If you’ve been conducting job interviews for some time, chances are you have a list of go-to questions that you are used to asking candidates to help determine their suitability for a job. However, over time, many of these questions become obsolete in that they either are not going to get you truthful answers or they aren’t truly going to help you assess how your candidate will perform on the job. Recently, Resume.io surveyed applicants about the biggest interview offenders, and we’re pairing the least liked questions with alternative lines of inquiry that will help you better find the right person for the job.
Why did you apply for this job?
You might be surprised to find this one on the list considering it’s such a seemingly good icebreaker and as a boss, you want to know what has motivated your candidate to toss their hat into the ring. However, for many applicants, the answer is that they simply have bills to pay and this job will do just that. Since this question is really seeking to gauge how much someone knows about your company or the role, go ahead and ask just that. For example, you could ask the candidate what two things do you like best about the company or what about your company mission caught their eye
Why should we hire you?
When you ask this question, you’re typically hoping that the candidate will launch into a sales pitch of sorts and “sell” you on their candidacy, but the question can prove very stressful for candidates because the hiring decision is not theirs to make! Further, because this is a common question, you’re more than likely to get a rehearsed answer that isn’t genuine (and thus, not inciteful). Instead, you could ask how they expect their existing skill set or work experience to be of use to your company or for a particular project.
What is your biggest weakness?
When folks are being interviewed, they want to put their best foot forward, not discuss their biggest professional failures! In addition to being a source of embarrassment, asking someone about their weaknesses or a time when they have messed up on the job is more than likely going to get you a canned answer (or they’ll make like Michael Scott from The Office and will instead give a roundabout answer where they turn their weaknesses into their strengths). Instead, you could ask a candidate a question about when a project went off course and what steps they might have taken to prevent the same outcome. In asking the question this way, you can test the candidate’s insight and problem-solving skills without getting into the weeds on the type of problem experienced.
Describe yourself in three words:
There is a saying that if you ask a silly question, you’ll get a silly answer, and this is more than likely one of those scenarios. You see, folks are not going to tell you the truth and are instead going to prattle off some adjectives that they think you will find eye catching. More to the point, this is one of those questions that doesn’t really go anywhere — unless of course you ask them to provide examples of each of those attributes, and again, the utility is questionable. Instead, focus on scenario-based questions, which invite the candidate to tell stories of how they have behaved in various environments and work situations and will give you a clearer picture of how they will behave on the job.
Sell me this…?
Putting folks on the spot is rarely going to end well, especially in a high-stake and high nerves environment like an interview. If you are truly looking for a salesperson and believe that the pitch is everything, notify the candidate ahead of time that they will be expected to make a marketing presentation and really go for the gold by making it for one of your products. In this setting, the candidate can not only showcase their sales skills, but can also demonstrate their knowledge of the company and your products.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
The motive behind asking this question is to determine what the candidate’s long-term goals are and if they align with the career trajectory at your company and it is a sound question given the expense of hiring a new employee. However, it is another one of those interview questions that is almost guaranteed to win you a canned answer. If you still want to see if your future plans align, ask the interviewee what their priority in the first 90 days of being in your company would be. This will prove their understanding of the role, as well as shows their ability to think long-term about projects and goals.
Do you have any interview questions that you’ve had to retire? Let us know in the comments!
