An Interview Question – with a difference ‼️

A lot has been written & heard about Frequently Asked Questions at job interviews.

One of the mundane ones being:
‘Tell me about your weaknesses.’
or ‘What’s your greatest weakness?’

This one certainly leaves most candidates in a quandary, as to how to answer authentically.

I rather liked a more refined version of the above, that I came across recently (a la Simon Sinek)

A question with a twist.

‘Can you tell me something Now, that Can go wrong, so that I’m not surprised when it happens?’

➡️ Put this way, the question has many advantages. It is also known to elicit some interesting & sincere replies.

➡️  The way the question is framed, doesn’t put the candidate on the defensive.

➡️ Rather, it focusses on the Interviewer’s need to be informed & prepared.

➡️ It’s Not about the job seeker. It’s about the Interviewer, asking the job seeker for help.

➡️  When we position the question as a way to seek help & support, rather than evaluate & critique, candidates may tend to be more authentic.

➡️  The interviewer is likely to get a more realistic reply.

➡️  Being aware of the potential challenges up front, allows both employer and employee to navigate the situation more efficiently in future, fostering a smoother working relationship.

➡️ Ultimately leadership is about understanding, guiding, supporting.

⏺ It may not be likely that the interviewer would take this exact approach when asking such a question.

⏺ But, What If you could prepare your answer As IF this was the question being asked.

⏺ It would certainly suprise the  interviewer & make you ‘stand out’  & be memorable?

⏺ The approach here is that the answer is more to do with the Interviewer than with You!

⏺ Give the interviewer the information she needs to knows, rather than what she asks.

✅ What do you think?  Please share your views in the comments.

✅  Can you think of other interesting ways to answer run-of-the mill questions?

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