Join New Zealand’s career community
Share experiences, ask questions, and dive into practical discussions within dedicated industry groups. Build connections with others like you
r
royallyhired · 29d ago
Manager
Here's one for the books - I asked a candidate a standard question "tell me how you handle conflict at work."
This young lady stared me dead in the eye and said "I make things right - I get even." I nervously laughed. She was not kidding, she went on about how she "got revenge" on a colleague she had beef with by sabotaging his Powerpoint slides. I thanked her for her time, walked her out. Like, I really stood at the door and made sure she got into her car.
R
Rob · 27d ago
Design Lead
Terrifying! I can't believe people behave that way and what's even more incredulous is that they will bring it up during an interview. They may as well have walked into the interview waving a big red flag!
L
Longinus · 23d ago
Full-Stack Developer
That escalated fast.
I can’t imagine sitting through that with a straight face. Kudos to you for handling it professionally, sounds like you went into full HR/security hybrid mode at the door 😅.
S
Shelley · 24d ago
Volunteer
Scary answer. Definite red flags. But for those of us who don't aim for revenge, how should the question be answered?
R
Ruby · 21d ago
General Worker Experienced
What...? The best way to handle conflict is to tell your manager or your senior about what is going on. The manager or senior should hear both sides. Then sort it out on a respectful way.
N
Nkengateh · 5d ago
Cashier
When conflict arises at work, I start by listening to understand the other person’s perspective without interrupting. I try to identify the root cause, whether it’s a misunderstanding, workload pressure, or unclear expectations. Once I have the facts, I communicate my own point of view calmly and respectfully, focusing on the issue rather than the person. If needed, I suggest solutions or compromises that meet both our goals.
C
Community User · 18d ago
Forklift Driver / Warehouse Person
I cannot believe that such people like this lady would answer this managers question with a negative response. This sends red flags and if I were the manager I would have ended the interview immediately, Handling conflict can sometimes be very challenging, however there is a process for handling this behaviour if in a work place.
E
Edouard · 21d ago
Sales Representative
Wow! dodged a bullet there....
A
Andrew · 21d ago
Team Leader
The scary part is she said it in an interview. She really thought this was her best foot forward. Yikes
R
Rose · 27d ago
Community Management Specialist
Absolute red-flag alert!
J
Jordan · 15d ago
Oh thats the funniest thing i ever heard hahahaha
Want the full community experience? Get it on the app
Features are constantly being added from the ‘Career’ section of the SEEK app to this website. So, if you want an even better experience check out our app now.
Explore groups