Use the below-given Conflict Management interview questions to check how candidates resolve issues at the workplace and if they can handle the complaints proficiently.

Why do you need to assess a candidate’s conflict management skills?

• Resolve differences of opinions among team members easily
• Address complaints from clients
• Build healthy work relations
• Discuss problems in a professional way

It is important to test candidates’ conflict-resolution skills, especially for:

• Senior positions, where your prospective employee will manage teams
• Sales positions, where your prospective employee will contact clients on a regular basis

Conflict management interview questions

• Share about a time you disagreed with a coworker’s idea while working on the same project. How did you express your thoughts and what happened?
• How do you respond to constructive criticism?
• What is your approach when it comes to handling conflicts in your team?
• How do you deal with furious clients who complain about your services/products?
• How do you deal with team members who keep raising objections on projects?
• How would you resolve a conflict between team members working on the same project?
• Do you face a conflict of interest during a cross-departmental project? How do you manage?
• You find that a team member is arrogant or aggressive toward the rest of the team, what would you do?
• How do you respond to false accusations?

Tips to assess candidates’ conflict management skills in interviews

• Ask candidates about their approach to dealing with disagreements and explain any previous experience in detail. Look for candidates who analyze the situation and issue before confronting a colleague.
• Good listeners and empathizers are great at solving conflicts professionally. These people can be a great addition in your team, as they manage to keep their coworkers calm.
• Strong communication abilities and good conflict management skills go hand-in-hand. Candidates who express their views clearly and know how to have a healthy discussion are more likely to resolve issues that occur at work.
• Ask behavioral questions to know how candidates interact in team environments. Look for people who are good team players and maintain harmony in the team.
• If the position involves communication with customers, consider adding a role-playing activity in the interview. This will allow you to test candidates’ abilities to resolve issues.
• Even if candidates share a negative experience, it is essential to see what lessons they have learned. Look for candidates who don’t take things personally and know the importance of being patient.

Red Flags

• They can’t let go of minor disagreements: If your candidates show that they turn each disagreement into a fight, they might have difficulty listening to others opinions.
• They create issues: If the reason behind conflicts is your candidates’ poor collaboration or communication skills, that is a sign that they are not good team players.
• They look uncomfortable: Some roles, like sales executives, often have to face conflicts at work. Candidates who get tensed while explaining such situations might not be an ideal match for such roles.
• They give generic answers: Answers like “Yes/No” don’t tell much about candidates’ conflict management skills.
• They are unprofessional: Candidates who blame team members and their seniors lack professionalism and may not be the most apt prospective employees.
• They avoid conflicts completely: Problems increase when conflicts are ignored completely. Candidates should be confident to express their views and thoughts when required.