EY "Difficult Colleague" Question 2027: How to Answer

For EY's difficult colleague question, use STAR and keep it professional: describe the difficulty as a situation, show how you adapted, and state the outcome. This question is commonly reported by candidates. Never badmouth the person — interviewers assess your maturity by how you describe the other side.

What Your EY Difficulty Working With Someone Must Prove

This tests interpersonal skill and emotional intelligence in team-based client work. Interviewers want to see that you try to understand the other person's perspective, adapt your approach rather than escalate emotionally, and keep delivery on track. How you tell the story — fair, balanced, reflective — is itself the evidence.

How to Build a Strong EY Difficulty Working With Someone

• Situation: describe the working difficulty factually — different working styles, unresponsiveness, or conflicting priorities — with no personal attacks.
• Action: show your response step by step — seeking to understand their view, adjusting how you communicated, finding common ground, or agreeing explicit ways of working.
• Result: how the working relationship and the work turned out, plus what you learned about collaborating with different personalities.

Example line: "A teammate on our group project went quiet for a week, so instead of complaining I asked what was blocking him, learned he was stuck on the data, and we re-split the tasks around his strength in writing — we submitted on time and I learned to check in early rather than assume the worst."

Common Mistakes

• Badmouthing the colleague; it reflects on you, not them.
• Describing the difficulty with no adapted response — enduring is not resolving.
• Blaming entirely without owning your part; balanced reflection scores higher.

Team friction is inevitable in client work — showing you have no approach for it is a quiet fail.

Keep Reading

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FAQ

Should I name the person?

Never. Describe the role and situation only — discretion is part of the test.

What if the difficulty was partly my fault?

Own it briefly. Balanced self-awareness is exactly what interviewers want to see.

Can I use a university example?

Yes. Group projects with real friction make excellent, relatable examples.

Is this common in EY interviews?

It is commonly reported by candidates; formats may vary by role and region. Check the official careers page.

Preparing for EY's interview? Our 2027 EY Online Assessment and Video Interview Tutorials has practice questions and answers — $79 one-time, instant download.