Best Interview Questions to Assess a Candidate’s Conflict Resolution Ability

What are the best interview questions to assess candidates’ ability to manage and resolve conflicts? What answers should interviewers seek?

In this Q&A, Richard Birke, chief architect of JAMS Pathways, the leader in early conflict resolution that helps prevent or solve workplace problems, provides tips.

Here’s what he had to say.

When looking for executives with great people skills and conflict resolution skills, what are the best interview questions to assess candidates’ ability to manage and resolve conflicts?

RB: First, be direct. Ask about their prior experience dealing with conflict as a leader. Ask them to recount a specific instance in which they dealt with a conflict in a manner that resulted in a good outcome. What did they do to make it work? Then ask about a specific instance they would have handled differently.

Second, be specific about the conflicts likely to arise at work. Ask them to describe something that happened to their predecessor that is likely to come up again. Ask for their commentary and feedback.

Finally, take a 30,000-foot view. Ask about their experience dealing with difficult situations and their approach to conflict.

Why these questions, and what answers should you seek when asking them?

RB: The direct question is great because it reveals strengths and growth opportunities. You should expect that conflict will be challenging for the candidate, and answers that are too confident and glib may reveal an inflexibility that could be a poor fit with your organization’s needs.

The specific question helps identify a match between the existing workforce and the candidate’s general approach. A great approach in one organization can be a disaster in another. For example, “top-down” can work in a sprawling entity with many equally situated line workers and where consistency is paramount, but it could be a mismatch in a smaller group of highly engaged employees who like to take ownership of outcomes. In the latter group, a more facilitative approach might be better.

The last question relates to intellectual curiosity and a willingness to try different  tactics in different situations. A candidate who talks about books they’ve read, courses they’ve attended, people they admire, and approaches they like will be your best conflict resolver in the long run.

What are your favorite job interview questions executives should ask in interviews to find candidates?

RB: I’m not sure they would differ much from the questions already listed above, but if organizational culture is easily defined and the existing management team enjoys consensus, add more questions in the second category, such as “Two years ago, we experienced the following. What would you have done? What would you want to know before intervening?” or “We have recently seen an uptick in the following kind of conflict. What would be your approach? Whom would you want to engage and talk to before intervening?”

Additionally, I’d build in several moments where there was at least 10 seconds of continuous silence in the room. A good conflict resolver will be comfortable with silence. It’s a sign of a good listener.

Finally—and I say this at the risk of appearing self-serving—ask about when and if the candidate would bring in a neutral third-party to handle the situation. A smart executive probably hires accountants to do the company’s taxes, contractors to remodel the office, and conflict resolution professionals to resolve disputes. An executive who thinks that it’s all just common sense and that they never need help will likely trigger an IRS audit, fail a building inspection, and watch a manageable conflict spiral into a lawsuit.

What are some ‘red flags’ during an interview?

RB: Pat answers. Conflict comes in many forms, and a one-size-fits-all answer probably won’t fit.

Overconfidence. Conflict should provoke reflection. A candidate should ask clarifying questions before answering, should offer disclaimers (“If I were actually in the situation, I’d want to know more, but here’s what I think based on what you said.”) and should be appropriately humble about their limitations and their need to continuously learn and grow.

Go-it-alone responses. Unless the job is one in which the candidate will have no colleagues at hand, the candidate should discuss whom they would involve in the resolution of the conflict and the roles they’d play. A great conflict resolver employs their teammates and co-workers (including subordinates) and recognizes that sometimes their skill set is not the best one for a particular situation.

What are examples of conflict resolution for hiring management in your career? What was the problem, and how did you fix it?

RB: Too many to name them all! A productive scholar is elevated to the position of associate dean at a college, and once installed, they are dismissive of legitimate concerns from former peers regarding anything other than research and writing. The intervention was a facilitated dialogue that resulted in a reorganization of the duties of the various associate deans.

A talented surgeon is hired into a new job, and part of the job is to supervise a larger workforce than was the case in any prior position. Personal coaching led to a program of study and the creation of a small team of internal and external advisors to help accelerate skill development.

A lawyer in a large firm is assigned managerial duties in their department and fails to address conflict when it’s nascent. After several big avoidable blowups, the management of the firm arranges a graceful return from management to a line position with no loss of face for the excellent lawyer, who had no desire to become an excellent manager.

Conflicts and people are unique. The kinds of problems that result from a lack of conflict resolution skills vary dramatically. Each will spin into a conflict cycle that requires a tailored approach, and as such, the fix must fit the fuss.

About Richard Burke: Richard Birke is the chief architect of JAMS Pathways and is experienced at resolving complex, multiparty disputes. With over 35 years of hands-on dispute resolution, he draws on experience in a wide range of disciplines, including mediation, psychology, economics, law, communications, negotiation theory, strategic behavior, and diversity, equity and inclusion, to apply the right tools to every client situation. He can be reached at rbirke@jamsadr.com.

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