Have you ever experienced conflict on the job? If so, how was it handled?

The hiring company wants to see that, as a highly visible leader in their organization, you bring self-awareness, maturity, and professionalism. While you do not always have to agree with everyone, the interviewer wants to see that you respond appropriately in the face of conflict. The key to successfully answering this question is to impress upon the interviewer that you are a respectful professional who treats others fairly. If you are newer to your career, you can draw from a post-secondary example (perhaps you had a conflict with a professor or on a team project).

"My first foreman was a challenging person. His expectations were often unreasonable and would come with little explanation. I worked with him for two years and left when I knew I was no longer benefitting from his leadership. I was pretty green and did not feel I had the years behind me to openly challenge his working style. I did keep my head down for the most part, but the benefit came to me at a later time when I took on my first leadership role. I knew what I did not want to be like; thus, the experience helped to shape my communication style as a Construction Project Manager."