How to Answer: We expect our team members to have strong communication and interpersonal skills. How did you handle a challenging situation on the job that involved another colleague?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Plaid job interview.
28. We expect our team members to have strong communication and interpersonal skills. How did you handle a challenging situation on the job that involved another colleague?
How to Answer
Emphasizing your ability to collaborate and work well with others is crucial during your Plaid interview. You will most certainly be asked at least one question about your ability to collaborate effectively with others or operate in a team during your interview.
At the heart of this question, your interviewer is looking to hear about your interpersonal and relationship-building skills and how you use them to diffuse a difficult situation with a coworker. No matter what situation you talk about, make sure to focus your answer on a positive mindset and the steps you took to turn a potentially hazardous situation into a good one. Talk about the lessons you learned from that situation that you keep with you to this day. Plaid is known for its focus on fostering a diverse, equitable, and positive team environment, and your interviewer wants to know that you'll be able to effectively manage conflict as a team member.
Written by Rachel Hills on December 1st, 2021
1st Answer Example
"A few years back, we hired a junior advisor on our team, and I was tasked with being his mentor. Having mentored several other thriving junior advisors before he started, I was excited about the opportunity. Within the first week of him being on the job, I overheard a colleague talking openly about his disdain for the hire of this new advisor. I decided to speak to my colleague in a private office about my concern about his words. Having been a part of the interview process and his early mentorship, I knew he had the skills to succeed, and I reiterated that to my colleague. After agreeing to cease his critique of the new advisor, I learned that direct conversations are the best way to handle workplace conflicts. The junior advisor went on to be quite successful at the firm. I learned from this experience the importance of open communication and friendly assertiveness when working with my colleagues."
Written by Rachel Hills on December 1st, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"A couple of years ago, I approached a colleague that had missed a deadline on a big audit we were conducting, and she completely blew up at me during our conversation. At first, I was taken aback by her response because I had never witnessed that from her in many years of working together. While remaining calm, I allowed her the opportunity to vent to me, and it turns out that she was going through a lot of things in her personal life that was impacting her work. While keeping our project deadlines in mind, I also took a personal approach to let her know that she could bring these issues to me as both a colleague and a friend, and we can work through them together in the future. Through this experience, I learned the importance of treating all clients and colleagues as multifaceted humans, often with a lot going on. It's made me a better listener and team member in the workplace."
Written by Rachel Hills on December 1st, 2021