Savvy hiring managers can glean a ton of information about you by asking just a few, well-chosen questions.
But while they may seem simple — that’s the point — some are actually designed to get you to reveal information you may have been trying to conceal. In other words: they’re trick questions.
“To uncover areas that may reflect inconsistencies, hiring managers sometimes ask these tricky questions,” says Tina Nicolai, executive career coach and founder of Resume Writers’ Ink.
But they’re not just about exposing your flaws, says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behaviour and Thrive in Your Job.” These types of questions can help hiring managers break through the “traditional interview noise and clutter,” and get to the “raw you.”
Here are 19 common examples, complete with advice on how to ace each one.
Can you tell me about yourself?
Why do they ask this? They ask to determine how the candidates see themselves as it pertains to the position. “The employer wants to hear that the candidate did their homework,” saysNicolai. “The interviewer is also listening for a level of confidence in how well the candidate portrays herself through the information that is communicated. Additionally, the interviewer is listening for strong behavioural competencies, which help determine a right fit with the job. If this opening answer is weak, it can send the remainder of the interview into a tailspin or cut the interview short.”
What makes it tricky? It can tempt you to talk about your personal life — which you shouldn’t! “Most candidates are not versed in seeing this as a trick question, so they may answer by speaking from a personal perspective: ‘I have three kids, I’m married, etc,'” Nicolai says. “Believe it or not, even the most seasoned candidate falls for this question especially when prompted by the interviewer to elaborate.”
What response are they looking for? A focused, laser-sharp answer conveying your value to the organization and department. “The employer wants to hear about your achievements broken down into two or three succinct bullet answers that will set the tone of the interview,” she says. Remember, what we tell people about us is what they hear. So stay sharp and convey your top strengths when answering this question.
For example, you can try something like: “I am known for turning around poor performance teams as a result of my innate skills in analysing problems and seeing solutions very quickly.” This statement tells the interviewer that the candidate has analytical skills, problem-solving ability, and leadership ability to turnaround business performance, among other things.
“At least four behavioural skills are conveyed in this simple response, and it sets the tone for the interviewer to ask more targeted questions,” Nicolai says…Read more at The Standard