How would you handle a disagreement with a colleague or manager?
It is not uncommon for colleagues or managers to argue with someone they work with. The interviewers know this and want to see how you have handled disputes in the past. How you respond gives the interviewers insight into your problem-solving, communication, and conflict-resolution skills, which are essential in any profession.
Give a detailed explanation of how you handled a past disagreement with someone you worked with. You do not necessarily need to describe the reason for the dispute, just how you dealt with it. The interviewers want to hear that you dealt with the conflict privately, calmly, and professionally and that there was a resolution.
"Over the years, I have found the involved parties can fix all conflicts with honest, open communication. When both parties can explain why they are bothered by something and decide how to handle the situation maturely, less conflict will likely happen. Most conflicts are simply a misunderstanding or lack of communication. When I have a dispute with a colleague or manager, I ask to speak to them privately to discuss the matter. It is never professional to have a disagreement or conflict in front of others. Then, we discuss the issue until we can come to a mutually agreeable solution."
"I'm a very non-confrontational person, but if I were to have a disagreement with a colleague, I would approach them in a gentle and kind manner to discuss the conflict one-on-one. Through effective communication, I would hope that we could get to the root cause of the disagreement and be able to voice, in a professional way, what we felt was not working well and what was causing the concern or problems. I would come with an open mind and work together with this person to devise a reasonable solution or compromise so that we could work through the conflict with a positive outcome for both. If it were a situation where we could not agree or needed further input, I would suggest we approach a senior team member or manager to help us navigate the problem with a neutral party."
Unlock all 30 NHS questions
Prepare for values-based questions that NHS interviewers use to assess candidates.
Get Started