The goal of the interview is to showcase your accomplishments while developing a relationship with the hiring manager. The quality of the relationship hinges on your ability to build credibility for your candidacy and effectively gain the hiring manager's trust.
Despite this, many job seekers continue to "spin" their responses to interview questions. This is often the tack that job seekers take when they are asked questions with a negative slant to them such as "What is your greatest weakness?" or "Tell me about a mistake you made." Perhaps candidates spin their answers in an effort to downplay any blemishes in the their background or maybe because it's the strategy that so many interview preparation books teach. Either way, candidates who lack authenticity are easy to spot, and the outcome of the interview is severely compromised when job seekers chose to spin their responses to tough interview questions, As a matter of fact, in a recent Society for Human Resources Management survey, recruiters and hiring managers reported that one of their biggest pet peeves within the context of the interview situation was candidates who responded to difficult interview questions with answers that attempted to spin a tough situation into one with only positive outcomes. Below are a few of the most common interview questions that job seekers try to spin their responses to.
What is your greatest weakness?
Red flag answer
"I am a perfectionist and I get frustrated when people aren't a s committed to
the job as I am."
Problem
The candidate is answering the question about a weakness by responding with
an answer that suggests a strength. Such answers are disingenuous and are not
well received by hiring authorities. The candidate is also a ssuming that
perfection is considered a desirable trait in the organization. Some hiring
managers will perceive a perfectionist as someone who gets so caught up in the
details that they can't achieve the project's objectives.
Adjusted response
Earlier in my career, when I was a software developer, my strong attention to
detail was an asset because I could quickly spot and correct systems errors. But
after I was promoted to project manager, this strength became a bit of a liability
because I was now responsible for delegating work and overseeing the big
picture aspect of the project. I struggled at first because it was my nature to
want to fix every error. While I still have that tendency, I now rely on the
technical expertise of my team and this allows me to concentrate on delivering
projects on time and on budget.
Tell me about a situation where you did not get along with a supervisor.
Red flag answer
"I've been very fortunate and I've never worked for someone I didn't get along
with."
Problem
Everyone has had situations where they disagreed with a boss and by saying you
have not forces the interviewer to question your integrity. It also can send out a signal that you are not seasoned enough or haven't been in situations that
require you to develop a tough skin or deal with confrontation.
Adjusted response
"It's natural for people to have differing opinions. When this has occurred in the
past, I have presented my reasons for my position and openly listened to my
supervisor's opinion as well. Recently my supervisor recommended a change to a
report that in my opinion made the reporting more cumbersome and time -
consuming. I expressed my concerns but also asked many questions to
determine what additional information my boss needed. Once I understood her
needs, I was able to offer a suggestion that satisfied her information needs and
actually streamlined the existing report and made it easier to use."
Describe a situation where an initiative you were part of failed.
Red flag answer
"I've never had a project that failed and my supervisors have always praised my
work."
Problem
If you can't discuss a failure or mistake, the interviewer might conclude that you
do not possess the depth of experience necessary to do the job. The interviewer
is not looking for perfection. They are trying to better understand your level of
responsibility, your decision-making process, your ability to recover from a
mistake, what you learned from the experience, and if you can accept
responsibility for your mistakes.
Adjusted response
"Everyone makes mistakes. I'd like to think that I have learned something
valuable from every mistake I have made. In my previous role as marketing
director, I launched a product and was disappointed in the initial sales results. I
realized that we had launched too quickly and needed to do additional market
research to determine the needs of multiple demographics within our market.
Following the research initiative, the marketing was realigned with a niche demographic and sales doubled within one year."
By developing and practicing responses to difficult interview questions that display honesty, thoughtfulness, goodwill, and fallibility you will create a realistic and authentic portrait of your candidacy and develop a strong rapport with the hiring authority. This will help you advance to the next round in the interview process and lead you one step closer to securing the position.