Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager? With example answers!

“Have you ever had trouble with a boss and how did you handle it?” 

This is a question that frequently comes up in interviews, and it’s important to know how to answer it tactfully and professionally. Disagreements are bound to happen, and these situational interview questions are an opportunity to showcase your conflict–resolution skills and show the interviewer why you're the best person for the job.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to handle interview questions about dealing with difficult managers, including:

• Why interviewers ask this question

• How to answer questions about working with a difficult coworker

• What you shouldn’t say

• Examples of how to answer this question

Why do interviewers ask if you’ve ever had difficulty working with a manager?

This might feel like a “gotcha” question, but it’s not—the interviewer wants to know how you've handled conflicts or disagreements with supervisors in the past because it gives them a good idea about how you'd handle them in your new position, should they hire you. It also gives clues about your communication, self-awareness, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. They want to see that you can learn from your experiences.

Answering questions about difficult managers in an interview

Like any behavioral or situational interview question, you can utilize the STAR method to create a thorough, coherent answer to the question, “Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager or other team members?"

• Situation: Give a clear picture of the situation itself, so you can give important context for the rest of your answer.

• Task: What were your goals in this situation?

• Action: Describe the steps you took to tackle the dispute.

• Result: What was the outcome of your actions? What did those involved learn from the situation? How were things handled after that?

Tips for crafting your answer about a difficult manager

When you’re answering interview questions about how you’ve handled conflict with a manager or co-workers, keep the following in mind:

• Keep it objective. This is not the time to place blame or talk about your feelings. The interviewer wants to know how you handled the conflict, not whose fault it was.

• Keep your answer streamlined. Avoid unnecessary or irrelevant details.

• Don’t make it sound like a prepared monologue. While you should have a few stories at the ready, you don’t want to look like you’ve rehearsed a diatribe about past grievances.

What if you can’t think of anything to say?

Maybe you think you haven’t had any workplace conflicts. However, you should take some time to think about whether that’s truly the case. You’re a human working with other humans—conflict is inevitable. But if you really can’t come up with any examples, think about a hypothetical situation and talk about what steps you’d take to address the issue. 

Example answers to the question “Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager?”

Let’s take a look at some example answers to this question. Feel free to use these answers, of course, adapting them to your situation.

1. “Tell me about a time you had a conflict with your manager.”

• "My first job out of college was as a salesperson for a paper supply company. During one of our department meetings, the boss was going over our sales for the previous quarter and she told the entire group that I fell well short of my sales quota. She mentioned that several people didn't, but I was the only one she named personally. After the meeting, I asked to meet with her privately and let her know that I felt I was being unfairly called out, as I was the only salesperson she mentioned by name. I made it clear that this made me feel like I was not a valued member of the team.

While she seemed a bit taken aback, she thanked me for being direct and honest. She let me know that I was indeed important to the team, and would make time to review my training so I could get my numbers up. And going forward, she never singled any salesperson out or used them as examples, unless they were being recognized for an achievement.”

2. “Describe a time you had a conflict with a co-worker. How did you handle it?”

• “At my last job, I had a teammate who regularly questioned my work. He also would frequently interrupt others during their presentations, making it difficult to share vital information with the team. I’ll admit, it was frustrating, and his behavior was starting to affect our team’s morale. 

As the lead team member, I decided that the best way to deal with this person was through a one-on-one conversation, and I let him know—kindly—how his behavior was affecting the team. I also actively worked on demonstrating patience and empathy, and the rest of the team followed suit. During meetings, each person was given time to express their opinions and ideas, so everyone felt heard. Communication improved after that, productivity went up, and people felt better about their work."

Need help polishing your interview skills? Check out our Interview Prep tool to develop the skills you need to ace your next interview.

Key takeaways

1. The hiring manager asks questions about how you’ve handled conflict with a manager because it tells them about your communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.

2. Use the STAR method to craft your answer about how you’ve handled conflict in the workplace.

3. When giving your response, keep it concise and objective, and don’t place blame.