How do you handle conflict with a coworker or supervisor?

Focus on giving a detailed explanation of how you handled a past disagreement with a supervisor or coworker. You do not necessarily need to describe the reason for the dispute, just how you dealt with it. The interviewer wants to hear that you dealt with the conflict privately, calmly, and maturely and that there was a resolution.

Do not say you avoid or ignore disagreements or get angry when a dispute arises in the workplace. The interviewer does not want to hear that you lack conflict resolution and communication skills. You should also avoid speaking poorly of the person you had the dispute with or placing the blame solely on the other individual. You need to be responsible and recognize your part in the conflict.

"Fortunately, I have only had one dispute in my career with a supervisor. I handled it by recognizing we had an issue and asked my supervisor if we could speak in private. I calmly explained that I felt we had an issue and asked what we could do to resolve the problem. It turns out there was a misunderstanding about an assignment given to me by her superior, which she knew nothing about. Once I clarified what I was working on and why we never had an issue again."