Question: Describe a time when you managed to get a difficult member of a team participating productively with the rest of the team.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

How do you bring difficult colleagues on board? Give us an example where you had to do this.

Follow-up questions:

What different strategies do you use to handle difficult colleagues?
What specific skills would you use if you ever face the same situation again?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Science and Logic,Complex Problem Solving,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others,Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Originality,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition),Cognitive – Speed of Closure (Thinking Speed),Cognitive – Visualisation

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Conscientiousness (Work Ethic),Big 5 – Extraversion,Big 5 – Openness to Experience (Open Mindedness),Personal Improvement (Growth),Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Personality-Team Fit

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Information Input – Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (for Problem Identification),Interacting with Others – Assisting and Caring for Others,Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Interacting with Others – Provide Consultation and Advice to Others,Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity)

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People,Interpersonal Relationships – Work With Work Group or Team (As a member, not a leader)

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Approachability,Compassion/Concern for Others,Cooperation,Handling Ambiguity,Humility,Initiative,Innovation,Social Orientation (Work Alone vs Group Work)

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

If the candidate has an open mindset to deal with difficult team members.
You are looking for candidate’s creative thinking for strategies to help the team members participate in team activities.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate sounds nervous.
If the candidate does not have any clear set of skills or strategies to work out a plan to handle difficult colleagues.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/most-common-competency-based-interview-questions