Answering: “Describe A Time When You Disagreed With Your Supervisor”

By Michelle Wanjiku

Questions like ‘describe a time when you disagreed with your supervisor’ may not be asked in all interviews but you might just come across it.

Behavioral questions are becoming more common in interviews these days.  Employers  will  ask this question to see how you view your relationship with your boss or other authority figures.

Being able to articulate how you can handle conflict at the workplace can make or break your shot at impressing the employer.

Check out these tips for answering the ‘describe a time when you disagreed with your supervisor’ question; 

1. Pick a Good Example

You want to pick a scenario that portrays you in a good way. One where, you actively worked to resolve the conflict and you were not the cause of the conflict.

You also, want to be very specific, avoid general examples that do not really answer the questions and that are cliches.

Pick an example that clearly shows you have good conflict resolutions skills as well as good interpersonal skills.

2. Get Specific About Your Actions

You need to be as specific as possible when describing a time when you disagreed with your boss This is because it is very easy to get side tracked and lost in a story that you forget what you were saying.

Your answer should also not take 5 minutes. Make it as short as possible without compromising on the details.

3. Practice

Practice makes perfect, the more you practice answering the ‘describe a time when you disagreed with your supervisor’ question the better you will be at answering it in an interview setting.

READ ALSO >>> 4 Smart Ways to Answer Unexpected Interview Questions

How not to answer ‘describe a time when you disagreed with your supervisor’

There will obviously come a time when you do not agree with something at work. This is because everyone is different and conflicts are bound to arise due to the different personalities at the work place.

Therefore, an answer like ‘I have never disagreed with anyone’ will only serve to disqualify you faster. It is expected you have experienced such a situation especially if you have worked in a team.

“I don’t have disagreements with co-workers because it’s my way or no way at all. I can’t help it if my ideas are better than everybody else’s.”

This answer makes you look like you do not value team work and that you are not willing to listen to other people’s ideas. Not a quality an employer wants in their employees.

How to answer “describe a time when you disagreed with your supervisor”

The main point is to show that you can remain professional and keep your temper in check in situations of conflict.

For example you can give an answer like; “I was working on a project and my boss instructed me to take another approach. In my opinion this approach would create a lot of complications which would then lead to a great loss of time and money. So, I went and talked to her about my concerns and offered an alternative approach, she agreed with me and in the end we accomplished our goals.”

This answer shows that you disagreed with your superior for legitimate reasons you could defend your stand.

You then did the right thing or the organisation by going to your boss about it instead of just doing what you are told and costing the company.

It also shows that other than point out the negative only, you were able to come up with a solution as well proving that you are valuable to the organisation.

READ ALSO >>> 3 Smart Ways To Answer The Question “How Soon Are You Available” In An Interview

When it comes to answering the question ‘describe a time when you disagreed with your supervisor,’ the answer you give should portray your ability to handle conflict in the work place in a professional and adult manner.

Nervous about your upcoming interview? Let a Professional Interview Coach Help You