Describe a time you had to work with someone difficult

Why interviewers ask this

Nearly everyone has worked with someone hard to collaborate with. This question checks whether you default to blaming the other person or whether you look for what you can actually control in the dynamic.

What a strong answer covers

• What "difficult" meant concretely — missed commitments, dismissive in reviews, communication style clashes — vague complaints ("bad attitude") are a weak signal
• What you specifically tried, and whether it worked — this is the substance of the answer
• Self-awareness about your own contribution to the friction, if any
• How you eventually found a working relationship, even an imperfect one

Common pitfalls

• Spending the whole answer describing how bad the other person was, with no reflection on your own actions
• A story with no resolution — "we just avoided each other" doesn't show a skill