Question: Describe a time when you had difficulty adjusting or working with a colleague due to their personality. What was the issue and how did you handle it?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Give an example where you found it hard to adjust to one particular colleague.
Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with and how you dealt with him/or her.

Follow-up questions:

Why was it so hard to get along with this person?
Were they working in your department or a different department?
Did other people find it hard to get along with them?
What is your relationship with this person now?
How successful do you think you were in adjusting to this person?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Active Listening,Basic – Speaking,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Interacting with Others – Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (Conflict Management)

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People,Interpersonal Relationships – Frequency of Conflict Situations

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Approachability,Compassion/Concern for Others,Humility,Patience

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

There will always be people who cannot get along, so having someone whom the interviewee cannot get along with is not a red flag.
Look for good coping strategies both in terms of workflow or in social strategies.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee is extremely negative towards the person in question. If the interviewee always gives in to the person in question.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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