When an interviewer asks, “What is the most challenging coworker you’ve worked with?” it can feel like they’re fishing for drama—but they’re actually gauging your conflict resolution skills and emotional intelligence. Since you can’t just phone one of your past work besties to jog your memory, you’ve got to think fast and stay professional.
“Candidates often find it difficult to answer questions that ask for specifics about past disagreements, such as ‘Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker,’” says Damien Filiatrault, founder and CEO of the staffing agency Scalable Path. “Such questions require self-evaluation, tact, and candor without coming across as overly critical of others or downplaying the situation.”
Needless to say, your answer could determine whether you'll move forward in the process. Here's how to prepare and examples of what to say.
Why do employers ask questions about coworkers?
Questions about your relationship with past coworkers are mostly behavioral questions. Interviewers want to assess if you're able to handle workplace conflict professionally and how you collaborate with others.
“Disputes at work are bound to arise, and how a candidate handles such disputes says a lot about their ability to nurture productive and respectful relations,” Filiatrault says, adding that employers are evaluating your emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and collaboration skills.
“[These questions] reveal a candidate's emotional self-control, communication style, and ability to defuse high-tension situations, which are key considerations for achieving a conducive work environment,” he says.
Since companies have different work cultures, your response could indicate whether you're a good fit for the position and if your values align with theirs.
Different versions of the “conflict with coworker” interview question
Interview questions about a conflict with coworkers come in different forms. Here are the most common variations:
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker.
- Tell me about a time when you worked with a difficult coworker.
- How well do you work with people you disagree with?
- What has been the most challenging situation you've faced with a coworker?
How to answer the “conflict with coworker” interview question
Behavioral questions are tricky. For one thing, they don't have a direct right or wrong answer. For another, they put you in an uncomfortable position of talking about a negative experience with someone else. “A significant number of candidates are reluctant to respond honestly to this question because they don’t want to appear difficult or uncooperative,” Filiatrault says.
So, how do you answer it? It's all about choosing the right words and ending your story on a positive note.
1. Choose a relevant work situation
When interviewers ask this question, they want to hear about a work-related conflict—not how annoying you think Ana from HR’s quirks are. So, what’s an example of a difficult coworker for this interview question? Think about a time when you had a disagreement on how to conduct a project or tackle a task. Or maybe you had a colleague who always missed important deadlines or someone who undermined you at work.
2. Structure your answer using the STAR method
STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result—a structured and effective way to craft answers to interview questions. “This approach works best because it will help you present the challenge in a constructive light while also demonstrating your soft skills to the interviewer,” Filiatrault says. It's like telling an anecdote with a lesson or resolution at the end.
“Start by telling the incident as objectively as possible; concentrate on facts only and set aside any emotions,” he says. “A good example might be: ‘I once worked on a project where one team member significantly affected the progress of our project because he missed his deadline three times.’”
The next step is telling what was your role or task in this situation and what action you took to tackle it. “Reinforce all actions taken with the help of effective communication and resolution of the problem,” Filiatrault says. “For example, ‘I scheduled a one-on-one meeting to understand their challenges, clarified expectations, and collaborated on a timeline that worked for both of us.’”
The final step is to highlight the outcome or lesson learned after this experience. For example, Filiatrault suggests saying something like, “‘Right after this talk, the responsiveness to obstacles and deadlines was much better, and the project in question was completed on the due date. I have realized that resolving issues and having thorough discussions in the beginning is very essential.’”
3. Be positive and professional
Questions like this are an opportunity to frame yourself as a team player. You don't want to sound bitter, or like a know-it-all or someone who holds grudges over small things. Basically, nothing that could be considered unprofessional. “Frame the situation as a learning experience to demonstrate your conflict resolution skills and your ability to achieve positive outcomes,” Filiatrault says.
”Conflict with coworker” interview question: Example answers
Coming up with an answer to an interview question can be easier after you see examples. Here are two sample answers that apply our advice:
#1: If you’re an experienced candidate
Seasoned candidates have plenty of work experience to choose from, which could make this task easier. If you happen to be applying for a managerial role, try to highlight your leadership and conflict mediation skills. “A manager could explain how he managed to resolve conflicts in a cross-functional team by focusing everyone on the set objectives while remaining a neutral party,” Filiatrault says.
Example:
In my current role, we need to end each week with a content lineup for the following week. One of our copywriters struggled to meet this deadline, causing delays and tension within the team.
As a manager, I took the time to have a one-on-one meeting with the copywriter to ask about their workload. It turned out they were struggling with our client’s last-minute demands for content changes, which I hadn’t realized was an issue until that moment.
After this meeting, I was able to address the issue by asking our clients for briefings and suggested changes two weeks in advance. This required some planning on my end and a lot of negotiating with our clients, but the result was positive. The copywriter can now meet deadlines, and our entire team is more productive.
#2: If you’re an entry-level candidate
As an entry-level candidate you might have little to no work experience. In this case, the interviewer may ask about a time you worked with difficult people—not necessarily a coworker. Your answer should highlight core soft skills, especially the ones who are most relevant for that specific position.
“Yous response could be based on your college or internship experiences with other students,” Filiatrault says. “For instance, you may speak of clarifying miscommunications in group work in college.”
Example:
In my first internship, I worked on a project with tight deadlines. One of my teammates tried to take control of our tasks because he had more experience, which left the rest of us with little room to contribute. This caused frustration and tension.
So, I decided to address the issue. I had a conversation with this coworker and calmly expressed that, although it was great to work with someone so proactive, the rest of the team wanted to contribute more. I also suggested setting clear roles and responsibilities for each of us so everyone could use their strengths to achieve our common goal—which was to finish the project on time and with excellence.
Fortunately, he was receptive, and we took the opportunity to brainstorm our next steps and the team structure moving forward. We presented our ideas to the rest of the group, allowing everyone to provide their input. As a result, our communication improved, and the tension disappeared. This experience helped me realize the importance of addressing concerns early on instead of letting them fester and strain a working relationship.
What not to say when asked about a difficult coworker
Never consider this question an opportunity to badmouth your coworkers. It's all about you, what you did, and what you learned or accomplished in that situation—not about them and their flaws.
“Refrain from finding fault with someone else or completely avoiding blame,” Filiatrault says. “Phrases like ‘I do not get into conflict’ or ‘It was entirely my coworker's fault’ suggest avoidance or lack of self-awareness.”
He also advises not dwelling in negative details, gossip, or unresolved issues—especially if not work-related. “Your response should remain professional,” Filiatrault says. “Concentrate on things that you have learned and the things you did to make the situation better.”
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