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How do You Manage Difficult Employees - Interview Question Answered With Examples · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: How do you manage difficult employees?
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Is an interview question asked for several different reasons.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: To answer this question well, you need to understand why the interviewer is asking how do you manage difficult employees.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Typical scenarios include, you know, firstly, the interview is for a manager role, and the interviewer or the hiring manager is judging how effective a manager you are likely to be.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Second, you might be joining a team with one or more difficult employees in it, and the interviewer wants to know how you're going to handle them.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Or third, the team that you'll be managing has one or more difficult people in it.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'll take you through firstly how to find out which scenario you're faced with, second, give you suggestions of what to include in your answer, and third, give you an example answer towards the end of the podcast.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles, and I've been hired into world-class companies, interviewed over a thousand candidates from graduates all the way through to CEOs, and I've been a board director of a recruitment company with 140 million in sales.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: And do take a look at our How to Get Hired program for comprehensive training on every aspect of getting a job against tough competition.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: And if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: When answering the interview question how do you manage difficult employees?
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Watch your body language.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: By asking how do you manage difficult employees, the interviewer is seeing how you're going to react to the possibility of managing difficult employees or working alongside difficult employees.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you remain calm and show no fear or dread and take the question in your stride and answer it confidently, then you've passed the first hurdle.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: If you show fear, annoyance, apprehension, hesitation or any similar emotion or reaction which indicates that you are not comfortable in dealing with difficult people, you're putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're put out or put on the back foot by the question, what will you be like when you're actually faced with difficult employees?
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: Before answering how do you manage difficult employees, ask a question of your own.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: If you are interviewing for a management role, you'll be able to give a much better, more tailored answer if you understand the situation.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I suggest that you ask the interviewer a clarifying question first.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, something along the lines of Would you like me to give you a general answer or do you have a specific person or a set of issues that you prefer me to address in my actual answer?
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: By asking a clarifying question, you also get an idea if you are going to be joining a team with difficult people in it.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: Answering the specific problems the hiring manager will have will help you get closer to offer compared to giving a more generic answer.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're not going for a management role, I would suggest that you also follow exactly the same approach.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Just so you don't get caught out, this interview question can also be asked in the following ways.
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  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, how do you manage difficult customers?
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  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, how do you manage difficult team members?
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  SPEAKER_00: Third, how do you manage difficult stakeholders?
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  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, how do you manage difficult clients?
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  SPEAKER_00: Tailor your clarifying question according to which exact version of this question you get asked by the interviewer.
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  SPEAKER_00: And when answering how do you manage difficult employees, I would suggest that you include in your answer as a manager the following five steps.
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  SPEAKER_00: First, I'd find out why the employee is being difficult.
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  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, I'd set expectations clearly with the employee.
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  SPEAKER_00: Third, I'll try and coach the difficult employee to give them every chance of improving their performance and more particularly their behaviour.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: And fourth, when managing a difficult employee, I'd try and give as much constructive and honest feedback as I can that gives them the best chance of improving.
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  SPEAKER_00: And fifth, I'll definitely take action.
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  SPEAKER_00: I would not allow the status quo with the difficult employee to continue.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Either they improve or I'll take more formal steps which might include removing them from the team.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: For the interview question how do you manage difficult colleagues or co-workers?
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  SPEAKER_00: I would suggest you include in your answer the following.
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  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, I'd find out why my colleague was being difficult.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, I'd explain the impact of their difficult behaviour and how it's impacting me and the team.
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  SPEAKER_00: Thirdly, I'd actively try and help them resolve the issue or issues causing their difficult behaviour if that was possible.
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  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, I'd enlist the aid of fellow team members for the previous steps as peer pressure is really powerful.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: And fifth, if the behaviour hadn't changed after steps that I've outlined so far, I would speak to the team manager to highlight the issues and what I've done so far and also to help ask for their help.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Make these points when answering the interview question in your own words.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: And take a look at our videos to help you deal effectively with poor or difficult employees.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: We've got a lot more advice included in those videos.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: An example answer to how do you manage difficult employees could be you know, first I'd ask my clarifying question and then I might go on to say I've had to manage several difficult employees before.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: I always start with trying to find out and understand why they're being difficult.
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  SPEAKER_00: I then set expectations for their behaviour with them and then coach them to achieve the goals set.
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  SPEAKER_00: I provide lots of honest feedback so they know what they're doing well and what needs work.
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  SPEAKER_00: Then it is their choice to improve or not.
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  SPEAKER_00: If they don't improve, then I will take more formal action, which might mean they leave the business.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: We have covered several different ways to answer this interview question.
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  SPEAKER_00: Before any management interview, go through your answer to this question and ensure you have an example of where you've successfully managed difficult employees before.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: And if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: Visit us at enhance.training and take a look at our How to Get Hire program to significantly improve how quickly you get the job offer for the jobs that you really want.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.