Conflict management is a large part of various roles, especially within management and leadership. It’s imperative that people leading and managing teams have a good understanding of conflict management and resolution.
Candidates should be able to draw on their own previous experience in resolving and managing conflicts in the workplace.
Look for candidates who exhibit:
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- The ability to show empathy in difficult situations.
- Previous experience in leadership and people management.
- Strong communication skills.
The following questions will help you assess how the candidate has performed with conflicts in their previous experience.
Examples of Conflict management-based Questions
- What is conflict? How can it be managed?
- Why is managing conflict and disagreements important?
- Tell me about a time when you were faced with conflict in your department. How did you work to resolve it?
- Tell me about the different conflict management techniques you have used previously.
- Why is reflection important during the resolution of conflicts?
How to Evaluate Candidates
- Look for candidates who exhibit examples of real work experiences.
- Identify candidates who are methodical in their answers.
- For senior-level and management candidates, identify when they have led. a team and dealt with conflict.
- Identify candidates who have formal training in conflict management.