Tell me about an ethical dilemma you faced at work.

Question

Accepted Answer

This probes your **integrity and judgment** under pressure. Show that you recognized the issue, weighed the stakes, raised it through the right channels, and acted on principle.

## How to approach it

```text
1. Name the dilemma and who could be harmed
2. Separate what's legal/policy from what's right
3. Raise it constructively — facts, not accusations
4. Act with integrity, and document your reasoning
```

## Worked example

```text
S: I was asked to ship an analytics change that quietly collected more user data
   than our privacy policy disclosed.
T: It was technically easy but felt wrong and risky.
A: I flagged the policy mismatch to my manager and legal in writing, explained
   the user-trust and regulatory risk, and proposed a compliant version with
   clear consent.
R: We shipped the consent-based version. Legal thanked me; it later mattered
   during an audit.
```

## Good vs weak

```text
✓ Recognizes the issue, raises it properly, acts on principle
✗ "I just did what I was told"
✗ Going public/explosive before raising it internally
```

## Why it matters

Ethical lapses can sink products and companies; engineers are often the first to spot them.

Raising concerns constructively and in writing protects users, the company, and you.

Integrity under pressure is something interviewers can't train into a hire — they screen for it.