How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions About Working with Cross-Disciplinary Teams

When answering behavioral interview questions about working with cross-disciplinary teams, you need to focus on demonstrating your ability to collaborate effectively with people from different backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. The key is to showcase your communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Here’s how you can structure your answers using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result):

1. Understand the Core Competencies

The interview question is testing your ability to work with diverse teams. Cross-disciplinary teams often include people from varying fields such as marketing, design, engineering, finance, or data science. The interviewer will want to assess:

• Communication skills: How well you explain ideas and understand others.

• Flexibility and adaptability: How well you adjust to different work styles and challenges.

• Problem-solving: How you collaborate to find solutions when facing diverse viewpoints.

• Conflict resolution: How you manage disagreements or misunderstandings.

2. Use the STAR Method to Structure Your Response

The STAR method helps organize your response clearly and effectively:

• Situation: Set the stage by describing a scenario where you worked with a cross-disciplinary team.

• Task: Explain your role in the project and what your responsibilities were.

• Action: Discuss what you specifically did to collaborate with the team, highlighting communication, flexibility, and problem-solving.

• Result: Conclude by describing the outcome of the project and any positive results, like meeting deadlines or achieving the team’s goals.

3. Example of How to Answer

Question: “Tell me about a time when you worked with a cross-disciplinary team. How did you handle any challenges?”

Answer:
Situation: At my previous company, I was part of a product development team working on launching a new feature. The team consisted of software developers, product managers, marketers, and designers. We were tasked with creating a new feature that would appeal to both current users and potential customers.
Task: My role was to coordinate the integration of the feature, ensuring that the design, functionality, and marketing messages were aligned.
Action: During the project, I noticed that there were often misunderstandings between the developers and designers on how the feature should look and function. To address this, I suggested we hold weekly alignment meetings where we could discuss technical constraints and design preferences. I also created a shared document where we could track progress and address issues in real time. I worked closely with both the design and development teams to ensure that feedback was clearly communicated and that we met project timelines.
Result: As a result, the project was completed on time and the new feature was successfully launched. The feedback from both users and the marketing team was overwhelmingly positive, and the feature contributed to a 20% increase in user engagement over the next quarter. Additionally, by fostering strong communication between the teams, we were able to improve our collaboration for future projects.

4. Tailor Your Answer to the Job and Company

Before the interview, research the company’s values, culture, and team structure. Tailor your answers to demonstrate that you understand and align with their approach to cross-disciplinary collaboration. If the company emphasizes innovation or agility, focus on how you’ve adapted in such environments.

5. Highlight Soft Skills

When talking about your actions, don’t just focus on technical or task-based achievements. Emphasize the soft skills you used to manage the team dynamic. For example:

• Empathy: “I made an effort to listen actively to both the design and engineering teams to understand their concerns and perspectives.”

• Patience: “I patiently explained technical challenges to non-technical team members to help them see the bigger picture.”

• Conflict management: “When we had disagreements, I encouraged a constructive discussion where everyone could voice their opinions without feeling dismissed.”

6. Show Growth

Employers want to see that you’re capable of learning from past experiences. If there were any challenges in the project, mention what you learned and how you’d approach similar situations in the future. For example:

• “While our initial approach faced some delays, I learned the importance of early alignment between teams, and now I prioritize setting clear expectations upfront.”

• “I discovered that working with a diverse team requires patience and clear communication, which I’ve continuously worked to improve in future projects.”

7. Common Behavioral Interview Questions About Cross-Disciplinary Teams

• “Tell me about a time when you had to collaborate with people from different departments. How did you ensure everyone was aligned?”

• “Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict within a cross-functional team. How did you handle it?”

• “Can you provide an example of a time when you had to adapt your communication style to work with a diverse team?”

• “Tell me about a time when a cross-disciplinary team was struggling to meet a goal. How did you contribute to the team’s success?”

By focusing on real examples and highlighting your communication, problem-solving, and collaboration skills, you can effectively demonstrate that you’re well-equipped to work with cross-disciplinary teams. Always tie your responses to positive outcomes and show how your actions contributed to the team’s success.