How To Answer “Tell Me About A Challenge Or Conflict You’ve Faced At Work” (With Examples)

To answer “Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work” you should describe the challenge that occurred and the actions you took to result in the conflict. Interviewers love to ask questions about conflict because it’s part of life, and unless you’re exceedingly lucky and don’t have to work, then it’s also part of your work life.

In this article, we will go over how to answer this interview question, provide some tell me about a time you had a conflict at work sample answer, as well as some mistakes to avoid when answering.

Key Takeaways:

• Interviews ask “Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work and how you dealt with it” to see how you are with your problem-solving skills and how you would go about your decision-making in the position.

• Avoid rambling and giving too many details about a situation.

• Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results) when answering.

How to answer “Tell me about a conflict or challenge you’ve faced at work”

To answer “tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work and how you dealt with it”, your goal should be to emphasize your past experiences that best fit what each interviewer is looking for. Below is a more detailed list of how to answer this interview question:

1. Choose a professional issue. The issue you talk about should be a professional issue that is relevant to the position you’re applying for. Interviewers aren’t just asking this question to see if you’ve ever had a conflict with anyone, they want to know how you go about resolving a conflict with a coworker or supervisor. You also don’t want to talk about any office drama that you’ve been a part of or how someone stole your lunch in the breakroom.

2. Lay out the situation. This is where you use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) Method in your answer. You will want to paint a picture so the interviewer can understand what happened for the rest of the situation. You don’t need to tell every little detail in this set, just all the relevant information.

3. Be prepared with examples. Instead of taking you for your word when you say “I’m a team player who seeks to resolve conflict,” interviewers seek examples of how you’ve handled specific 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.

   You don’t want to spend a lot of time focusing on the problem and not enough time discussing what you did to solve it. This can make you look like a whiner, and one of the focuses of interviewers is to figure out what you’ll be like to work with.

   And if it seems like you’re better at identifying problems and talking about them rather than fixing them, then it doesn’t speak well for you. So as part of your interview preparation, think of an example of a conflict and make sure that it speaks to how you solve problems.

4. Talk about the actions you took. This is where you discuss the actions you took to resolve the conflict. What did you do to address and approach the situation? The way you answer will give the interviewer an insight into how you use your problem-solving skills. It will also show how you approach conflict and it can help them determine if you will be a good fit for their company.

5. Share the conflict results. The outcome of the situation will be the most important part of your answer. Your interviewer will be looking for a positive result in the situation. You will want to explain how you and the person you had a conflict with came to see eye to eye. You will also want to mention what you learned from the situation.

Example answers to “Tell me about a conflict or challenge you’ve faced at work”

Time to put all our advice into action with some sample answers. Pay attention to how each answer uses the STAR method to deliver a perfectly coherent response to this behavioral interview question.

1. Resolving client issues example answer

   At my last job in sales, we had an issue with a client who was extremely unhappy with the specifics of our arrangement.

   As her primary point of contact in the company, it was my job to defuse the situation and help him come to a new deal that worked for both our company and his.

   First, I spoke to him about the specifics he was upset with, namely delivery costs and trouble he was having using our software. We rehashed sticking points to the point where he was satisfied with the new arrangement. Additionally, we assigned him a permanent customer success representative to ensure he could take full advantage of our products.

   While at the start, he was close to ending our relationship, by the end he was a happy customer. He later subscribed to our full-service package and became one of our top five clients the following year.

2. Learning a new process example answer

   Fairly recently, my team had a situation where a new piece of software was causing more delays than it was meant to solve.

   I was managing the programming team at the time, so I stepped in to learn more about the specific problems and how it was affecting each team member’s workflow.

   Some members of the team were a bit upset by this extra workload, but I held a meeting where each employee’s issues could be voiced and heard, so that everyone felt respected throughout the process. By delegating tasks and working extra hard for a week (both me and my team), we were able to successfully troubleshoot the issue without becoming absolutely burnt out by the process.

   In the end, the new piece of software sped up our processes by 19%, so it was a challenge well worth taking on.

3. Conflict with a colleague example answer

   In my last position, I encountered a conflict with a colleague over the allocation of responsibilities for a critical project we were working on. We both had different perspectives on how the task should be divided, and tensions escalated as we struggled to find common ground.

   Recognizing the importance of resolving this conflict, I initiated a private conversation with my colleague. I approached the discussion with an open mind and listened to their viewpoint, and expressed my own concerns thoughtfully.

   During this, we were able to identify the underlying issues causing the conflict. We had misunderstood each other’s strengths and areas of expertise, leading to misalignments in our proposed task allocation. We were able to clarify our strengths and preferences and reach new task allocations.

4. Conflict with a supervisor example answer

   I once had a conflict with a supervisor in my last position over a project’s approach and timeline. We had different opinions on how to proceed with the project and the urgency with which it needed to be completed. This project was critical to the objectives of the team, so emotions and tension ran high during our discussions.

   To address this conflict, I requested a private meeting with my supervisor to discuss our differing viewpoints openly and transparently. During this discussion, I focused on explaining the rationale behind my suggested approaches while providing supporting data and examples.

   I was sure to actively listen to my supervisor’s concerns and perspectives. I made sure to understand their viewpoint and it allowed me to identify areas of common ground and find a potential compromise.

   We were able to reach a resolution that incorporated elements from both our proposed approaches. It involved reevaluating the project’s timeline to accommodate more comprehensive research and data gathering while maintaining a sense of urgency.

Why interviewers ask “Tell me about a conflict or challenge you’ve faced at work”

Hiring managers and recruiters like asking this behavioral interview question because it gives them greater insight into your strengths and qualifications. It’s one of the most common interview questions for a reason.

Interviewers want to assess your problem-solving skills to see how you’d fit into the position you’re interviewing for. Every job comes with challenges and conflicts, so looking at your past accomplishments in this area allows them to predict you might go about decision-making in the future.

Use the STAR method (with example answer)

The STAR (situation, task, action, result) method works perfectly for all behavioral interview questions, so practicing it can help at all stages of the interview process, whether you’re talking about career goals, accomplishments, or weaknesses.

1. Situation: Give context for the story

   We hired this employee because of her writing quality and experience at a daily newspaper, where we knew she was accustomed to hitting deadlines.

2. Task: Explain what the task was and where the conflict arose from.

   Her quality was great, but we kept having to shift projects around because we couldn’t rely on her consistently, and when I addressed it she got angry with me first, then began crying.

3. Action: Talk about how you constructively and professionally acted to remedy the situation.

   I could see that she was taking the criticism personally, so I stepped back and generally explained how missed deadlines affected the performance of the organization, that although the quality of her work was great the lack of consistency was overshadowing that.

   She was taken aback because this was the first time anyone had mentioned the missed deadlines to her, and she wasn’t aware that it was an issue for anyone other than herself, or that she could ask for help. We scheduled regular status update meetings for her to check in each week and let the staff know where she stood on her assignments.

4. Results: End on a positive note, showing how your actions had a desirable outcome.

   She apologized for losing her cool and thanked me for understanding her emotion. She hasn’t missed a deadline since, and as a result of the successful communication we established with her, we implemented status updates for all of our team, which lead to an overall decrease in missed deadlines and better cooperation amongst colleagues.

Remember, give a real example — even if you have to fudge the severity or players in the story. Don’t try to make it all up, because they’ll see through you. Stick to the main points, be concise, and try to avoid blaming others while making sure to take ownership of the success.

Common mistakes to avoid when answering

You should avoid having clearly memorized answers and try to avoid spending your time complaining or shirking any responsibility. Below are more common mistakes to avoid when answering “Tell me about a conflict you’ve faced at work.”

• Practice your delivery, but don’t try to memorize it. Clearly memorized answers (or written down, in the case of phone interviews) will always induce an eye-roll from your recruiter or hiring manager – no matter where you are in the interview process.

• Don’t spend too much time complaining or shirking responsibility. You might not know your interviewer that well, but you can assume that they’re on your side; don’t spend a ton of time explaining how no one can get along with Janice and how you’d done everything you were supposed to.

• Avoid stories about putting out your own fires. That is, try not to give an example of a conflict or problem that arose directly as a result of your own doing that you then fixed. This isn’t an opportunity for rigorous honesty in that regard.

• Don’t ramble on forever. It’s ok if you’re still a little hurt or upset about the situation. But one thing you definitely don’t want to do is spend an inordinate amount of time setting the scene, thereby neglecting to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and how the conflict was resolved.

• Don’t completely blame someone else or insult them. Your story should be one of triumph and professional development, not a public airing of your dirty laundry with former coworkers. Accomplishments and qualifications win jobs, not smack talk.

• Don’t give too many details about why it isn’t your fault. If recruiters notice that you’re spending an inordinate amount of time deflecting blame, they’re going to think you were the person to blame after all.

• Don’t respond in a way that makes you seem combative. You can do this in two ways, by either giving an example of a combative resolution or by responding to the question itself in an aggressive way.

  So, when responding to how you addressed a problem, saying something like, “I’d invite that person to meet me in the parking lot and we’d sort it out man to man” is bad not only because you sound hostile, but also because you’re assuming the gender in this case.

  This isn’t a fun question to answer, and like “What’s your biggest weakness?” people get thrown off by it. Just remember that everyone experiences conflict in some form in the workplace and the question doesn’t signal that the interviewer thinks you’re a combative turd sandwich who can’t get along.

Answering interview questions about conflict at work FAQ

1. What is a good example of a conflict at work?

   A good example of a conflict at work would be when poor communication between employees resulted in a mistake. Poor communication is one of the most common conflicts in the workplace. To help with poor communication conflicts, it’s important to address the situation immediately with those who are involved.

   Working on communication and understanding how others, as well as yourself, react to situations can help resolve any conflicts in the future.

2. What are important conflict resolution skills?

   Important conflict resolution skills involve remaining calm in situations and actively listening to others. Letting your emotions such as anger or frustration take over in a situation will escalate any problem. Sometimes waiting to finish a conversation until emotions are calm can help resolve the issue with a clear head.

   Practicing active listening and staying quiet while the other person is speaking will help you understand their thoughts and feelings in any situation. This can be one of the most important skills in conflict resolution.

3. How do you answer “Tell me about a conflict at work?”

   When asked about a conflict at work, you should start by briefly describing the conflict that occurred, and explain how you approached the situation and the actions you took. Interviewers are looking to see how you demonstrate problem-solving skills and how you approach conflict.

4. How do leaders handle conflict?

   A leader will try to find a solution to the problem as quickly as possible while trying to stay neutral to all individuals involved. Leaders will assess the situation and oftentimes will notice a potential conflict before it occurs. Leaders will also work with team members to help resolve the conflict by creating guidelines for everyone to follow.

5. What are other ways “Tell me about a conflict you’ve had at work” can be asked?

   Other common ways interviewers may ask “Tell me about a conflict or challenge you’ve faced at work” include:

   • “Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with your manager.”

   • “Tell me about a time you disagreed with a colleague.”

   • “How do you handle disagreements with your manager?”

   • “Have you ever disagreed with a company or department policy?”

Final Thoughts

In all likelihood, your interviewer will be able to relate to your story on some level, and that’s what this is about: forming a rapport and showing how you’re the best fit for the position. Don’t position yourself as a person who always avoids conflict, because a bit of bravery is an admirable quality.

You’re selling yourself, and when you’re selling anything you don’t like to talk about how it’s had problems.

But think of a car: we’d like to think that it has such superior handling that it never gets into accidents. But, sometimes, you or other drivers will cause a problem; and you want to know how it handles bad terrain — sell yourself like an airbag.

Or something, you get the idea.

You are invariably going to have to deal with people who don’t contribute effort, put forth awful opinions, or are just generally terrible people. How you respond to the conflict and unease this question generates is, in a super meta way, indicative of how you’ll handle future conflicts.

References

1. The Muse – 3 Ways You’re Messing Up the Answer to “Tell Me About a Conflict You’ve Faced at Work”

2. Indeed.com – 5 Common Interview Questions About Conflict

Expert Opinion

How To Answer The Interview Question “Tell Me About A Challenge Or Conflict You’ve Faced At Work”

Debra Arviso
Career Coach CEO, Mindful Career Guide

Quickly describe the problem or goal without criticizing others. Focus on the solution and what specific steps you took to collaboratively solve the problem. Your story should communicate how you used your emotional intelligence skills to listen, empathize, compromise, and build the relationship. The employer is looking for evidence that you can work effectively on a team. Make sure that your story shows that you value diverse opinions and that you care about workplace relationships.

Even if you can’t recall a conflict or challenge that you want to talk about, make one up. The employer doesn’t really care if it is true. They want to know how well you communicate, work on a team, and solve problems. Always keep a story like this in your back pocket. This is a very common behavioral interview question.

How To Answer The Interview Question “Tell Me About A Challenge Or Conflict You’ve Faced At Work”

Danny Ghitis
High Performance Coach

It’s important to be solutions-focused, especially for a question about conflicts you’ve faced. This is a great opportunity to highlight how you used your strengths to overcome an obstacle. Think of some go-to examples ahead of time and outline them using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Tell a compelling story, not just a bunch of bullet points–creating an emotional response to a narrative will get the interviewer invested!

Author

David Luther

David Luther was the Content Marketing Editor for the Zippia Advice blog. He developed partnerships with external reporting agencies in addition to generating original research and reporting for the Zippia Career Advice blog. David obtained his BA from UNC Chapel Hill.