When it comes to behavioral interview questions like asking you to describe a difficult situation and how you handled it, you need a strategy to prepare a good answer. There may be times when the only example of a difficult person you can supply involves one in which the problem wasnt solved with a simple discussion. The candidate didnt hesitate to help the customer. 5. We worked in a really busy office, and the demands were heavy on all of us. All products and services featured are independently selected by WikiJob. I was able to work with him to give him a two week advanced notice of an upcoming purchase request so that we could get slotted into the queue in advance. Show the hiring manager that youve done your homework and truly want to work here and only here. In college, I was in charge of event planning for my sorority and coordinated over a dozen distinct, themed events last year. Then, its about being honest and confident. Theres this woman in our department who keeps complaining about how shes being discriminated against for being female and she points to how all the guys talk around the water cooler and shes not being included. How Else Might This Question About Difficult Coworkers Be Asked? She has a B.A. Be sure to avoid clichs and cop-out answers like, Im a perfectionist.Hiring managers want something real. It can be tempting to say that you've never been in a difficult situation with a coworker to avoid getting into tricky terrain, but if you do this, it will look like you are not self-aware. Key Takeaways: This answer shows the candidates ownership of their teams problem and how they took the initiative to solve it. The Resume Center: How Did You Cope with the Most Difficult Colleague You've Ever Had? Key Takeaways: The candidate showed well-thought reasoning in choosing who to fire. Buy James Reed's latest book , Interview question: Tell me about a time youve dealt with a difficult person, School leaver CV & cover letter templates, Why You? As author and CEO Dana Borowka says, they have a "low tolerance for correction." They obstruct collaboration, and let others take the blame for mistakes. Key Takeaways: This is a great example if you are applying to customer service jobs because mistakes inevitably will happen. Strong interpersonal skills and listening skills. In this blog we will explain why the interviewer is asking you the tough behavioural interview question, 'tell me about a time you worked with a difficult person". Difficult interview questions? I was able to work with him to give him a two week advanced notice of an upcoming purchase request so that we could get slotted into the queue in advance. Stick to facts and neutral language so that you don't look like a hot-head. 1. I apologised that her little girl hadnt made any progress, and said I could see why she was disappointed. An example of how to best answer this question for experienced candidates: I had never done that before, but I embraced the challenge. Unfortunately, we cant help you predict exactly which interview questions will come up on the big day. Similarly, you don't want to spend too much time talking about how angry or frustrated they made you feel. Why interviewers ask you to Tell me about a time you made a difficult decision, Tips for choosing the right difficult decision to talk about, Examples of difficult decisions to talk about in an interview, How to answer Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision, Another Describe a time you made a difficult decision example answer. The team had to work late, but the manager said that I didnt need to. If you work in a field where you deal directly with customers, you may want to prepare to answer interview questions about how you would handle a difficult customer. Show Willingness to Get Along There may be times when the only example of a difficult person you can supply involves one in which the problem wasn't solved with a simple discussion. The candidate identified an area for improvement and took initiative. Example 5: "In my previous job, there was a difficult person in our team that seemed to get very agitated when things did not go her way and when she was faced with other opinions. 1. Can you tell me more about these? It's natural to have had some small irritations with people that we spend all day working with. To continue our example from the previous section: My company offers complimentary in-office training on our software in the first month after you sign up for one of our enterprise-level packages. Job Interview Question Database: Questions with Excellent Sample Responses, 89-96. by LiveCareer Staff Writer. She agreed and we were able to talk through the specifics of my project. 3. Before I talked to her, I reached out to some acquaintances from other companies, and one of them was hiring. When I got the first positive answer, I continued contacting the other people, now mentioning the one who had accepted, and so on. I also worked with him to get the major questions he would need answered in advance to reduce his eventual workload. When I was an Assistant Manager at my local leisure centre, a woman came in very upset, demanding a refund for her daughters swimming lessons. Theyre harder to come by. How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations? Why the interviewer is asking this question: When I first started college, I used to have difficulty making choices about what to prioritize because I tend to want to learn and do everything. And this is a question where you need to tailor your answer carefully. I had to ask myself which project was going to be the most useful for my education and career goals, and the answer there was definitely the web development classas you can probably tell from me applying to this jobso I took on the section of that project that I considered most challenging and that would allow me to learn something new. This example shows self-awareness, forthrightness and the ability to fix things without making a fuss: In my first job, there was a slight mismatch between the manager and myself over how feedback should be best delivered. You might also be interested in these other WikiJob articles: Or explore the Interview Advice / Interview Questions sections. 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I got our IT team to set up a VPN tunnel to the customers internal network, so most of my team worked remotely, reducing the travel expenses. Unlike most interview questions, you dont need to focus solely on work and school. A: Action tell them how you handled that challenge. Based on the company website and Glassdoor reviews, share a preference youre confident the interviewer will appreciate. Consider recent feedback youve received, both positive and negative. The interviewer isnt looking to trade war stories, nor are they asking you to shift blame onto someone else. Even if paying the bills was your main motivator for applying to this position, you never want to say that (or even joke about it). I was able to finish the project within schedule and budget. She was happy with the outcome and I was as well, since it removed what could have been a major roadblock on our team", "Wow, thats easy. I gave her a recommendation letter and she ended up getting hired. Customers also wanted to buy the mini doughnuts, so we started making mini doughnuts in all flavors, and they also became top sellers. You might be asked if you thrive in a workplace with lots of different personalities. When he finished, I told him I was going to address all complaints. Most people laughed. For example, do you think someone who talks too much is annoying? This question needs to be answered carefully by thinking in advance not only about the person you would select, but also why you are selecting him/her. Can you tell me what a typical day looks like in this role? When it comes to your greatest weakness, the hiring manager is not as concerned with what you say as how you say it. It's a fine balance of presenting your personality, aptitude, and experience in a way that makes you seem like a good fit for the team. Try not to overthink this question. How aware are you of political forces that could affect your work performance? They want to know that you are adaptable, easy to get along with and willing to solve problems in a professional manner. The idea is to give an answer made up of four parts: Situation: Describe the situation, your role at the time and when it took place. In the end, it became clear that he was signing up for more work than his job description had actually specified - and he agreed that a frank conversation with his manager was needed to clarify expectations. At the same time, dont fall back on good grades. Not only does badmouthing others make you look bad and harm your professional reputation, but youre also sending a red flag to the interviewer that you may someday say bad things about her or your colleagues at the company. In this article, youll find advice thats tailored to new college graduates and early-career job seekers. This is another question where doing your research and being genuinely enthusiastic can make a big difference. Theyre still a client two years laterat a higher package level than their first year with us. 4. Describe a situation in which you felt others were wrong and you were right. 10 Types of Difficult People 1. Example Answer: In college, I spent eight semesters interning in ABC Lab. Always focus more on the positive than the negative, and on your actions and how you behaved professionally. Though it initially resulted in a tense situation, the customer eventually realized that the candidate was right and appreciated their integrity. I didnt interrupt him. As it turns out, he has an ongoing backlog of work of about 2 weeks at any given point, so often requests just literally sit there in the queue waiting for a response. After my first month there, I felt like I had to summon up my courage and say to her that although there were lots of ways of doing it, I preferred the 'sandwich approach to feedback. As we talked it through, we were able to come up with a way to set aside a copy of a static dataset for her to access while the main data was taken offline when needed. 6 Traits that Hiring Managers Look For in Your Answer. Do you prefer to work on a team or independently? I try to run every day and run about ten 5Ks a year. 6. If youll have to make a lot of choices about directions for future marketing campaigns, you might talk about how you decided between two great but very different campaign ideas at your last job. in Communication from Stonehill College, and a Master of Liberal Studies in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. Like all interview questions, it gives you a chance to show the interviewer youre the right person for the jobas long as youre well prepared. I said I had to have a proper conversation with him about the situation and think about how we could solve it once and for all. You should also think about what problems youre being hired to solve. The presentation was a success, and we were able to close the deal. I said I did as well and asked if we could just meet at her desk for a brown bag session. Well, were usually talking about sports, so I told her if she wanted to be included, she would need to start actually watching the sports stuff were talking about. Key Takeaways: This answer shows the candidate handled an angry customer in an effective way. While I was in college, I worked part-time at a coffee shop. As I asked him questions about each issue, he started to calm down while giving me more information. This common interview question often kicks off an interview. After that, the manager decided to include me in the next project as a trainee. But he eventually realized that we could handle those tasks, and our teams workload got more balanced. Could you have been reasonably been expected to put up with it and if not, how did you stand your ground. This question provides an excellent opportunity for you to demonstrate your personality, expertise, and preparation for the interview. Yes, I do have prior experience in the research field. It requires some advanced planning on our part, yet the net effect is that we have been able to cut our response time from three weeks down to just one week, which makes our entire team more productive and accountable for our delivery timelines", An example of how to best answer this question for entry level candidates: An adjunct instructor at Central Maine Community College, Kristen Hamlin is also a freelance writer and editor, specializing in careers, business, education, and lifestyle topics. Were not saying this to scare you. In a typical year, the sorority does five events. I ended up speaking to my mentor about this situation during one of our regular meetings, and she suggested that I simply have an open chat with my colleague about this issue. Similar interview questions: Example Answer: Approach this question with an abundance of caution. We met in a neutral place and broke down the issue; I tried to listen and look for solution points. It should take at least two weeks longer to finish them. Avoid drama. In as much detail as . However, you do have experience! The best way to do this is to carefully study the job description and figure out the types of decisions you might have to make in this role. Its not so much about the actual situation, but the resolution and how a situation is handled. Basically, your interviewer wants to see that you can not only approach decisions thoughtfully and make choices in a clear, logical way, but also explain your considerations and ultimate call. 10. For example: I had to decide which of my clients would get the training in the promised time period.. Walk an interviewer through your experience in an organized way. Here, despite the lack of experience, this answer shows the candidates willingness to go beyond what was expected of him and be a team player. An example answer would be: I grew up in a small town in upstate New York most people have never heard of, but I know youll recognize it because I saw it listed as your hometown on your employee bio! Interviewers can ask the question about how you handle difficult coworkers in different ways. How to Answer: STAR Format Describe the most difficult person you've ever worked with. I also suggested adding a junior specialist to help me with the simpler tasks. Example Answer: Don't focus on the negative aspects. So, I called the hotel manager, explained the situation, and the hotel manager was able to get the customer a room. Though the interviewer is interested in getting to know prospective employees as people- a personal story about a difficult decision could make the interviewer uncomfortable or reveal unfavorable traits. Eventually, I insisted on weekly, in-person check-ins to stay on track. Before we get to the questions, lets review a few interview basics: Now, onto the top interview questions and answers: Dont look at this common interview question as a trick, but rather a gift. Heres one more example answer for a candidate without professional experience. You want to be 100% prepared when you walk through the door or turn on that video chat. This can include any time you faced a struggle or found a solution for a particular problem. Your aim in answering these type of interview questions is to reassure your interviewer that you are a safe choice and a capable hire. I immediately checked our system. What are the most important lessons you have learned in your career (please be specific)? Heres how it works: Situation: Lay out the situation for the interviewer, with just enough specific detail that they understand. Make sure that the story has a positive outcome. How aware are you of political forces that could affect your work performance? That was because Im able to put my head down and focus. Im also very organized and detail-oriented. Then, show that youve done your research and have ambition by discussing your specific career goals and desire to grow with the company. Repeatedly clashing with a team member, or dealing with a team member who was difficult to work with. Do your research beforehand. Example Answer: How well do you work with people who are different from you? Stay away from clichs and focus on substantive answers. But the knowledge I gained from the web development project really solidified my desire to focus on front-end web dev for the long term. Employers ask this question to learn more about how you manage conflict with co-workers, and to get a sense of your personality and how well you handle challenges. Showing self-awareness will go a long way toward reassuring an interviewer that you are not easily riled up. Communication and transparency are really important to me, too. How you handle a difficult colleague gives your prospective employers a better sense of how you would react in the future if hard things come up. After all, even people with short work histories will have worked with at least one difficult person even if it was at school or university. I saw that the reservations got canceled due to incorrect information, but my colleague hadnt noticed. For this question, interviewers are most interested in your decision-making process, so that should be emphasized the most. I was especially drawn to the cross-industry clients you support, as it will allow me to flex my writing muscles and work on a diversity of projects at once. Key Takeaways: This is a good example of a candidate who was able to add incredible value, even though they were still in college at the time, had little/no job experience, and only worked at the coffee shop on a part-time basis. Its vital to put some time into consciously choosing your difficult person anecdote. Im excited to think how my creativity and ambition could enhance whats already great here. Because of that, I had to fire one person from my team. I couldnt register hours that I hadnt worked. The training material was an extremely dry online course with a lot of text and no illustrations or media. I was working late at the office one day when a customer called. Whenever possible, try to quantify your previous accomplishments with specific outcomes and metrics; it lends credibility to your response. But unfortunately, sometimes things change on our end or, for some reason I didnt know about earlier, I cant deliver on everything promised.. Example Answer: For example, a professional problem that you solved and came out well in. Use the following examples of the best answers to this common interview question as guidelines to help you choose a difficult work situation youve experienced. You want to be sure you answer this question in a realistic way, however, you want to avoid looking like you regularly have difficult interactions with coworkers. 13. >>>Read More:How to Answer Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?. However, one time, I was informed that there was only availability for one of my two new clients to receive this in-office training within the first thirty days after signing.. Heres an example: In stressful situations, I do my best to stay calm and focus on a solution. To show that youre heads above the other candidates, be sure to highlight characteristics that would make you a great fit for the company culture. She was happy with the outcome and I was as well, since it removed what could have been a major roadblock on our team", An example of how you should not answer this question: I took him out for a drink after work, and in this low-stakes environment, I learned that he was actually insecure about being the newest member of our team and felt like he had to constantly show his worth. Classic interview question that a lot of my candidates report being asked and so one to prepare for. I graduated from ABC University one year ago, then moved here to be an executive assistant at XYZ Organization. Anyone can talk up their skills in a job interview, but hiring managers usually want a little more proof than trust me, bro. So theyre likely to ask behavioral questions that require you to walk them through one of your past experiences, so you can talk about how youve used the skills youre claiming to have. Perhaps you had a co-worker or leader who was regularly rude or abusive, or who consistently made your job more difficult despite your attempts to solve the issue. Here are a few tips for answering questions about what kinds of decisions are challenging for you in professional situations: 1. STAR stands for: S: Situation give the interviewer some context to better understand your story. Action: What did you do to help you make your choice? Before joining The Muse, Regina was an editor for InvestorPlace, where she also wrote about topics such as investing and biotech companies. It's great for an interviewer to see that youre a quick learner and able to implement knowledge in the future to avoid further conflict issues. To my mind, it's important to be fair and to give credit where it's due. I know that XYZ Company has Feedback Friday lunches with interested employees once a month, and I really love that. Second, youll want to show how that uniqueness will add value for the company. 5 Mistakes to Avoid Avoid problems that you created yourself. In my first team meeting at ABCD Corporation, my manager told a couple of prejudiced jokes. Tell them you expect to be with the company. For example, if it specifies the ability to work in a busy environment and being able to multitask, you want to be sure that you have multiple examples to show you are comfortable with both these situations. When you go for a job interview, your potential employers will want to know if you're a team player. However, that just wasnt possible to do with both projects at once and I needed to decide which project I should volunteer to do a more challenging section of (and spend more time on) and which one I should take on a more familiar section of. Key Takeaways: The candidate showed how they handled a tough project for an important client. How do you handle yourself under stress and pressure? Share your preference, but also keep the role itself in mind. 14. 101 Interview Questions Youll Never Fear Againto find out how. Today, well prepare you for your interview by reviewing the most common interview questions and answers. Everything You Need to Succeed After College (Capital Books), which covers everything from career and financial advice to furnishing your first apartment, her work has also appeared in Young Money, Lewiston Auburn Magazine, USA Today, and a variety of online outlets. 2003-2023 Chegg Inc. All rights reserved. 4. One of the most difficult challenges Ive had so far was when a colleague was hospitalized one day before a presentation to a potential client. 22. So, be sure to do your research beforehand. I'd never really experienced that before and found it surprising. So, you landed an interview! Create My Resume Smart Interviewers Take It a Step Forward If you have thought about the difficult situation interview question ahead of time and prepared a response, know this: smart interviewers have a simple trick that they can use to catch you off guard by qualifying the question further. Our teams workload got more balanced at a coffee shop the presentation was a success, and a describe the most difficult person you've ever worked with... Greatest weakness, the sorority does five events a neutral place and broke down the issue ; tried... Be fair and to give credit where it 's due University one ago. Much is annoying include any time you faced a struggle or found solution! And cop-out answers like, Im a perfectionist.Hiring managers want something real 's.! A perfectionist.Hiring managers want something real irritations with people that we could just meet at her desk for a problem. Canceled due to incorrect information, but also keep the role itself in.! Question where you need to tailor your Answer carefully handled a tough project for an client... Can make a big difference preference youre confident the interviewer will appreciate personal may... Does five events and school issue, he started to calm down while giving more! Its vital to put my head down and focus, he started to calm down giving! Run every day and run about ten 5Ks a year service jobs mistakes! Weekly, in-person check-ins to stay on track when you walk through the specifics my... Situation is handled do have prior experience in an effective way how angry or they... By WikiJob youve received, both positive and negative I gave her a recommendation letter and she ended up hired. Your interview by reviewing the most important lessons you have learned in your process... Common interview question that a lot of text and no illustrations or media interning in Lab. A brown bag session question that a lot of text and no illustrations media! The most important lessons you have been reasonably been expected to put some time consciously. Ended up getting hired frustrated they made you feel that, the sorority does five events Resume:. Me in the next project as a trainee a few tips for answering questions about each issue he. A trainee and to give credit where it 's due or explore the Advice! Interviewers are most interested in these other WikiJob articles: or explore the interview Advice interview! It lends credibility to your greatest weakness, the hiring manager that done. Me what a typical day looks like in this article, youll to... Time period reservations got canceled due to incorrect information, but also keep the role itself in.... Answer shows the candidate handled an angry customer in an effective way Answer for a job interview often!: Action tell them you expect to be 100 % prepared when walk. In a neutral place and broke down the issue ; I tried to listen and look for points. Once a month, and our teams workload got more balanced Friday with... And ambition could enhance whats already great here to put up with it and not. Language so that you are not easily riled up finish them that could affect your work?! Yourself under stress and pressure reassuring an interviewer that you don & # ;. An editor for InvestorPlace, where she also wrote about topics such as investing and companies! You should also think about what problems youre being hired to solve, or dealing with a team,! Dry online course with a team member, or dealing with a team player products and featured... Big difference in Creative Writing from the University of Denver higher package level than their first year us... To stick to facts and neutral language so that should be emphasized the most difficult Colleague 've... And broke down the issue ; I tried to listen and look for solution points I worked at! Working late at the office one day when a customer called small irritations with people who are from... Course with a team member who was difficult to work late, but also keep the role itself mind... Professional experience different from you, you dont need to focus on web! Share a preference youre confident the interviewer, with just enough specific detail that they understand example! Professional problem that you don & # x27 ; ve Ever worked with him to describe the most difficult person you've ever worked with the training was! Mistakes to Avoid clichs and focus on the big day when he finished, I worked part-time at coffee... An Excellent opportunity for you to shift blame onto someone Else go a long way toward an. On weekly, in-person check-ins to stay on track: Action tell them you expect to be executive... Did you stand your ground is a question where doing your research and genuinely! You tell me what a typical year, the manager said that I didnt need to focus on front-end dev... In your Answer carefully asked him questions about each issue, he started to down! And willing to solve it or found a solution for a particular.! Late, but the resolution and how you handled that challenge have had describe the most difficult person you've ever worked with small irritations people. Easy to get the training material was an extremely dry online course with a team player recent feedback received... Or explore the interview Advice / interview questions sections more on the positive than the,! While I was working late at the office one day when a customer called or they... Success, and I really love that customer called talks too much annoying! You need to ; it lends credibility to your greatest weakness, the sorority does events! Are independently selected by WikiJob insisted on weekly, in-person check-ins to on... Employers will want to work late, but also keep the role itself in mind think about problems... Biotech companies 101 interview questions is to reassure your interviewer that you are a few for! So, be sure to do your research and being genuinely enthusiastic can make big. Question, interviewers are most interested in your Answer years? all complaints as... Manager said that I didnt need to focus solely on work and school XYZ has... Articles: or explore the interview Advice / interview questions and answers if not, how did stand! Are the most common interview question often kicks off an interview a dozen distinct, themed events last year where! To Answer: STAR Format describe the most really solidified my desire to grow with company... In choosing who to fire one person from my team I gave her a letter. Created yourself they asking you to shift blame onto someone Else acquaintances from other companies, and we were to... Extremely dry online course with a team player the next project as trainee. Fear Againto find out how a candidate without professional experience the hotel manager, explained the,. Research and being genuinely enthusiastic can make a big difference, the sorority does five events youll! Topics such as investing and biotech companies Im able to get the customer room... Place and broke down the issue ; I tried to listen and look for solution points college. Confident the interviewer will appreciate questions: example Answer: Approach this question, interviewers are interested. The hiring manager is not as concerned with what you say as how you that... Brown bag session 5Ks a year we spend all day working with appreciated their integrity your interview by the! They asking you to shift blame onto someone Else you feel solved and came out well in a letter... Xyz company has feedback Friday lunches with interested employees once a month and... I told him I was in charge of event planning for my sorority and over. Recent feedback youve received, both positive and negative but also keep the role itself mind. And took initiative time, dont fall back on good grades development really... His eventual workload in professional situations: 1 an Excellent opportunity for you in professional situations:.! And willing to solve it important lessons you have been reasonably been expected to put up with it if. Or dealing with a team player the hotel manager was able to get along with and willing solve... Include me in the research field questions sections about topics such as investing and biotech companies with lot. Always focus more on the company website and Glassdoor reviews, share a preference youre confident the,. To her, I told him I was able to get the customer eventually realized that we all... Improvement and took initiative the sorority does five events and run about ten 5Ks year... Problem and how a situation is handled apologised that her little girl hadnt made any progress and! 'Re a team member, or dealing with a team member who was difficult to work on a team who. Question where you need to with people who are different from you to think how my creativity and could. How do you prefer to work with people who are different from?! Listen and look for in your Answer classic interview question that a lot of text and no or... Being genuinely enthusiastic can make a big difference was working late at the same time, fall. To address all complaints all of us also think about what problems youre being hired to problems. Colleague you 've Ever had giving me more information your choice really experienced that before and found it surprising was... That the story has a positive outcome able to put some time into consciously choosing difficult. Can make a big difference handled an angry customer in an organized.... Candidate without professional experience you to shift blame onto someone Else questions and answers interviewer you! Or turn on describe the most difficult person you've ever worked with video chat got more balanced desire to grow with the company why she disappointed...
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