HR Consultant Mock Interview
Practice 40 HR Consultant interview questions covering compliance, organizational development, and client advisory scenarios.
Question 22 of 40
Think about a demanding boss or coworker you've had during your career. How did you successfully interact with this person?
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"The most difficult person I ever worked with was my boss a few years back. She received a promotion to VP of Human Resources from the position I had been hired to fill and was unwilling to listen to my ideas to change the department. I believe she felt personally offended that I did not think her processes were the most efficient, but it was not personal. I sat with her for a one on one meeting when there were very few people in the building, and we had a nice chat about the positive changes she made to the department and my ideas to continue to grow what she began."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
As an HR professional, one of your most significant traits should be your ability to be diplomatic in the workplace. The interviewer wants to know how you interact with people who may have challenging personalities. Think about that one person at work who is seen as hard to please. Perhaps there was someone at work who tried to intimidate others. Show the interviewer that you work well with most personalities even though you recognize some people are quite difficult to please. Avoid speaking poorly of anyone, and be sure to end your response on a positive note.
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I once worked for an executive who was very difficult in meetings and with interacting with groups of staff in important meetings. I didn't hesitate to talk to her personally about how others took her harsh orders at times. I took it upon myself to help this person interact better with others. When she would bark orders, I would reiterate what she was trying to say to the group more professionally. It took some time, but she learned to behave in a way that made people want to work with her."
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Anonymous Answer
I had a boss who wanted to be kept abreast of all things at all times. On occasion, this was not feasible, as it kept me from doing my job. So we met, and we walked through examples of information she needed to be looped in on daily and others that she could be updated on weekly. I also reiterated what I needed for success and asked her if this was feasible. We came to an agreement, and things worked from there.
Rachelle's Feedback
This must have been a challenging conversation with someone so hyper-focused on being in the know. It sounds like you handled this very well, and it's great that you included the positive result.
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