"The most challenging problem I encountered in my career was when my former company experienced a major merger. It was a lot to adjust to, but after a while, I found a good pace again."

"The most significant challenge I have faced as a manager would be the labor dispute and lockout that our company went through in 2016. Many of our permanent employees are union based. We could not come to a new collective agreement, and I had to utilize temporary staffing options during that time. It was a lot of retraining and strain on the company culture overall."

Provide the interviewer with an honest response that shows your strength as an employee. The most effective answer to this question will highlight your problem-solving skills and professionalism. Maybe you had a significant project that almost went sideways. Perhaps you had a conflict in the workplace that you could have handled more professionally. Explain your approach to resolving the issue, and highlight the steps you took to reach that resolution.

"A work friend and I were competing for the same leadership position. This started to put a strain on our friendship. But at a certain point, I changed my thinking and decided that instead of competing, I shifted my focus to a team effort. Where I was succeeding and they were falling behind, I coached them on how to catch up. My friend showed appreciation, and we started helping each other. In the end, my friend got the promotion. But when I asked for a review of my performance and what I could have done better, my supervisor said I should have been more selfish. They said that my friend wasn't helping me as much as I was helping them and that had I been more selfish, I likely would have earned the promotion. I explained that I valued the needs of the team more than my own needs. My supervisor said that we weren't a team, and that was where I went wrong. But as I saw it, anytime the staff improves their skills and benefits the company as a whole. They didn't agree, which was tough to hear. But I didn't let it change who I am. I'll always act according to my nature. I'll always be a leader who manages great teams, and is a unifier, by all means."