I want to hear about a time when you had to work together on a project with a coworker who you didn't like.

Question Analysis

This question is probing into your ability to work collaboratively with others, even when personal relationships may not be ideal. Interviewers are interested in assessing your interpersonal skills, professionalism, and ability to put aside personal differences to achieve a common goal. This is a behavioral question, so using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method will help you structure your response effectively.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project coordinator, I was assigned to a team tasked with launching a new marketing campaign. Among the team members was a coworker with whom I had previously experienced disagreements due to differing work styles.

Task: Despite our past differences, it was essential for the success of the campaign that we collaborated effectively. My objective was to ensure that our personal differences did not hinder the project's progress and that we could work together professionally.

Action: I initiated an open and honest conversation with the coworker to address any lingering issues and to establish a mutual understanding of our roles and responsibilities. I suggested that we focus on our shared goals and leverage each other's strengths to complement our work. Throughout the project, I made a conscious effort to communicate clearly and frequently, ensuring that we both remained aligned with the project objectives.

Result: As a result, we were able to work together efficiently, and the campaign was launched successfully, achieving a 20% increase in engagement compared to previous campaigns. Additionally, our professional relationship improved, and we were able to collaborate more effectively on future projects.