In this article, we will talk about other forms of the question "Have you refused a work order, and why?", why the interviewer asks you this question, how to prepare for the answer, and examples of the answer.
Have you refused a work order, and why?
If you submit an illegal application and the employer refuses, there is no need to give you a reason.
However, your employer is not allowed to discriminate against you when making a decision.
Other forms of the question
"Have you refused a work order, and why?" can be asked in the following forms:
- When did you object to a decision at work?
- Tell me about a time you had a conflict with your boss?
- Tell me to reject a decision to refuse a mission?
- Did you object to a decision before, and why?
Why does the interviewer ask you?
The interviewer asks you to tell them about a time when you disagree with your boss, and looks for a few things in your answer:
- Validity
- Emotional maturity
- Loyalty and responsibility
For example, they want to make sure, first of all, that you have a correct answer. If your manager is clearly out of line, that would be a valid response.
But, of course, most situations are subjective, and there are usually two or more sides to every fact.
It is therefore important to find the most objective examples - and one that takes feelings out of the equation.
If your manager is micromanaging, discriminatory, or otherwise violating company culture, these may be good examples of when you disagree with their behavior, but they can be subjective examples.
How to prepare to answer the question?
If your boss makes a bad financial decision and you don't agree with it, you have numbers and stats to help support your response.
You can say that you did not agree with this decision because your alternative plan would have saved the company money or made the company more money, etc.
This is objective, and shows the interviewer that you are attentive to detail and that you are a critical thinker who can be a valuable resource - rather than bringing up sensitive topics.
Do not panic! This question is actually just a direct example of a behavioral interview question, you have to:
- Be grateful for the lesson.
- Be respectful and clear.
- Be short and sweet.
Examples to answer the question
Some of the answers you can provide for specific situations include:
Once, I argued with my boss about the best way to help clients. Rather than question her authority in front of everyone in the store, I asked her to speak privately in her office. I made sure to be honest and open about how I thought we could handle it best. I agreed, so we decided to do it my way. It has taught me a lot about the importance of open communication in the workplace. Our customers left the content, and we were able to create a better relationship.
Once, I disagreed with my boss over a decision that would cost the company a lot of money if we did it his way. It was about how we handled our Facebook ad campaigns, and I came up with a solution that ultimately gave the company a lot of our ads. I ended up writing a document explaining my plan and emailing it to him, asking him to chat more in person. He liked the idea, so we went with it, and it ended up working great.
Once, I disagreed with my boss about how to handle the sales deal. I respectfully expressed my opinion on how the sale was conducted, and in the end we made the sale. It worked out really well, and we both kept open and honest communication with each other.
I handle conflict well. I appreciate diversity and understand that different people have different opinions, which can lead to conflict. When I encounter a conflict, I work collaboratively with others to resolve the issue in a way that benefits all parties involved. Sometimes, I can get defensive when I try to express my opinion. I practice tactics to manage this behavior, such as pausing to take a deep breath and thinking carefully about my words before responding.
I once disagreed with my boss about the best way to help a client. Instead of questioning his authority in front of everyone, I spoke to him off the ground. I was open and honest about the issues I had with the way he wanted to do things. It turns out that there was just a slight misunderstanding. This disagreement we showed showed me the importance of communicating with my co-workers to make sure that something out of date doesn't become a bigger problem than it should be.