5 Interview Answers That Hiring Managers Don't Like, But Should at Least Appreciate
Is integrity a core value of your business? Then why do you reject honest job candidates.
The other day, I posted on?Twitter?about a job interview I had had when I was straight out of graduate school. The back story is I had a master's degree in political science and I was living in Rochester, New York--that's a five-and-a-half-hour drive to New York City.
No one in Rochester had "help wanted, Political Scientist needed" signs out, so I was applying to anything and everything that I could possibly do. A law firm invited me in for an interview. Being this was 1998, I had applied based on a small description in the help wanted ads in the local paper, and I didn't know much about the job.
As the interviewers explained the job, which was to gather banking records and organize them, I blurted out, "This sounds really boring."
Now, I dare say, they made the correct decision not to move forward with my candidacy. I was a terrible fit for the job. But several other people have been honest in their job interviews, and they should have gotten the job. Here are some examples and why they said the right thing.
The terrible interview process
I had a panel interview, where one person asked the question and the other 5-6 people wrote down my response.
I laughed, literally out loud and said " is this really your interview process?"
I didn't get the job.
True, laughing was rude, but pointing out the ridiculous nature of the job should have prompted the interviewers to reconsider how they did things. Admittedly, it's highly possible that the people conducting the interview didn't have the power to change things, but you should look for people who can spot problems and will speak up about them like?Avail_CC was willing to do.
Seeking out bad time managers.
iamwumbologist?was asked about management skills and explained the story like so:
Interviewing to be a tech manager, I said that I want work priorities to be arranged such that the team shouldn't have to regularly work after hours or weekends. Didn't get that job, and that answer was flagged to me as the reason. I still stand by that.
That is exactly the type of manager you want. Working weekends results in burnout. Burnout results in turnover. Good managers want their employees to have lives outside of work.
Location, location, location.
culturebroker?gave an excellent answer, and yet, the hiring manager rejected her.?
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Q: Why did you apply for this job?
A: Because it's close enough for me to walk to work.
I mean, that was the honest reason, but no employer wants to hear that.
Managers want people that are passionate about the work. But they should ask themselves, are they passionate about the work? Or would they quit to take a job so close they could walk to it? Of course, they would.
Having a candidate who values a short commute when you can offer that short commute reduces your chances of turnover. Assuming the candidate is otherwise qualified, this is a bonus.
Response to an inappropriate question
If you've made it through law school, any hiring manager should assume you're competent enough at typing to do the job.?NaniWrites?shared this story.
True story: a recent law school grad applying for attorney job was asked in interview if she could type. She said, "yes, and I can f%*k too, but I don't do either for money." All-time best answer!
While I don't recommend dropping the f-bomb in a job interview, this question was inappropriate, and when you ask an inappropriate question you deserve an inappropriate answer. I'm willing to assume that this interviewer didn't ask the same question of?male candidates.
Asking hard questions
Dayfoxx?wasn't answering a question but rather asking one. A really, really hard one:
After hearing about the level of turnover that was occurring for a year during an HRIS implementation within the company's HR, Finance, and IT teams...
Me: "So, the organization seems to be ridding itself of a lot of quality talent in key roles. How should I perceive that?"
If this is happening in your company, you need to be prepared to answer and explain what you will change to make this a better place to work. Regardless of whether this is from voluntary or involuntary terminations, it means the company needs to fix something. A candidate that perceives that is the type of person you want around.
What to do if you get a shocking answer
As a hiring manager, you have expectations of what an answer should be. When someone comes up with something else, you may immediately reject that idea as a false answer. But, it may just be the type of person you need to fix the problems in your business.
Article by Suzanne Lucas @ https://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/5-interview-answers-that-hiring-managers-dont-like-but-should-at-least-appreciate.html