Question: Imagine this scenario: You and your coworker had a clash of personalities. However, you still want to maintain a working relationship with them. What do you do?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

If a clash of personalities were to occur with a colleague, what steps would you take to make the working relationship run smoothly?

Follow-up questions:

How would you handle having to interact with the other person?
What will you do to salvage the relationship?
Why is it important to build a good relationship towards our colleague?
Would you try to modify your behaviour or personality to suit the relationship or situation?
Would you try to work things out or just avoid conflict?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Situational

Skills:

Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Negotiation,Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others,Social – Social Perceptiveness

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Agreeableness,Big 5 – Neuroticism (Emotion Regulation),Personality-Team Fit

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,Interpersonal Relationships – Frequency of Contact With Others

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Assertiveness/Courage,Handling Ambiguity,Human Equity (Opposite of Discrimination),Self Control

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking to understand the interviewee’s sense of assertiveness/avoidance in relation to resolving social issues.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee’s personality and way of resolving the working relationship are incompatible with the nature and culture of the current work team, it is a red flag.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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