Have you ever had to enforce a company policy that you disagreed with?

What You Need to Know
Assistant Manager Example
Community Answers

Even if you get along well with your employer or boss or have a lot of respect for your company, there may be times when you disagree with a policy. Think of a conflict or disagreement you had with your boss or company to which you responded professionally. Maybe you suggested a great compromise. Perhaps, instead of taking a heated tone, you remained calm and relaxed while explaining your stance. Getting along well with others puts you in a favorable position because it shows your desire to collaborate and highlights your ability to problem solve and produce excellent results, despite a challenging situation.

When asked a 'Have you ever...' style of question, it's important to remember that the interviewer is looking for a specific story-based example that highlights your behavior in challenging situations. By using the STAR interview method (an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result), you can more easily form a story-based response.

"(Situation) Some time ago, I had a boss that regularly forced overtime on employees at the last minute. (Task) I was the Assistant Manager at the time and could quickly see team morale sinking. (Action) I spoke with him at length about team morale. I approached the conversation with data and facts rather than emotion. (Result) He agreed to start giving the overtime notice sooner, making everyone's lives easier."

Anonymous Answer

"Yes, a few times. It is the healthy growth of the company which is most important to me. On occasion, when there was disagreement I did not feel displeasure, I simply followed what my supervisor has advised me to do and delegated the work accordingly to my team. Of course, the result despite many efforts by the team was a failure. So, I did my work and the boss realized his mistake and kept quiet. He stopped pushing his policies onto me later."

Marcie's Feedback

Can you provide more details that explain what the company policy was and why you disagreed with it? Right now your example is a bit vague; if you add more specifics, the interviewer will find it much more meaningful and memorable. Nice job!

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Anonymous Answer

"My company allows for a flexible work schedule, allowing employees to work from home for up to three days. There are now more Team meetings than in-person meetings and I feel the company is losing out on valuable teamwork and relationships that can be built by having that same meeting in person. I think the participation level is lower and overall employees are less engaged in the meetings."

Stephanie's Feedback

This sounds like a tough position to be in--you don't agree with this company policy and have ideas for a better way this could be executed by the company. Can you share a little more about what it's been like to enforce a policy that you didn't agree with?