a development plan or schedule a meeting with your manager to discuss further training sessions.
Sample answer:
“I would step back from this for a day to process my emotions. Then once again re-evaluate the feedback holistically to understand in which areas I should improve. If something appears unclear, I’d approach the manager or peers for extra guidance. Overall, I’m open to constructive criticism and treat failure as a learning opportunity. I’d rather fail fast and learn than stay delusional in my beliefs.”
Q7: You’re Introduced To A New Software Product You’ve Never Used Before. How Would You Know That You’re Using It Effectively?
Technology is everywhere in the workplace, so strong digital literacy skills are kind of expected. The purpose of this hypothetical interview question is to gauge your ability to master new software on your own.
Your answer should explain how you’d approach adoption. Give a quick walkthrough. Use a specific example from your last position if you can to give your answer extra validity.
Sample answer:
“I’d follow the general onboarding sequence first for the app and check the product documentation. In most cases, this gives me about 70% of the information I need to get started (this was the case with Figma). I’d then give myself a couple of days to play with the features, referring back to the documentation whenever I’m stuck. Also, there are plenty of YouTube tutorials for most software apps. For the most complex questions, I’d approach colleagues or the IT staff to help me progress from a confident to an advanced user.”
Q8: You’re Leading A Sales Demo For A New Client. The Evening Before, Your Team Says An Essential Feature Isn’t Working. What Would You Do?
The purpose of this question is to test your adaptability skills, as well as the ability to come up with creative solutions to unexpected obstacles.
Moreover, the interviewer likely tries to understand what type of risk you’d rather carry: the prospect of losing new business (by postponing a demo) or the prospect of tainting your (and the company’s) reputation during a flopped demo. Your goal here is to demonstrate a tempered, confident response.
Sample answer:
“My first step would be to assess the situation and understand the impact of the missing feature on the overall demo. If it’s critical (i.e., supports the main client use case), I’d reach out to the client and request to reschedule the demo by transparently addressing the issue. If it’s an auxiliary feature, I’d customize the demo and use workarounds to showcase the product’s capabilities without the affected feature. Lastly, I would debrief with my team after the demo to understand what went wrong and how we can prevent similar situations in the future”.
Q9: You’ve Noticed That One Of Your Team Members Isn’t Using Their Time Effectively (According To The Company Productivity Dashboard). Yet, They’re Delivering On All Assigned Tasks. How Would You Approach This Situation?
Hypothetical situations like the above are a common “test” for managerial positions. It’s a great segway for talking about your ability to coach, mentor, and empower others at the workplace. Essentially, the interviewer wants to learn more about your leadership style to determine if you’d be a good cultural fit for the team.
Again, there’s no right or wrong answer. Just explain what you would have done in this case and explain why.
Sample answer:
“I’m personally averse to micro-management and as long as the employee hits all the KPIs, I’m ok with them keeping odd hours, for example. But if the situation (and data) indicates that the person is struggling with effective time management, I’d lend them some tips during a personal chat.”
Q10: If You Were Asked To Improve One Product In Our Company Portfolio, What Would It Be, Why, And How Would You Suggest Improving It?
Scenario questions aim to test your product knowledge and your core competence for the role. Explain your reasoning for choosing one option over another and give a short walkthrough of your thought process.
Typically, the interviewer will give you some time to think about this problem. Don’t be afraid to ask for extra time if you need to better analyze the problem. Asking clarifying questions is another great way to win extra brownie points.
Sample answer:
“Let’s assume I want to improve Acme’s personal finance app. I’ve picked it because it’s a new product (launched in Dec 2023) and it’s still at the MVP stage. To prioritize features and develop a new roadmap I would: a) Analyze current user metrics (Activation rate, churn, daily and monthly unique visitors). Then dive into the user research and beta testing feedback to better capture the sentiment on likes, wants, needs, and dislikes, before determining the next steps. I’ve chosen this product because it’s definitely in demand and can be a great channel for up-selling your wealth management products.”
Q11: The Leadership Wants To Increase The Time-To-Market For New Software Releases. However, They’re On The Fence About Increasing Budgets. What Would Be Your Suggestions?
This question is more realistic than hypothetical for most project and product managers. Stakeholders often press for faster results all the time but aren’t as eager to commit monetarily. Your answer must demonstrate strong negotiation skills. Show how you can win over people with persuasion and properly manage expectations.
For example, you can mention specific techniques that you’re using (e.g., the go big and then go small method) or mention how you’d use data to build your arguments. Your goal is to persuade the interviewer that you’re good at persuasion. 😊
Sample answer:
“My tactic would be twofold. I would first present the status quo aka current team velocity and average release time to push the stakeholders towards asking the “golden question” aka how can this be fixed. Then I’d lay out the options: Automate releases with a better DevOps toolkit with estimated data on impact. Once I sense they’re on board with my thinking, I’d go for the ask — imply that to do so, the IT team will need an extra budget of X for new software.”
Q12: One Of Your Team Members Feel Sick Just Before An Important Deadline. The Team Has A Strong Dependency On Their Input. What Would You Do?
With this tricky hypothetical interview question, the interviewer wants to see your adaptability. How well can you cope with stressful situations? Will you crumble under pressure?
A strong answer will showcase some creative problem-solving abilities. It also gives you room to demonstrate your leadership potential by saying that you’d try to make lemonade out of the lemons you’ve got.
Sample answer:
“I’d think of ways to remove that dependency. Can I do their task(s) instead? Does anyone else on the team have the skills or authority to make that happen? Depending on the circumstances, I’d try to find the best way to have the project completed before the deadline. And if that’s in no way possible, notify others about the delay.”
Q13: You’ve Noticed That One Of The Employees Always Skips Some Steps In The Standard Operating Procedure. How Would You Deal With This?
The purpose of this answer is to test your integrity. Will you do the right thing when you see that other employees cut corners? On the other hand, this can be a “trick” hypothetical interview question, aimed at testing your ability to think critically and propose process improvements.
A smart thing to do is to first counter this with something like “How important is this SOP? Is it critical to employee safety or just a slightly redundant legacy process?”. Then adjust your response based on the follow-up deets you get.
Sample answer:
“I’d approach the person and ask why they’re doing so. If they’re skipping them because they believe these are redundant, I’ll look into ways to optimize the said process to reduce the number of checklist steps. But if they don’t make a good case for their behavior, I’d make a verbal remark first, and then offer them to complete extra training.”
Q14: Imagine You Were Put In Charge Of Improving The Company Diversity Program. What Would Be Your First Steps?
A variation of the above can be a case problem for someone in a managerial or executive role. What the interviewer wants to see is your standard approach to planning and initiating new projects aka your conceptual skills. Demonstrating experience with change management is another thing you could do to win extra points.
Sample answer:
“First, I’d look into the current program’s shortcomings. In particular, I’d want to see the metrics like representation, retention levels of different work groups, and general ERG participation levels. If this data isn’t available or goes back to over a year, I’d re-run the analytics. Next, I’d present the findings to the HR leaders and jointly work towards clarifying the new objectives. I prefer to have one North Star goal and 2-3 adjacent goals to both secure some quick wins to create buy-in and diligently work towards a more complex, long-term goal.”
Q15: You’ve Received Feedback That Your Team Isn’t Innovative Enough. You Disagree With This Statement. How Would You Act?
Managers often have to deal with inconclusive or non-constructive feedback from the higher-ups and peers. By probing you with this question, the interviewer wants to better assess your personality and conflict management skills. Your goal is to show that you can put your emotions aside when you face criticism and have a constructive dialogue even when you’re dealing with an opposing POV.
Sample answer:
“Well, I’d first investigate if there are good grounds for making such a claim and provide evidence to the contrary. For example, speak of the type of new technologies we have recently incorporated or process improvements made. I’d also try to understand what made the opponent draw such a conclusion. Their opinion may indeed shed light on some aspects that I’ve overlooked.”
Q16: The Company Leadership Pushed For A New Team Objective. You And Your Team Believe That It Would Be Unrealistic To Achieve Within The Set Time Frame. How Would You Navigate The Issue?
This is another example of the popular what would you do in this situation questions interviewers may ask to evaluate your interpersonal skills. They’re also wondering how well you can confront more senior peers when the situation calls for that.
A good answer won’t be inert. On the contrary, you must show that you can professionally push back on unrealistic demands and reconcile everyone’s expectations.
Sample answer:
“I’d ask for a follow-up call with the leaders and present my case for why the target is unrealistic. For example, let’s say they want to reduce the customer acquisition costs by 2X in the next 6 months. I’d argue that we can certainly do that by removing PPC from the marketing mix, but doing so will likely reduce our lead volumes by anywhere between 30% to 50% and revenues respectively. Then I’d walk them through other options that can be more long-term (e.g., 12+ months), but can eventually lead to lower CAC.”
Q17: One Of The Client Projects Is Running Over Budget. What Actions Will You Take And How Will You Communicate The Issue To The Client?
The ability to lead slightly awkward, but highly important conversations like the above, is critical for all customer-facing roles. Your answer must demonstrate that you can break the hard news well and defuse any possible tensions.
The best way to answer this hypothetical interview question is using the STAR method when answering this question. First, paint the picture. Next, tell what your key task is, then describe the actions you plan to take, and conclude with the outcome you’d expect to get.
Sample answer:
“Let’s say a client keeps changing the brief requirements for the MVP prototype because they get new user research data (that happened quite a few times in my career). My task is to gently remind them that this increases the number of re-works our UX team does — and the total paycheck respectively. I’d schedule a quick call with them to describe that this type of action is out-of-scope as per our current contract, draw their attention to the extra billing incurred so far, and suggest ways to keep this leaner and more cost-effective. For example, we can package new requirements into the next Sprint, rather than address them immediately”.
Q18: A Key Employee Resigns Three Months Before The New Product Release. How Would You Ensure That Everything Stays On Track?
The current business climate is anything but predictable these days. Shifts in consumer demand, supply chain issues, interest rate hikes, mass resignations, global climate, or health events — the risk radar leaders face is big.
The intent behind such hypothetical questions is to assess both your project management skills and personal resilience. How quickly can you adapt to the new circumstances? Can you rescue a project at risk of going into havoc? Talk about your experiences with operating in crisis mode.
Sample answer:
“A similar thing happened to me once, although the employee was out due to severe trauma after a car accident. They’re ok now! As soon as I got the news, I got straight to my Gantt chart and began reallocating their duties to other team members and myself. I’ve also adjusted some timelines and reduced the scope of one feature to ensure that we still release on time.”
How To Answer Hypothetical Interview Questions?
Most hypothetical questions require candidates to provide some kind of narrative or a description of a logical process in this way. The precise nature of the questions will, of course, differ by industry. But the answer structure will always be the same: You need to provide your opinion or assessment of the situation, describe your actions, and then state why you came up with this response (aka explain your thought process).
To give an answer that makes the recruiter feel as amazing as hitting all green lights during rush hour, you can also apply these three tips:
- Answer as if you’re already hired for this role. First of all, doing so helps you come up with a more relevant, meaningful response. Secondly, it helps the interviewer picture you in this role (and your goal is to make them like what they see).
- Pick one problem at a time. When a hypothetical scenario asks you to evaluate multiple possibilities or describe quite an ambitious project, don’t try to cover all the grounds. Instead, anchor your answer to one variable (e.g., one aspect of the program you want to improve or one marketing strategy you’d want to improve). This way you can show deeper expertise and analysis, rather than just share some high-level, blanket statements.
- Don’t be afraid to make assumptions. By design, most hypothetical interview questions are rather vague to appeal to a wider range of candidates. But you can make them more relevant to your experience and your skill sets by enhancing them with assumptions. For example, rather than just talking about “a project”, describe a “6-month sprint for releasing a new front-end for a fitness app” and then build your further answer from there. Rich descriptions make it easier for the hiring manager to picture you doing this type of work.
Conclusion
So, there you have it – a good roster of sample hypothetical interview questions to practice. While you may not get the same scenarios during your next interview, these are a great starting point for practicing. Consider solutions to common problems in your industry and write down why you’re the perfect person to solve them. Hypothetical questions aren’t rocket science, but they require creative thinking — and you sure have plenty of that!
