How to Answer

Dealing with a difficult employee is never easy. You may have put them on a performance plan, coached them and continued to invest in their success, but the employee ceases to meet your expectations or show signs of improvement. Talk about the actions you took up until the point of having to let go of the employee. The interviewer wants to feel confident that you can handle difficult employees. Explain the process, dealing with the paperwork and taking time to listen to the employee. Show your flexibility and willingness to work with the person before letting them go. In some scenarios, employees exhibit intolerable behaviors, so be sure to explain the issue clearly. Demonstrate that you can be trusted with the responsibilities of a manager through your ability to handle conflict with an employee.