“How do you handle conflicts at work?” Conflict strategies and ways to answer the interview question

Conflicts are a normal part of any workplace. Whether you’re working in a managerial role or an entry-level job, you’re likely to encounter a few conflicts within your team. Conflict resolution is so important that one of the most commonly asked behavioral questions during an interview is, “how do you handle conflicts at work?” If you’re looking for the best strategies for answering this question, you’ve come to the right place.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the best ways to

• Effectively handle conflicts at work and maintain team harmony

• Respond to interview questions involving conflict resolution

How do you resolve conflict at work?

The importance of conflict resolution cannot be ignored. Organizations all over the world are prioritizing job applicants with key soft skills, including interpersonal and conflict management skills. Whether you’re looking to resolve a conflict at work or simply learn more about handling difficult situations at work, here are a few things you need to do.

Listen carefully to all the details

There’s a big difference between hearing someone out and actively listening to what they’re saying. Actively listening to someone involves paying attention to the speaker’s nonverbal cues, including body language, with the objective of understanding their intent. 

When you’re trying to resolve a conflict at work, your colleagues are likely to pay close attention to the way you respond to them. When you practice listening at work, you not only observe the way your colleagues are reacting, but you’re also mindful of your own body language. If you listen to people carefully, you’re more likely to respond in an understanding and empathetic way to de-escalate the situation at hand.

How do you handle a conflict: try to stay as objective as possible

During the heat of the moment, it’s likely for people to get riled up and become emotional. But when it comes to conflict resolution, objectivity is the key. Your focus should be on your colleagues’ response to the conflict, instead of their overall personality. This means that you should be truthful in the way you assess the situation and not let your bias get the best of you.

Maintain effective communication

One of the biggest reasons behind conflicts at work is lack of communication. Similarly, a lot of conflict resolution strategies fail when the aggrieved parties do not communicate properly. For this reason, whenever you’re resolving a conflict, try to be as thorough with your communication as possible. 

Identify the root cause of the issue

If the same conflict keeps happening again and again at your workplace or within your team, try to investigate the root cause of the problem. Calmly discuss the issue with all the parties involved and try to look for a lasting solution to the conflict, instead of quick, short-term fixes.

Foster relationships with colleagues

Developing a professional relationship at work means having a healthy discussion with your colleagues to establish the roles and boundaries of each team member. If you want to foster relationships with colleagues, it’s best to do so in a systematic manner. For example, you can discuss the following points with a colleague during a meeting:

• The role of the individual and the common challenges associated with that role.

• Any past conflicts that arose and what was done to resolve those conflicts.

• Any existing rules and regulations on communication etiquettes and best practices.

How do you answer an interview question about conflict at work?

During a job interview, there are different ways the interviewer can ask you a question involving dealing with a conflict at work. When responding to this type of behavioral question, here’s what you need to do.

Stay calm

Disagreements are a normal part of work. However, the interviewer wants to assess whether you’re capable of de-escalating the situation or whether you tend to make things worse. Hence, when you’re answering a question about handling conflicts at work, stay calm and focus on how you managed to stay level-headed throughout the ordeal. Talk about how you were able to compromise and help your team members reach a win-win agreement.

Think logically

Interviewers typically look for new hires who utilize a blend of creative thinking and logical problem-solving to resolve conflicts at work. When responding to the interviewer, talk about how you use facts and logic to decide on the best course of action when handling a difficult situation at work. This type of response will give the interviewer the impression that you’re predictable and you don’t act impulsively. 

Place the company first

When it comes to managing conflicts, the expectation is that you should place the company’s needs and objectives above everything. This means that whatever conflict resolution strategy you create should agree with your organization’s goals, mission, and culture. 

So, when responding to a question about handling conflicts, your answer should include a focus on how your solution helped create a positive environment at work and allowed the company to achieve its objectives.

Common conflict questions and how to respond to them

Just as there can be multiple interview questions revolving around your ability to handle conflicts at work, there are several ways you can respond to these questions.

Key takeaways

1. If you want to advance in your career and get more recognition at work, you’ll need to work on your soft skills, especially conflict resolution.

2. To successfully resolve conflicts at work, you must remain objective, practice effective listening, and ensure proper communication with your colleagues.

3. When responding to an interview question involving a conflict at work, try to remain truthful and neutral. Focus on how you created a win-win strategy for all.