Behavioral Questions - STAR Flashcards
Tell me about a time when doing something you wanted required you to step outside your skills comfort one in your current or previous role.
S: SWITCH TO PM from CSM
- Built the Customer Liaison program
- 3 Major features the next quarter
- 12 Minor features the next quarter
Tell me about a surprising piece of critical feedback you received. What have you changed over the years because of feedback you have received?
S: A year after I started with Coinbase I had a list of improvements beyond my immediate scope and tried to escalate these ideas to my own leadership
T: The feedback I received was to build leverage in the organization and work beyond my job title to obtain cross-functional buy-in. When I saw an idea, I couldn’t just come up with a technical solve for it, I needed to tackle the relational aspect as well.
A: I chose a project that fit into this category - HACKATHON
RESULT
- Support surge down by 84%
- CES up by half a point during surge despite outage
- FCR increased be 24% during surge
Tell me about a time when you were overwhelmed at work. How did you handle it?
It was early 2021 and Coinbase was growing exponentially
Cramped backlog and lots of projects launching simultaneously - backlog of 60,000 customer interactions
RESULT
- Skills based routing
- Withdrawal based holds
- Incident subscription
- OOSLA backlog eliminated in 6 weeks
- CES up 0.8 points
Tell me about a time when you had a difficult deadline. How did you react?
I was tasked with delivering a comprehensive data report for the executive team. The project was supposed to provide insights into customer churn, retention strategies, and future projections. We had planned for a two-week turnaround, but due to an unexpected executive meeting, the deadline was shortened to just three days.
Task:
My job was to ensure that the report was accurate, insightful, and visually compelling for non-technical stakeholders. It had to include deep analysis of customer behavior trends, forecasts, and actionable recommendations—all while ensuring the integrity of the data across multiple sources.
Action:
To handle the tight deadline, I immediately reprioritized my team’s tasks. I called an emergency meeting, divided the work into smaller chunks, and assigned tasks based on each team member’s strengths. I worked closely with the data engineering team to streamline data extraction, avoiding any bottlenecks. Instead of waiting for all the data to be cleaned and validated at once, we tackled it iteratively, allowing the analysts to work on different parts of the report in parallel.
In addition, I set up regular check-ins every few hours to address any issues immediately and maintained open communication with stakeholders to manage expectations. I also stayed late to ensure that everything was on track, and I personally reviewed the final report for clarity and impact before submission.
Result:
Despite the shortened timeline, we delivered the report on time. Not only did the executive team appreciate the insights, but the report led to the approval of a new retention strategy that improved customer retention by 10% over the next quarter. The team also received recognition for its ability to adapt and deliver under pressure.It was early 2021 and Coinbase was growing exponentially
Cramped backlog and lots of projects launching simultaneously - backlog of 60,000 customer interactions
RESULT
- Skills based routing
- Withdrawal based holds
- Incident subscription
- OOSLA backlog eliminated in 6 weeks
- CES up 0.8 points
Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.
It was early 2021 and Coinbase was growing exponentially
Cramped backlog and lots of projects launching simultaneously - backlog of 60,000 customer interactions
RESULT
- Skills based routing
- Withdrawal based holds
- Incident subscription
- OOSLA backlog eliminated in 6 weeks
- CES up 0.8 points
Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.
TETHER
RESULT
- Built it on our own
- 93% match to high / med / low CES
- Category segmentation to help divide by product and business
- See a steady improvement in CES from 2.4 / 5 to 4.2 / 5
Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get a job done
Situation:
In my previous role as a Senior Data Analyst, our team was responsible for delivering a critical analysis report on customer retention, which was tied to a major company-wide initiative. The challenge arose when a key team member went on unexpected leave just days before the report was due. This left us short-staffed, and we had to work with incomplete data from various sources across multiple platforms.
Task:
It became my responsibility to ensure that the report was delivered on time and met the high standards needed for a presentation to the C-suite. The report required integrating customer feedback data, behavioral trends, and financial forecasts, but we were missing significant chunks of clean data due to the absence of the key team member.
Action:
Instead of just managing my part of the project, I decided to take ownership of the missing tasks. I worked overtime for several consecutive nights to clean, merge, and analyze the datasets. I also collaborated with departments outside of our team—namely customer service and finance—to fill in the gaps. To maintain transparency, I kept my manager and the C-suite updated on our progress with daily status reports and proactive solutions to ensure the presentation would meet the deadline.
Moreover, to ensure the project would move forward smoothly, I created automated scripts to process and validate the incoming data, reducing potential errors and freeing up my colleagues to focus on other aspects of the project. I even helped design the final presentation to ensure that the data was visually engaging and easy to understand for the non-technical executives.
Result:
The report was not only delivered on time, but it also exceeded expectations. The executives used our findings to approve a new customer retention strategy, which improved churn rates by 12% over the next quarter. The level of detail and the quality of the analysis were directly attributed to my willingness to step up and take on additional responsibilities. As a result, I was recognized by leadership and given a key role in future high-visibility projects.
What is your typical way of dealing with conflict?
Lay the groundwork before the conflict begins
See the others point of view
Show them your point of view but in their language
Allow myself to be open to discussion
Don’t bend on core beliefs
Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you
TETHER
RESULT
- Built it on our own
- 93% match to high / med / low CES
- Category segmentation to help divide by product and business
- See a steady improvement in CES from 2.4 / 5 to 4.2 / 5
Tell me about a recent situation where you had to deal with a very upset customer or coworker
I handle difficult situations with empathy, active listening, and a focus on collaboration to turn things around.
critical data report was delayed due to issues with our data pipeline. The delay put pressure on his department, and he felt that our team wasn’t pulling our weight. He was visibly upset and voiced his concerns during a team meeting.
Task:
My task was to de-escalate the situation, address his concerns, and get our collaboration back on track. It was important not just to resolve the immediate issue, but to make sure that he felt heard and supported, like helping someone through a dense fog so they can see the way forward.
Action:
I pulled him aside after the meeting to talk privately. I listened first without interrupting—sometimes people just need to let out steam like a kettle releasing pressure. I acknowledged his frustrations and explained the root cause of the delay in a calm and transparent manner. Then, I shifted to solution mode. I offered to personally take over the data retrieval and processing part that had been delayed, assuring him we’d get the report out as quickly as possible.
Next, I made sure to involve him in finding a longer-term solution by asking for his feedback on how we could improve the process and communication moving forward. This turned the conversation from a problem into a collaborative effort, like two sailors steering the same boat through rough seas.
Result:
By the end of the conversation, his frustration had eased, and we agreed on a plan to avoid future delays. The report was delivered within the revised deadline, and our working relationship was strengthened. By treating the situation as a partnership and focusing on solutions, we were able to move forward together, like mending a sail after a storm so the ship can sail smoothly again.
Tell me about a time you were forced to make an unpopular decision (needs update)
TRTHR
OMNI Channel
RESULT
- 2.3 million responses and points of feedback
- The first quarter, each PM had at least 2 customer-lead features in production
- Second year, more than half of the new features were something that was either customer lead or influenced by customer sentiment
Update - maybe something about a postponed feature launch. Cutting tethr loose with
Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend
Donnie - Interview process
Give an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead
Hackathon - mass subscription
RESULT
- Support surge down by 84%
- CES up by half a point during surge despite outage
- FCR increased be 24% during surge
Can you tell me about a time where you acted to improve a process or system that made an impact on your work and/or that of your team
Product Management Liaison
RESULT
- Six PM liaisons, one for each product team
- The first quarter, each PM had at least 2 customer-lead features in production
- Second year, more than half of the new features were something that was either customer lead or influenced by customer sentiment
Describe a time when you challenged someone in a position of authority
Creating CES and then AIS
RESULT
- 2.3 million responses
- CES as core CX decision making metric
- AIS core Quality metric - including decisions on expanding BPO vendor relationships
Tell me about an occasion when you gained buy-in for your vision
Omni Channel feedback
RESULT
- 2.3 million responses and points of feedback
- The first quarter, each PM had at least 2 customer-lead features in production
- Second year, more than half of the new features were something that was either customer lead or influenced by customer sentiment
