How Do You Deal With Conflict Interview

How Do You Handle Conflict At Work

The interviewer wants to know how you react to conflict and how you manage it. Try to focus your job interview answer on the behavioral process that you use to resolve the conflict.

Don’t direct your answer at how difficult you boss or co-workers are and how hard it is to work with them. This portrays you as someone who does not get on easily with other people and employers want someone who gets on well with others.

Use your interview answer to highlight your interpersonal skills, your maturity and your ability to stay calm in the face of difficulty.

Sample interview answer:

“Everyone has to deal with conflict at some point. I have found that when there is conflict it helps to try and put yourself in the other person’s shoes and understand their perspective.

It is important to ask questions and listen to their point of view. If you know what their interpretation of the situation is, then it is easier to work out a solution. For example…. .”

Emphasize the techniques you use to diffuse conflict such as:

• understanding the other person’s position
• asking questions to find out the cause of the conflict
• not conveying blame
• not becoming too emotional

Demonstrate your ability to work collaboratively to reach an acceptable resolution.

Here is another of those standard interview questions that is exploring a number of different aspects at once.

Show Them That You Keep The Companys Best Interests In Mind

You can see this in the first example from earlier in the article. The situation was that you and another sales associate were both chasing after the same lead .

The WORST thing you could say here is that you lost the lead or didnt end up succeeding in bringing them in as a client because of the internal conflict.

So, you always want to share a story where you kept the companys best interests in mind and took action to prevent it from becoming a bigger disagreement or problem.

Why Does Conflict Happen

It can happen because of a list of things, some of it is:-

• Ego-centric behavior.

• Unhealthy coping strategies, like using passive-aggressive behavior.

• Insensitivity.

• Lack of communication skills.

These are factors affecting its growth when they hire people with poor skills and attitude problems. A company has an interest in their conflict management approaches before they welcome them aboard. With conflict management, there is no one size fits all. Each one has a unique way of handling problems and charting out a solution.

The most famous behavioral question of all time is the interview question: how do you handle conflict?

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Companies ask such types of questions to see if the candidate is:-

• Accommodating-we use this approach when there is a need for attention in a trivial situation but, if not handled, can turn ugly.

• The Avoiding approach:-to avoid- hitting the iron when hot applies here. We used this approach when it needed some cooling time.

• Compromising-we call this approach the middle-ground approach. We use it when there is a deadline to meet and an urgent need for consensus.

• The competing approach we often used this in time-crunch circumstances. Here, the person in charge uses his might to decide an outcome.

How do you handle such a question, then? We adhere to it by following such as-

If handled with care:

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S For Dealing With Conflict Situations

Employers are increasingly prioritizing applicants with emotional intelligence because employees with strong soft skills and interpersonal ability are more likely to work well as part of a team. It is advisable to remember the following emotionally intelligent habits when answering conflict interview questions:

Read more: Four Common Types of Team Conflict and How to Resolve Them

How To Deal With The Conflict At Work Interview Question

Its often the most common interview questions that can turn out to be the hardest. One of the most behavioural interview questions is focused on dealing with conflict at work. This question can come in any form, from the competency-based question of: Tell us about a time you had to deal with conflict at work to the vaguer version: How would you deal with a difficult colleague?

After all, even in the nicest workplaces, conflict, difficult situations and issues can arise and you have to be able to deal with them. No matter what way this question is asked, its best to bring it back to the STAR method of answering: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

First, think of your situation. Candidates often panic that in order to answer this question, the conflict situations they discuss have to be full-blown arguments with colleagues, but this is not the case. In fact, the more situations you have that show how you avoided such an argument, the better.

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Question : Tell Me About A Time When You Had An Issue With A Co

This a behavioral interview questionmeaning you should take it as an opportunity to share a success story about how you resolved an issue with a co-worker in the past. You want to make sure to choose an incident where you and your co-worker were able to resolve the issue among yourselves, without having to involve your boss or other higher-ups. Showcase your competence in problem solving.

Focus your answer on the facts rather than blaming the other person. Instead of saying, “Jim was such a slacker,” simply explain the situation and what steps you took to solve the problem: “On at least three occasions, Jim missed deadlines that pushed back our production schedule. After I discussed this with him, we found a way to improve the workflow system together.”

Describe A Time You Disagreed With A Manager Or Supervisor And How You Handled The Situation

Along with how you interact with coworkers, a hiring manager wants to understand your ability to interact with company leadership. They ask this question to evaluate how you handle conflict with a supervisor or someone in a position of authority. The hiring manager assesses your ability to maintain your values and ethics and your willingness to take direction. Use the STAR method to provide a clear example of when you disagreed with a supervisor and the steps you took to resolve the conflict.

Example:“While I respect authority and can take direction, sometimes expressing my thoughts about a disagreement with my supervisor was necessary and proven to be constructive. For example, as a service writer, my previous supervisor would often approach the service counter while attending to a customer and interrupting.

“Without understanding the circumstance, they would intervene and make unrealistic promises to the customer about the time we would need their equipment. This put me in an awkward situation, as I knew we couldn’t commit to the timeframe. I asked for a meeting with my supervisor, and during our conversation, I expressed my concerns in an organized and polite way. They understood my concerns and supported my ability to take care of the customers at the counter independently in the future.”

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How Would You Handle A Conflict Of Interest During A Cross

It is a test of your managerial andresource allocation skills as much as conflict resolution abilities.

Tip 1: Understand the function andcontribution of both the departments in the project.

Tip 2: Stress on the precedence ofproject interest over department interest.

Most major project involves the workof members from more than one department. In such a case, conflict of interestis inevitable. Hence, the first thing Id do is align each departments goalwith the companys goal. However, if a conflict of interest does arise, ameeting with the representatives of all the departments is good thing. Duringthis interview, both the parties can discuss why their requests or interest isimportant for the projects success in presence of a mediator and in acomfortable environment.

Both the parties should understand theoverall precedence of the project or company over individual department and theassurance that the management has their best interest at heart. Thesediscussions should be held with a motive of compromise so that both the partiesare satisfied sufficiently and no one particular department has been favored interms of time or resources.

Fostering Relationships With Colleagues

A relationship in this context does not necessarily mean friendship or closeness, but rather points to a mutual understanding in which members of a team agree upon roles and boundaries in the workplace. If you want to establish a professional relationship with a coworker, it can be beneficial to do so in a systematic way. You could call a meeting and discuss the following:

• What role each person has and what their respective responsibilities are

• Possible conflicts that may have taken place in the past, and how to best deal with issues going forward

• Rules with regard to meetings and email etiquette

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Question : How Do You Deal With Differences Of Opinion When Working On A Team

Conflict resolution is often a team effort. It’s not always easy to see eye to eye with co-workers, but that’s not a good reason to discount their contributions. No surprise many employers seek job candidates who demonstrate strong teamwork skills.

Hiring managers want to hear that you value diversity of opinion and understand how different points of view can contribute to a better solution than if everyone just immediately agreed with each other.

As such, your response to this question should point out that you welcome alternate perspectives: “I always appreciate different viewpoints from my own. When someone expresses a different opinion, I listen carefully to what the person says and utilize that feedback.”

Conflicts Between Supervisors And Supervisees

There is an inherent power imbalance between managers and their direct reports, which can make conflicts between them difficult to navigate. However, with patience and understanding, both supervisors and supervisees have the ability to resolve these disagreements.

Here are two examples of conflicts with leadership:

Example 1

Nadia is a sales manager who often steps in to help her team members when there are challenging moments. While some people appreciate this, others have complained that she is overly involved and micromanaging. A few people on her team go to HR with their complaints about her management style.

Example 2

Derek is an outspoken leader who responds well to people who are similarly vocal and extroverted in group settings. However, a member of his team, Sam, is shyer and prefers to express themselves in one-on-one settings or writing. After several of their ideas are overlooked in strategy sessions, Sam tells Derek that they feel demoralized and is considering other job opportunities.

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Answering The How Do You Handle Conflict

So, how do you answer this question? Lets take a look. 5 Tips for answering How do you handle conflict? Pick a relevant example: Just like all our answers during interviews, you want to make sure that youre not only telling the hiring manager how you would do something, but backing that up with a concrete, targeted example. Pull a story from your professional work

In Other Words: How Do You Handle Conflict

Interviewers love to ask about how you handle conflict, and they ask about it in many ways. Here are a few other questions that are similar to, How do you handle conflict?

• Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone and how you resolved it.
• Do you ever argue with other people?
• Tell me about a time you had to deal with an unhappy customer.
• You disagree with your supervisor. What do you do?
• Do you see conflict as positive or negative?
• How do you deal with differing opinions when youre working on a team?

Each of these questions is about how you show up in the face of conflict. By following the guidelines above and crafting your own response, the interviewer will have no internal conflict about whether youre a great candidate.

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Describe A Situation In Which You Disagreed With A Rule Or Policy And How You Handled It

In previous positions, you may have encountered guidelines that you didnt feel comfortable following. This question allows you to explain why or why not you would perform assigned tasks even when you disagree with the rule or policy related to the duty.

To answer this question, provide an example of a rule or policy that you disagreed with, how you expressed your disagreement and how you reconciled the disagreement to ensure you could perform your duties as assigned.

Example: In one of my previous jobs, the human resources director wanted to capture personal identifying informationsuch as social security numberson job applications. He was insistent that the information would be secure, and though I believed him, I still disagreed with this practice. I understood that human resources needed to collect this information at the point of hire to verify employment eligibility, but I did not agree with collecting it from every applicant.

I expressed my opinion that requiring this information on the application could negatively impact our talent pool, but also acknowledged that I was not a human resources professional and it was not my decision. The human resources director acknowledged my opinion, but believed it was the best practice. I trusted him as the experienced professional to make the correct choice.

How Did You Handle A Difficult Situation At Work

This job interview question is trying to determine two things – what your definition of “difficult” is and how you approach challenges and problems.

In your interview answer:

• avoid discussing difficult situations that were directly caused by you
• make sure it is a situation that most people would consider difficult or tough
• think of specific problems that tested your skills and abilities and had positive outcomes
• highlight the way you analyzed the situation, the skills you used to professionally deal with it and your particular contribution to resolving it

Examples of difficult situations:

• having to discipline an employee
• unreasonable goals and deadlines

Sample interview answer:

“I have faced a number of difficult situations, but the one that comes to mind now is …. I was able to deal with it by assessing the situation, determining the possible different approaches and deciding on the most effective one.

I had to remain unemotional and objective and focused on a solution.”

This typical interview question also evaluates your judgment and decision-making ability. Show how:

• you were able to gather and consider all the facts of the situation
• you were able to use your good judgment to make the right decision on how best to handle the situation

Good decisions are based on factual information.

Good general interview answer to “How did you handle a difficult situation?”

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Example Question And Answer For Workplace Conflicts With Customers

If youre applying for a customer or client-facing role, your interviewer may want to know your strategy for resolving potential workplace conflicts with customers. Talk about a time when you treated a customer with respect as you politely and professionally resolved their issue.

Question: Provide an example of when you had to resolve an issue with an unhappy customer.

Answer: When I was working as a manager at a retail store, a customer had previously seen boots they wanted to buy and asked one of our salespeople to put them on hold. The salesperson accidentally forgot, and the boots were out of stock when the customer had returned. I listened to their problems, apologized, and showed them the boots we currently had in stock that were a similar style and pattern. I offered them a 10% discount for the inconvenience and they purchased the new boots from us.

Common Interview Questions About Conflict

This article has been approved by an Indeed Career Coach

Interviewing for a new role gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and abilities. Careful preparation for an interview may help distinguish you from other applicants. During your interview, the hiring manager may ask you questions about conflict in the workplace. In this article, we will review interview questions about conflict and provide sample answers as a guide.

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Why Is Conflict Resolution Important

Conflict resolution is essential to maintaining a productive workforce and high workplace morale. Through conflict resolution, you can:

• Understand more about the ideas, backgrounds and beliefs of another person and gain a new perspective that may even change your own.

• Better ensure that relationships continue and grow in the future.

• Find peaceful solutions to everyday challenges and put valuable resources like time, energy, reputation and motivation to better use in the workplace.

If You Are Faced With A Very Angry Customer Who Is Unhappy With Your Product Or Service How Would You Handle Them

If your job description involves dealing with acustomer, it means at many occasions you will be the companys face in front ofthe consumer. They are testing how much you value and are good at customerservice.

Tip 1: Angry customers require tact. Show them thatyou have it.

Tip 2: Show that you can differentiate a genuinelyunhappy customer with a scammer.

In these cases, itis important to hear out the customer fully and understand exactly what aspectof the issue or the product they have faced problem with. Once that area is pinpointed, Id try to placate the customer by assuring them that the relevantteam will start the work on it right away and the issue will be taken care ofat the earliest. If they are especially angry with a genuine reason, a fewdiscount coupons or vouchers can ensure their continued loyalty to the companywhile the concerned team is notified and the issue resolved.

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