Terrible Questions
Job Interviewers
Should Never Ask Again
Sometimes we do things simply because that's what everyone else does--and that's especially true where interview questions are concerned.
Job
interview questions: We all have them ... and we all wish we had
better ones.
That's
why I asked Dharmesh Shah, co-founder of HubSpot
and
what he considers the worst questions to ask.
Here's
Dharmesh:
Sometimes
we do things simply because that's what everyone else does--and
that's especially true where interview questions are concerned.
Say
you're about to conduct your very first interview. While you've been
an interviewee before, you've never been an interviewer. What do you
do? You ask the questions you have been asked. Or you do a quick
Google search for "best interview questions."
Either
way, you wind up asking the same worthless questions everyone else
asks.
Or
worse, you ask questions that are too confrontational and borderline
combative--and that misses the point. It's an interview, not an
interrogation; the purpose of the questions is to drive a
conversation that helps both sides learn about each other.
Very
few interviewers ask questions designed to truly evaluate a potential
employee's skills, qualifications, and experience. Even fewer ask
questions to evaluate a potential employee's cultural fit, which is
something we obsess over at HubSpot.
Instead
interviewers ask the same old tried-but-in-no-way-true interview
questions that provide little insight into whether a candidate's work
style and personality complements their team, much less whether the
candidate will thrive in their organization's unique environment.
Like
these:
1. "What is your biggest weakness?"
Every
candidate knows how to answer this question: Just pick a theoretical
weakness and magically transform that flaw into a strength in
disguise!
For
example: "My biggest weakness is getting so absorbed in my work
that I lose all track of time. Every day I look up and realize
everyone has gone home! I know I should be more aware of the clock,
but when I love what I'm doing I just can't think of anything else."
Okay--your
"biggest weakness" is that you'll put in more hours than
everyone else? Wow. How terrible. Who would hire you?
Here's
a better question: "Tell me about the last time
a co-worker or customer got angry with you. What happened?"
Conflict
is inevitable when a company works hard to get things done. Mistakes
happen. Sure, strengths come to the fore, but weaknesses also rear
their heads. And that's OK. No one is perfect.
But
a person who tends to push the blame--and the responsibility for
rectifying the situation--onto someone else is a candidate to avoid.
You'd much rather choose candidates who focus not on blame but on
addressing and fixing the problem.
At
HubSpot, part of our culture code states the following: When
things go right, share the credit. When they go wrong, shoulder the
responsibility.
Every
business needs employees who willingly admit when they are wrong,
step up to take ownership for fixing the problem, and, most
importantly, learn from the experience.
2. "Where do you see yourself in three years?"
Answers
to this question go one of two basic ways. Candidates try to show
either their incredible ambition--because that's what they think
you want--by providing an extremely optimistic answer ("I want
your job!") or their humility--because that's what they think
you want--by providing a meek, self-deprecating answer ("There
are so many talented people here. I just want to do a great job and
see where my talents take me.")
In
either case you learn nothing, other than possibly how well
candidates can sell themselves.
Here's
a better question: "What business would you love to
start?"
Granted
I'm biased since I'm a startup geek, but the question applies to any
organization (if only because I believe every employee at every
company should have somewhat of an entrepreneurial mindset.)
What
will you learn by asking this question? The business a candidate
would love to start tells you about her hopes and dreams, her
interests and passions, the work she likes to do, the people she
likes to work with--that is, if you turn this question into a
conversation by asking simple questions like "why?" and
"how?" you'll learn what the candidate really likes to do,
and that will tell you a lot more about her potential for growth in
your organization.
(Quick
note: "Where do you see yourself in three years?" is a
great question to ask a current employee since the best development
plans are plans created by the employee, not by theemployer )
3. "Tell me a little about yourself."
The
candidate's resume and cover letter should tell you a lot. LinkedIn
and Twitter and Facebook and Google can tell you more.
So
you should already know a lot about the candidate before the
interview starts. (And if you don't, shame on you--even though way
too many interviewers use this question for an opportunity to scan
the candidate's resume for the first time.)
Your
goal is to determine whether the candidate will be outstanding in the
job--and that means evaluating the skills and attitude required for
that job. Does she need to be an empathetic leader? Ask about that
Does she need to take your company public? Ask about that
Don't
expect the candidate to connect the dots--connect your own dots.
If
you want to understand her career path, ask why she took certain
jobs. Ask why she left. If you want to understand her education, ask
why she chose a certain school. Ask why she decided to go to grad
school. Ask why she took a year off to backpack through Europe.
Know
as much as you can about the candidate ahead of time, and then ask
questions designed to connect your own dots.
4. "Out of all the other candidates, why should we hire you?”
Hmm.
Since a candidate cannot compare herself with people she doesn't
know, all she can do is describe her incredible passion and desire
and commitment and... well, basically beg for the job. (Way too many
interviewers ask the question and then sit back, arms folded, as if
to say, "Go ahead. I'm listening. Try and convince me.")
And
you learn nothing of substance.
Here's a
better question:
"What
do you feel I need to know that we haven't discussed?" Or, even
"If you could get a do-over on one of my questions, how would
you answer it now?"
Rarely
do candidates come to the end of an interview feeling they've done
their best. Maybe the conversation went in an unexpected direction.
Maybe the interviewer focused on one aspect of their skills and
totally ignored other key attributes. Or maybe candidates started the
interview nervous and hesitant, and now wish they could go back and
better describe their qualifications and experience.
Plus,
think of it this way: Your goal as an interviewer is to learn as much
as you possibly can about every candidate, so don't you want to give
them the chance to ensure you do?
Just
make sure to turn this part of the interview into a conversation, not
a soliloquy. Don't just passively listen and then say, "Thanks.
We'll be in touch." Ask follow-up questions. Ask for examples.
See
this question not as a capstone to the interview but as an
opportunity for the candidate to begin a broader conversation.
Otherwise you're really just using different words to ask, "Why
should we hire you?"
Ask
the right questions and you'll never need to ask, "Why should we
hire you?"
You'll
already know.
BY JEFF HADEN
Contributing
Editor, Inc
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/4-terrible-questions-job-interviewers-should-never-ask-again.html?cid=em01016week52c
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