Why interviewers ask this question
This question tests whether you can raise a genuine concern respectfully and constructively, without either staying silent to avoid conflict or becoming combative and undermining the working relationship. Interviewers are wary of two extremes: candidates who claim they have never disagreed with a manager, which sounds evasive or overly deferential, and candidates whose disagreement story sounds like open conflict or insubordination, which raises concern about how you would handle authority on their own team.
How to structure your answer using STAR
Choose a real, moderate-stakes disagreement, such as a difference in approach on a project or a decision you believed carried unnecessary risk, rather than a dramatic personal conflict. Describe the situation and task briefly, then focus most of your answer on the action: how you raised the disagreement privately and respectfully, backed your view with evidence or reasoning rather than just opinion, and remained open to your manager's perspective rather than digging in. Close with the result, ideally showing either that your input changed the outcome, or that you accepted the final decision professionally and supported it fully once it was made, even if it was not your original view.
A strong example answer
"In a previous role, my manager wanted to launch a client campaign a week earlier than the timeline I had planned, and I was concerned we would skip a round of quality checks. I asked for ten minutes to walk through the specific risks I had identified, using two recent examples where rushed checks had caused rework. My manager agreed to a compromise: we kept the earlier launch date but added a focused half-day review session instead of the full original testing window. The campaign launched on time with no issues, and my manager later said they appreciated that I raised it early and came with a solution rather than just a complaint."
Mistakes to avoid
Avoid choosing an example where you were clearly right and your manager was clearly wrong with no nuance, since it can sound like you are settling a score rather than reflecting honestly. Avoid vague answers that skip the actual content of the disagreement, since interviewers want to see your reasoning and communication style, not just that a disagreement occurred. Never claim you have never disagreed with a manager: it reads as either dishonest or as a warning sign that you avoid necessary friction.