Example interview question and answer about workplace conflict with

colleagues
Employers often want to know how well you’ll fit in with other members of the
department you’re applying for. When you answer this question, emphasize the
importance of collaboration and resolving problems professionally as a team.

Question: ‘Can you tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with
another member of your team and how you resolved it?’

Answer: ‘Our HR team had to build and implement a new digital filing system,
and I was assigned to oversee the project and delegate tasks to each team
member. One employee was upset that I was chosen to lead the initiative over
them and refused to complete their tasks. I asked them to meet privately to learn
why they were upset. I listened to their side and told them that I understood
where they were coming from. I explained that if they work hard with our team to
submit a strong project, our supervisor may notice this and consider them for
other promotions or responsibilities in the future. They agreed and completed
their tasks, which led to us finishing the project 1 week ahead of schedule & high
praise from our supervisor.’

Example question and answer for workplace conflicts with managers

Employers often want to know how well you can follow directions from managers
and your method for handling disagreements with them. Try to remain positive
when answering this question and stay away from bad-mouthing your previous
supervisor.

Question: ‘Have you ever had a disagreement with your manager? How was it
resolved?’

Answer: ‘My manager and I have had a few disagreements in the past but are
always comfortable expressing them to each other. For example, I wanted to work
on an important upcoming Career fair project and had expressed this to my
manager. When they assigned the project to a different employee instead, I
requested a meeting with my supervisor. I politely and professionally explained
how this disappointed me and made me feel under-appreciated and ignored. My
manager thanked me for expressing this and explained that they had a different
upcoming project that was better suited for my skills and interests.’

Can you recall a time of conflict with a coworker?

Behavioral questions require you to describe how you acted in a real-life
situation. Prospective employers ask this type of question to learn more about
your personality. Past behavior often indicates how you would react in
comparable future situations, so be sure to provide an example you are proud of
or to explain the lessons you took away from the experience. It is important to
emphasize the resolution that took place, as opposed to dwelling on the conflict
itself.
Example: “I was working as a lead for a new Intern program rollout, and one
manager was constantly late finishing tasks. When I approached him about it, he
reacted defensively. I kept calm and acknowledged that the deadlines were
challenging and asked how I could assist him in improving his performance. He
calmed down and told me that he was involved in another project where he had
to do tasks that were not in his job description. After a meeting with the manager,
we came to a resolution that alleviated his workload. For the remainder of the
project, the manager delivered great work.”

Tell me about a time you disagreed with your boss.

 Although interviewers often like to hear that prospective employees are honest
and have strong opinions, they nevertheless want new team members who
respond well to authority.

It is advisable to remember the following when answering this question: First,

avoid saying anything derogatory about a former manager, as your interviewer
will likely interpret this as unprofessional behavior. Second, ensure that your
answer demonstrates that you respect authority and are able to follow directions.
Example: “In some instances, I have felt it necessary to voice my opinion when I
disagreed with a boss, and it has actually proven to be constructive. For instance,
a previous manager’s unfriendly behavior had a negative influence on my work,
and I started losing motivation and job satisfaction. Eventually I asked for a
meeting and told him, in a calm and polite way, how I felt. To my surprise, he  told
me he was having difficulty in his personal life and was not coping well. After
that, he made an effort to be less critical, and I was more understanding.”

What Is Job Analysis? An Introduction

Determining the fundamental requirements of the jobs at your business can help
you hire the right people, establish competitive pay ranges, develop standards to
measure employee performance and make sure your business is running as
efficiently as possible. Not only is the job analysis process an important pre-
employment step, but it’s also important to routinely conduct an analysis of the
roles that are already filled at your company to make sure you’re offering the
right professional development opportunities and setting employees up for
success.
Below, learn what job analysis is, why it’s important for your business and a few
common job analysis methods to try.
Definition of job analysis
Job analysis is the practice of gathering and analyzing details about a particular
job, such as the required responsibilities, day-to-day duties, hard and soft skills,
qualifications, education, expected outcomes, interaction required (both internal
and external), performance standards, working conditions, required physical
abilities and nature of supervision. One of the most common ways to use the
results of a job analysis is for your job descriptions, but the data can also be used
in several other ways.
 
Conducting a job analysis provides an overview of the most important
requirements of a role to ensure you’re making the right hiring decisions and
helping your current employees succeed. For example, if you don’t conduct a job
analysis before making a hire, you might discover that your new employee lacks
certain skills that are essential to the success of a role. Failing to conduct an in-
depth job analysis can also lead to employee discontent, high turnover rates and
low engagement if you frequently hire the wrong person or promote team
members who aren’t a great fit for their new role.
 
Additionally, an effective job analysis process ensures that employees understand
the expectations of their position, are appropriately trained and receive fair
compensation.
 
Why is job analysis important?
A job analysis is a great tool to help you make a variety of personnel decisions and
understand the context of a role within an organization. Businesses often use job
analysis for: 1. Writing job descriptions 2.Creating job postings 3. Recruiting new
employees 4.Crafting an employee development plan 5. Managing employee
performance reviews 6. Establishing appropriate compensation7. Career mapping
8.Job classification (e.g., exempt vs. non-exempt) 9. Succession planning
When you collect and analyze the right data during a job analysis, you can also
better determine important job elements like:
1. Job title

2. Job levels (e.g., assistant, associate, specialist, senior)

3. Position summary

4. Specific job duties

5. Work conditions

6. Potential position/workplace hazards

7. Necessary machinery, equipment and tools

8. How the role fits in with your budget

Common job analysis methods

There are several different ways to perform job analysis. The job analysis method you choose depends on the goals of the job analysis, your
industry, the job’s work environment and the specifics of the position. Here are five of the most common job analysis methods:

Direct observation

Direct observation requires you to observe an employee in the position while they perform their daily job duties. Take detailed notes on what
the employee does, the materials they use, necessary skills and any other job-related requirements.
 
The direct observation method typically requires the analyst to be familiar with the job, so they know what to look for and how to describe it
appropriately. A department manager or senior employee is best suited to perform this method of job analysis.

Work method analysis

Consider using the work method job analysis for repetitive labor jobs, like assembly line positions. This job analysis includes time and motion
studies that determine precisely how long it takes to complete an action and how many actions the employee can complete during their shift.
Companies often estimate this information to determine how many workers they need to meet production goals.

Critical incident technique

The critical incident job analysis technique’s goal is determining what separates good work performance from poor work performance. Using
this method, analysts interview employees about critical incidents they’ve experienced on the job, which they assess to determine what specific
skills were required to reach a positive outcome.

Interview

In the interview job analysis method, you interview employees and their supervisors about the specifics of the employee’s job. Interviewers
often ask a variety of questions to determine what duties the job requires and what skills are necessary to complete the job effectively.
 

Questions might include:

 

 Describe the job you do in your own words.

 What is your job’s overall purpose?

 Describe your working conditions.

 What do you feel is necessary in terms of education or qualifications to perform your job successfully?

 What special tools, equipment or machines do you use on a daily basis?

 What is the level of accountability in your role?

 How long do you typically spend on X task?

Questionnaire

The questionnaire job analysis method requires employees to answer a list of questions related to their job. Often, these questionnaires are
very detailed to glean as much information and specificity about the position as possible. Many questionnaires to help you conduct job analysis
exist, with the most common including:
 

 Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ): Developed at Purdue University in 1972, the PAQ is used to define the duties and
responsibilities of a given job position. It covers mental processes, work output, relationships with other people, job context, and job
characteristics, among other factors.

 Functional Job Analysis (FJA): The FJA was created by the Employment and Training Administration of the United States Department
of Labor to perform qualitative analysis of a job. It describes what an employee does, broken down into functions like data, worker
instructions, reasoning, people, math and language.

 Multipurpose Occupational Systems Analysis Inventory – Close-Ended (MOSAIC): MOSAIC is a survey-based job analysis tool that
collects information from employees to determine the core competencies of a role (e.g., knowledge, skills, abilities).

 Common Metric Questionnaire (CMQ): The CMQ is a 62-question survey that covers five core sections: background, contacts with
people, physical and mechanical activities, decision making and work setting.
Internal and external research

Use a variety of sources to gather information on a particular job position. Start by looking internally. For example, look at your existing job
postings, performance development plans and employee training materials. You can also perform external research by looking at job
description samples or job postings online for the role you’re analyzing and see what other companies are looking for in candidates.
 

How to perform a job analysis

Follow these steps to perform an effective job analysis:

1. Determine the goal

Start by establishing the goal of your job analysis. For example, your goal might be determining appropriate compensation for the job, writing
or updating a job description or recruiting potential employees for an open role.

2. Consider which jobs you want to analyze

Do you want to analyze an entire department, just a few jobs or a single position? Deciding what jobs you want to analyze and how many can
help you select the right method for your job analysis.

3. Select the right job analysis method

Determine which job analysis method will produce the most useful data for your goals. For example, the interview method may not be the right
choice if you’re hiring for a completely new role at your company. In this case, external research might be a good choice. If you want to revise a
job description, direct observation could be a good, cost-effective choice. Want to figure out how to classify a certain position? A questionnaire
could help you determine whether a role should be exempt vs. non-exempt.

4. Create a timeline

Establish a timeline for notifying employees about the analysis, conducting the analysis, reviewing the data and implementing any changes.

5. Prepare your materials

Prepare any necessary materials for the job analysis, like securing a meeting room, purchasing a questionnaire or coming up with interview
questions.

6. Complete the analysis

Perform the job analysis using best practices for the specific method you selected. If possible, get input from employees, supervisors and senior
managers to get a more well-rounded, in-depth look at the job you’re analyzing.

7. Review your job analysis results

Assess the data to see what the job entails, what skills and qualifications are necessary to perform it well and any other relevant information
needed to meet your goals.

8. Use the data

Finally, use the results of your job analysis to establish an updated job description, appropriate compensation, employee development plan or
other documents or processes.