Question: What kind of working relationship could you or would you have with a coworker who often disagrees with your work style or ideas?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell me about a time when a colleague strongly disagreed with your views, ideas, or way of working? What kind of relationship can you develop with such a person?

Follow-up questions:

How do you handle disagreements?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Situational

Skills:

Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment),Social – Negotiation,Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Agreeableness,Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Personality-Team Fit

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (Conflict Management),Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People,Interpersonal Relationships – Face-to-Face Discussions,Interpersonal Relationships – Frequency of Conflict Situations,Interpersonal Relationships – Frequency of Contact With Others,Interpersonal Relationships – Managing Diversity

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Assertiveness/Courage,Humility,Patience,Politeness,Self Control

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The candidate’s ability to handle conflicts.
Maturity in conflict management.

Red Flags to Watch For:

Speaking ill of others.
Being overly defensive.
Immaturity in handling conflicts.

Sample Answer:

Disagreements in the workplace can never be avoided. For me, respecting each other’s opinions is important. It is a matter of explaining your side well and hearing the other party out. Meeting a compromise is necessary, in addition to open-mindedness. We must know how to separate work from personal matters.

Question Source: https://www.jobbankusa.com/interview_questions_answers/