Tell us about a time you disagreed with a coworker. Describe the situation, your approach, and the outcome.
In a HireVue interview, a great deal of the assessment will focus on the content of your message, what your choice of words conveys, and what your verbal and nonverbal cues communicate. So when answering questions such as these, it is important to communicate your answer in nondefensive terms. Also, avoid regressing to the emotions you may have experienced from the example you share, and avoid defensive posture, focusing on keeping your body language relaxed and open. You want to exude emotional intelligence and confidence.
When considering how to contextualize your example, try to align how you navigated the example you share in alignment with Goldman Sachs' company culture and values. For example, they state on their website when describing their people and leadership, "Our people are our greatest asset - we say it often and with good reason. It is only with the determination and dedication of our people that we can serve our clients, generate long-term value for our shareholders and contribute to the broader public." Additionally, one of their core values is Partnership: "We prioritize collaboration and believe in the strength of the collective, creating a culture that fosters teamwork and belonging in the pursuit of professional and personal growth."
Even though you may have great relationships with your coworkers, there will be times when you don't 100% agree. Think of a conflict or disagreement you had with a coworker where you responded professionally and worked toward a solution.
When asked to "Talk about a time when...," it's important to remember that the hiring managers are looking for a specific story-based example that highlights your professional behavior in challenging interpersonal situations.
"(Situation) Last year, my Finance Director and I disagreed on the pending termination of one of my team members. (Task) As a manager, my philosophy is to ensure that I have trained and coached my team members to the best of my ability before I ever consider terminating them. (Action) I expressed my desire to spend additional time training this team member. I mentioned that it would be more costly for the company to replace this person than to invest in additional training. The Finance Director finally agreed that if the team member missed their targets for another 30 days, we would move forward with termination. After coming to a middle ground, I created a plan to spend five additional hours per week training this team member for three weeks. (Result) Remarkably, his performance improved by over 40%! This team member is still with us and often lands on our divisions' monthly Top 10 list for client satisfaction and performance. Because I respectfully disagreed with the Finance Director and stated my case with facts rather than emotion, we were able to move past the disagreement with ease."
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