Tell me about a people-related problem that you've spent a lot of time on.

This question is asking you to discuss a people-related problem that you've encountered in your professional career which demanded a substantial amount of your time and attention. The objective is to allow the interviewer to gain insight into how you approach and resolve conflicts or issues involving people in a professional setting. They're keen to evaluate your problem-solving capability and how well you can manage people-related complications.

Here's a structure to help you craft your response:

1. The Situation: Briefly describe the context of the issue.
2. The Task: What was the problem and what was the expected outcome?
3. The Action: Describe the steps you took in your attempt to solve the problem.
4. The Result: Explain the outcome of your action. Even if the result wasn't entirely successful, discuss what you learned from the experience.

Include details on how you helped solve the problem, your role in this process, and the skills you used.

In my previous role as a project manager, the situation involved a key team member who was consistently failing to meet deadlines. My task was to ensure that the project stayed on track and was completed within the agreed timeline. I recognized that this was not only affecting our project timeline but was also creating tension within the team. I decided to address the issue head on.

The action I took was to have a one-on-one meeting with the team member to discuss the situation. I started by appreciating the individual’s contributions and skills, then calmly and professionally conveyed the issues and the negative effects of missing deadlines. We then discussed the challenges he was facing and I offered solutions like additional assistance, training, or adjusting the workload.

The result was that the team member was more proactive and accountable, and he began to meet deadlines. By addressing the issue directly and professionally, I was able to turn the situation around and our project was delivered on schedule. This experience honed my ability to resolve people-related problems effectively and improved my leadership and communication skills.

During my tenure as an HR executive, the situation involved an interpersonal conflict between two employees which was affecting the whole department’s morale and productivity. My task was to mediate, resolve the dispute, and ensure a harmonious working environment.

As part of my action, I arranged a meeting with both individuals separately to understand each perspective. I emphasized the impact of their dispute on the entire department and the importance of resolving their differences for the collective good. Afterwards, I arranged a joint meeting with both parties where they expressed their views and listened to each other.

As a result of my intervention, dialogue was initiated and both eventually came to a compromise and agreed to work collaboratively moving forward. They eventually learned to respect and appreciate each other, leading to a noticeably better department atmosphere and increased productivity. This significantly developed my conflict mediation and negotiation skills.