How do you handle a teammate working on low-priority tasks?

WHAT THIS TESTS: This question assesses your sense of ownership and accountability as a member of a self-managing team. The interviewer is looking for more than just knowledge of Scrum rules; they want to see your interpersonal skills, your ability to resolve peer-level conflicts constructively, and your commitment to the team's success (the Sprint Goal) over individual tasks. It separates candidates who just write code from senior members who improve the team.

A GOOD ANSWER COVERS: A good answer demonstrates a graduated response, starting with the path of least resistance and escalating only as needed. First, approach the teammate privately and with curiosity, not accusation. Assume positive intent and seek to understand their reasoning. Second, if that doesn't resolve it, use the Daily Scrum to bring the focus back to the Sprint Goal for the entire team. Frame it as a team-level risk, not an individual's fault. Third, if the behavior continues to jeopardize the sprint, engage the Scrum Master. Frame this as asking for coaching on how to help the team maintain focus, not as tattling on a coworker.

COMMON WRONG ANSWERS: A major red flag is any answer that bypasses the team or the individual. This includes going straight to a manager, immediately telling the Scrum Master to solve it, or just ignoring the problem. Publicly calling out the teammate in the Daily Scrum is also a very poor choice, as it destroys psychological safety. Another common mistake is saying you would tell the Product Owner; the PO manages the Product Backlog, not the Developers' work plan within the Sprint.

LIKELY FOLLOW-UPS: Expect follow-ups like: "What if the teammate says their manager told them to work on it?" (This tests your ability to navigate conflicting priorities and protect the sprint). Or, "What if this is a recurring pattern with this person across multiple sprints?" (This tests your understanding of using Retrospectives and providing constructive feedback over time).

ONE CONCRETE EXAMPLE: "I would first approach them 1-on-1 after the stand-up. 'Hey, I noticed you're working on Task X. I'm having trouble seeing how it connects to our Sprint Goal, and I'm worried I might be missing something. Can you walk me through it?' This opens a dialogue without accusation. If they were, for example, asked by an outside stakeholder to do the work, the next step is to help them route that request through the Product Owner and protect our sprint commitment as a team."