Have you ever experienced a time when a person or group were disruptive during a training session? If so, how did you handle that situation?

How to Answer
1st Answer Example
2nd Answer Example

Just like in a kindergarten classroom, the adult learner can be opposed to being educated and they can act out or just flat out not pay attention. And like the kindergarten teacher, you have to use the tools in your bag to help move the training along while dealing with any potential disruption. If you have experienced this situation, talk about how you handled it, what the outcome was and what you learned for use in the future. If you haven't dealt with this situation directly, speak about a plan for how you would handle the situation.

"Coming from the manufacturing industry in a leadership position, I've led team meetings, company town hall meetings and conducted training for my staff. During all of these things, I have witnessed people not paying attention, talking to others or just plain being disrespectful to me and to others. Recently, in a training for my team, one of my employees kept asking why the company was wasting money on paying for people to sit through a training that wasn't going to benefit anybody. After brushing him off twice, I took the liberty of calling him out on the third time he questioned the training. To the entire team, I asked who saw the training as being beneficial and every person in the room beside the man raised their hands. I then explained why the organization, myself as their leader and the other employees saw it as important. I casually moved along with the training and not another word was said."

"During my time of providing education to staff and speaking in front of groups, I've encountered situations where people start side conversations or sit on their phone and don't pay attention. One great tip that I was given was to move around the room as the presenter to force people to adjust their focus to me. I've noticed that this helps a person or group not paying attention to recenter on me. Another tactic I use to prevent outside distraction is varying methods of presentation through video, audio or guest speakers whenever possible."

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How to Answer: Have you ever experienced a time when a person or group were disruptive during a training session? If so, how did you handle that situation?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Humanex job interview.

3. Have you ever experienced a time when a person or group were disruptive during a training session? If so, how did you handle that situation?

How to Answer

Just like in a kindergarten classroom, the adult learner can be opposed to being educated and they can act out or just flat out not pay attention. And like the kindergarten teacher, you have to use the tools in your bag to help move the training along while dealing with any potential disruption. If you have experienced this situation, talk about how you handled it, what the outcome was and what you learned for use in the future. If you haven't dealt with this situation directly, speak about a plan for how you would handle the situation.

Written by Ryan Brunner on April 30th, 2019

1st Answer Example

"Coming from the manufacturing industry in a leadership position, I've led team meetings, company town hall meetings and conducted training for my staff. During all of these things, I have witnessed people not paying attention, talking to others or just plain being disrespectful to me and to others. Recently, in a training for my team, one of my employees kept asking why the company was wasting money on paying for people to sit through a training that wasn't going to benefit anybody. After brushing him off twice, I took the liberty of calling him out on the third time he questioned the training. To the entire team, I asked who saw the training as being beneficial and every person in the room beside the man raised their hands. I then explained why the organization, myself as their leader and the other employees saw it as important. I casually moved along with the training and not another word was said."

Written by Ryan Brunner on April 30th, 2019

2nd Answer Example

"During my time of providing education to staff and speaking in front of groups, I've encountered situations where people start side conversations or sit on their phone and don't pay attention. One great tip that I was given was to move around the room as the presenter to force people to adjust their focus to me. I've noticed that this helps a person or group not paying attention to recenter on me. Another tactic I use to prevent outside distraction is varying methods of presentation through video, audio or guest speakers whenever possible."

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