Answering Behavioral Interview Questions - Handling Conflict

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Answering Behavioral Interview Questions:

Handling Conict
Behavioral Interviews How to Interview Interview Tips
Posted by Pamela Skillings
Part of our ongoing series to help you answer common behavioral
1 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
interview questions.
Hiring managers love to ask behavioral questions and one of their

favorite subjects is conict. Here are a few examples of conict-related
behavioral questions:
Tell me about a team project when you had to work with

someone dicult.
Tell me about a time you had a conict at work.
Give an example of a time you had to respond to an unhappy
manager/customer/colleague.
Tell me about a time that you disagreed with a rule or approach.
There are many other variations on this theme and it is a very common
interview topic. From the interviewers perspective, the idea is to nd
out about the candidates conict management ability and general
interpersonal skills.
Recently, I was conducting an interview skills workshop for managers at

a large corporation. The subject of conict behavioral questions came
up (this big multinational company uses primarily behavioral questions
when interviewing candidates).
One manager shared a memorable answer to How would you handle

a conict at work? A recent candidate responded: Id invite that
person to meet me in the parking lot after work and sort it out
man-to-man.
Guess what? He didnt get the job.
Before we tell you how to answer the question like a champ, heres a
little refresher on answering behavioral interview questions in general.
2 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
How to Answer: Behavioral Interview Questions
NOTE: This is Lesson 10 from the Big Interview interview training

system. Take a quick look here if you want to learn more about it.
Behavioral Interviewing Refresher
Most job interviews include behavioral questions (those questions that

typically start with Tell me about a time or Give me an example
of or similar).
With behavioral questions, interviewers seek examples of how youve

handled specic situations in the past. The idea is that past job
performance will say a lot about how you would handle yourself if
hired for the job at hand.
Learn more about behavioral interview questions and some general

advice on preparing for and answering them.
3 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
Why Interviewers Ask About Conict

Most jobs require you to get along with dierent types of people. Some
of your coworkers, managers, and/or clients will turn out to be idiots,
slackers, and/or weirdos. Disagreements are bound to arise.
To succeed at work, you must be able to deal with conict

professionally. This is particularly true in certain jobs (project
management, customer service, law) and in certain company cultures.
Your interviewer wants to get a sense of how you will respond to

conict. Anyone can seem nice and pleasant in a job interview, but
what will happen if youre hired and Gladys in Compliance starts getting
in your face?
Conict questions are common because everybody wants to hire a

good team player. (It is probably the most common behavioral
question subject) Interviewers often ask about your team experiences
and they like to ask specically about one that involved a conict or
dicult person.
How to Answer Behavioral Questions About Conict
This type of question can catch you o-guard. After all, youve probably
been focusing on how to talk about all of the positive and wonderful
bullet points on your resume.
Nobody likes to talk about conict at work. Most work conicts are
boring. Plus, youd probably prefer to pretend that you are an absolute
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delight to work with and that nobody has ever had an unkind word to
say about you.
A behavioral question about conict forces you to talk about a

less-than-delightful situation. It can be dicult to come up with a good
example on the y and even more dicult to describe in concisely in
a way that presents you in a favorable light.
This is why its important to prepare an example in advance using the

S.T.A.R format.
The goal is not to script out an answer word-for-word. The STAR format
allows you to structure the general shape of your response by jotting
down bullets for each of the key aspects of the story. Check out Big
Interview for more guidance on structuring great STAR stories and
an Answer Builder tool that you can use to make the process much
easier.
Sample Answer Tell Me About a Time You Had a

Conict on a Team Project.
Heres an overview of how to use the STAR format specically to
present a conict experience:
S/T (Situation/Task)
Briey describe the context for the conict that arose. Provide just
enough background information for context.
Example Situation/Task Bullets
I was managing the creation of our new corporate brochure and we

were on a very tight deadline because we had to have brochures
printed in time for a big upcoming trade show.
I was in charge of delivering on time and I had to manage team
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members from Marketing, Sales, Graphic Design, and Product

Management.
The designer that was assigned to the project was very talented, but
unfortunately missed a deadline that I assigned. When I approached
him about it, he blew up at me.
Why We Like Them
These bullets provide good context it was an important and complex

project with a tight deadline. The designer not only missed a deadline,
but threw a t when called on it. This is a real conict that could have
led to disaster if handled poorly.
Tip: Dont get too caught up in unnecessary details. The interviewer

doesnt need to know about the color scheme of the brochure, the
history of the trade show, or the designers weird wardrobe choices.
A (Approach)
Talk about the key actions that you took. In the case of a conict
story, the focus should be on how resolved the disagreement in a
professional and productive way.
Example Approach Bullets
I was taken aback by his response, but I remained calm. I

acknowledged that the deadlines were tight and explained again the
reasoning and the importance of having the brochure ready for the
trade show.
He relaxed a little when he saw that I wasnt attacking him. He told me

about all of his other competing projects and how overwhelmed he
was. I asked him if there was any way that I could help him come up
6 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
with a solution.
Eventually, we agreed that it would help if his manager had a better

understanding of how important and time-consuming this project was.
We decided we would speak with her together.
She ended up assigning some of his other projects to another

designer, which took some of the pressure o of him.
Why We Like Them
This candidate walks through the actions taken and why. He shows that
he stayed calm under pressure, tackled the issue head-on, and was
able to persuade others (the designer and his manager) to his point of
view.
Tip: Again, stick to the actions that are most relevant and that show
your conict-management prowess.
R (Results)
Every good interview story includes a happy ending. End your
response with a description of the positive outcome(s) of your action.
These results can be quantiable (increased sales 20%, saved the
company $25K) or anecdotal (The client was thrilled and sent my
manager an email, my manager loved my approach and gave me a
promotion).
Example Results Bullets
As a result, the designer was able to focus on the brochure and meet
the deadlines.
He apologized for his blow-up and thanked me for my help.
7 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
We successfully completed the brochure in time for the trade show

and received numerous compliments from both our own sales reps
and potential customers.
Our trade show presence led to $300,000 in new sales leads and I
believe the new brochure played a key role in that.
Why We Like Them
This is a nice, concise happy ending. The candidate describes the

resolution of the conict, the positive eect on the relationship with the
designer, and the business outcome.
Tip: The bottom-line results ($$$) make it even more impressive. This is
not possible with every conict-resolution story, but you should always
pick the example with the most signicant results.
Inside Big Interview, our complete training system for job interviews,
we give you video lessons, sample answers, and an interactive practice
tool for all of these dierent versions of conict interview questions.
Watch this brief video to learn a little more about Big Interview,
andthen take a quick look at the step-by-step system weve developed
to get you ready for your interview.
8 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
Big Interview - Quick Overview Video
More Tips for Handling Behavioral Questions About

Work Conicts
1. Pick a Good Example:
Choose an example that shows you taking an active approach to

resolving an important conict.
Be specic. Dont give a general answer like, I deal with conicts all
the time and have learned to stay calm and that communication is key.
Its boring and it doesnt answer the question.
Dont choose a minor disagreement (He didnt want Italian for lunch)
or a conict that was resolved by someone else or just went away
without direct action. The idea here is to show o your interpersonal
skills and problem-solving ability.
9 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
Avoid examples that could make you look bad. For example, dont
share a time when your mistake or miscommunication CAUSED a
conict.
2. Get Specic About Your Actions
The most memorable and compelling stories include enough detail to

paint a picture. Show why this conict was important and that you
handled it capably.
However, you must make an eort to keep the story concise. Its very
easy to go o on tangents (especially if you havent prepared in
advance). Keep it focused.
Stick to bullet points. Dont try to memorize a script.
3. Practice
Take the time to practice telling your story. This is especially important
when telling a story about a conict.
Conicts often lead to arguments, problems, and damaged/broken

professional relationships. You want to feel condent discussing the
sensitive details in a way that gets your points across.
Funny example of Adam Sandler NOT handling conict well.
10 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
Conict Resolution - The Waterboy
Written by Pamela Skillings
Pamela Skillings is co-founder of Big Interview. As an interview coach, she has

helped her clients land dream jobs at companies including Google, Microsoft,
Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan Chase. She also has more than 15 years of
experience training and advising managers at organizations from American
Express to the City of New York. She is an adjunct professor at New York
University and an instructor at the American Management Association.
47 Comment to Answering Behavioral Interview Questions: Handling Conict
11 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
32 Comments Big Interview Blog

1 Login
Sort by New est

Recommend 26 Share
Join the discussion
Handy Leon 4 months ago

The truth is one day you w ill find a job.
Reply Share
Kiero Vance (Kyrobolt) > Handy Leon 2 months ago

and the second truth is...your probably not gonna fully like the job, but you
might as w ell do your best, because it allow s you to do things like: Pay bills,
get food... live... XD! -is just being a dumb***-
3 Reply Share
NursePenelope 4 months ago

I SO appreciate this article! For several years I had a collection of "conflict" stories I
w ould use in interview s, w hich w eren't all that interesting or relevant. These
interview styles are becoming so common, it is best to go online and find stories
rather than not having any stories of your ow n. Just tailor them to your ow n career
and change them up a bit, and think about them thoroughly. Unfortunately,
employers are pushing people into creating these lies, rather than having honest
discussions w ith people, they fast-fire these conflict-based questions at you w hen
maybe you don't have all that many stories to tell.
3 Reply Share
AlFateh1969 > NursePenelope 20 day s ago

So true! I honestly haven't had any major conflict w ith anyone. So I have
make up one. So stupid these interview s. Fuck them! We can't have an
honest discussion.
Reply Share
Life Coach a y ear ago

I enjoyed reading this article. That's Really Nice and helpful.
Reply Share
Viv ek Randhaw a 2 y ears ago

Please help w ith this question: w ho is important client or people? Thanks
Reply Share
Anonymous 2 y ears ago

Behavioral question is all about how good are you on bullshiting, cause most of the
12 of 16 5/21/17, 6:19 PM
Featured By
About Pamela Skillings

Pamela Skillings is co-founder of Big Interview. As one of the country's top interview
coaches, she has helped her clients land dream jobs at companies including Google,
Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan Chase.
She also has more than 15 years of experience training and advising managers at
organizations from American Express to the City of New York.
She is an adjunct professor at New York University and an instructor at the American
Management Association. Continue reading.
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Answering Behavioral Interview Questions: Handling Conflict https://biginterview.com/blog/2013/09/behavioral-interview-questions-co...

Simple Software for Better

Answering Behavioral Interview Questions:

Posted by Pamela Skillings

Part of our ongoing series to help you answer common behavioral

Hiring managers love to ask behavioral questions and one of their

Tell me about a team project when you had to work with

Recently, I was conducting an interview skills workshop for managers at

One manager shared a memorable answer to How would you handle

Guess what? He didnt get the job.

How to Answer: Behavioral Interview Questions

NOTE: This is Lesson 10 from the Big Interview interview training

Behavioral Interviewing Refresher

Most job interviews include behavioral questions (those questions that

With behavioral questions, interviewers seek examples of how youve

Learn more about behavioral interview questions and some general

Why Interviewers Ask About Conict

To succeed at work, you must be able to deal with conict

Your interviewer wants to get a sense of how you will respond to

Conict questions are common because everybody wants to hire a

How to Answer Behavioral Questions About Conict

A behavioral question about conict forces you to talk about a

This is why its important to prepare an example in advance using the

Sample Answer Tell Me About a Time You Had a

Example Situation/Task Bullets

I was managing the creation of our new corporate brochure and we

I was in charge of delivering on time and I had to manage team

members from Marketing, Sales, Graphic Design, and Product

Why We Like Them

These bullets provide good context it was an important and complex

Tip: Dont get too caught up in unnecessary details. The interviewer

Example Approach Bullets

I was taken aback by his response, but I remained calm. I

He relaxed a little when he saw that I wasnt attacking him. He told me

Eventually, we agreed that it would help if his manager had a better

She ended up assigning some of his other projects to another

Why We Like Them

Example Results Bullets

He apologized for his blow-up and thanked me for my help.

We successfully completed the brochure in time for the trade show

Why We Like Them

This is a nice, concise happy ending. The candidate describes the

Big Interview - Quick Overview Video

More Tips for Handling Behavioral Questions About

1. Pick a Good Example:

Choose an example that shows you taking an active approach to

2. Get Specic About Your Actions

The most memorable and compelling stories include enough detail to

Stick to bullet points. Dont try to memorize a script.

Conicts often lead to arguments, problems, and damaged/broken

Funny example of Adam Sandler NOT handling conict well.

Conict Resolution - The Waterboy

Written by Pamela Skillings

Pamela Skillings is co-founder of Big Interview. As an interview coach, she has

47 Comment to Answering Behavioral Interview Questions: Handling Conict

32 Comments Big Interview Blog

Sort by New est

Join the discussion

Handy Leon 4 months ago

Kiero Vance (Kyrobolt) > Handy Leon 2 months ago

NursePenelope 4 months ago

AlFateh1969 > NursePenelope 20 day s ago

Life Coach a y ear ago