In a recent conversation with an HR friend, we began discussing the absurdity of the question “What’s your biggest weakness?” (WYBW).  Before you start nodding your head in disagreement, simply hear me out.

It’s overused, it’s nearly pointless AND the responses reek of BS.

So, in a burst of spastic defiance, we put together a short list of what to avoid when faced with this question.

10 Ways Not to Respond to WYBW

1. I’m a perfectionist – Liar.
2. I work too much – Of course you do…
3. I’m too emotionally engaged – Don’t worry, we stock extra Kleenex for people like you.
4. I put too much on my plate – You’re hired!
5. I always try to include everyone – AKA King Water Cooler
6. Gee, I can’t really think of any right now – Liar
7. I take work too seriously – Guess we can’t put your stapler in JELLO
8. Can we come back to that question? – Procrastination…?
9. I’m too much of a team player – Whatever, you think-for-yourselfer
10. I’m too opinionated – We’ll give HR the heads up!

Truth be told, despite our mocking of this question, it will not disappear anytime soon.  It has been and will continue to be, a tough question for job seekers to answer.

So, for what it’s worth here is my advice to both interviewers and interviewees:

Interviewees: The question really should be “What is an area of improvement you are currently working at and how?” Anything less than a solution-oriented answer to this question will fall short.

Example:

Q: What’s your biggest weakness?

A: I’m nervous speaking in front of large groups.  Six months ago, I enrolled in ToastMasters in order to improve my public speaking skills and calm my nerves when placed in these situations. I feel I am making great progress.

Interviewer:

If you can’t stop asking this question, than at least recognize it is difficult to answer.  Deliver the question with a smile and make sure you’ve done your work upfront to calm the candidate’s nerves so that they feel comfortable answering you candidly.

Questions in the interview process are worthless unless you are going to get a real response.  I’ve always found it useful to start the interviews with questions that are both easy to answer and allow the candidates to be completely themselves.  If you have yet to develop a series of questions for your repertoire that aim at this goal, I would encourage you to start there.

What’s your biggest weakness?

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It’s really a question of approach…

Reflecting back through the thousands of people I have interviewed, there are only a handful of individuals that still stick out in my mind.  Some for their impressive approaches… some for their less-than-impressive approaches.  You have a personal brand that is shared every single time you go through an interview process.  Let’s look at it closer.

Let The Games Begin!

Interviewee pulls into the parking lot, turns down the stereo, rolls up the windows… checks for pepper in their teeth.  Opens the door, steps out, closes the door.  Walks to the entrance, greets the receptionist, has a seat.  Waits for 10-15 minutes.

Congratulations, you may have already completed half of your interview!

One little trick that some recruiters love to use is very voyeuristic in nature.  Catching a glimpse as to how a candidate conducts themselves before they think they are being evaluated can reveal a ton of information.  Also, that receptionist… well, she/he is probably your first official interviewer.  They won’t introduce themselves that way… but, you can bet with a pretty high level of certainty that he/she will be asked about you after you’ve gone.  Very common!

Do you grab a magazine and relax or do you review your notes?  Are you picking your nose (I’ve seen it happen)?  Are you fidgeting in your chair or starting a conversation with people around you?  Please do not practice your answers in the waiting room… it will look like you are talking to yourself (and yes, I have seen this as well).  Be friendly to the receptionist, but (Guys!) don’t flirt too much… that’s a red flag too.  Ask smart questions and be funny… just don’t be a slime ball pick-up-artist – it doesn’t work and she doesn’t like you.

Just in case, bring a book along in your briefcase.  As you pick out that ideal “smart” book, leave out anything having to do with politics or religion.  Unless you are applying to work for the government or a religious institution… in that case, scratch my advice.

Avoid doing the leg bounce as you sit there.  It looks strange and makes you appear nervous… no good!

Ask the front desk person how long they have been with the organization.  Ask them how their experience has been.  Get him/her to talk about themselves… people like to talk about themselves, so let them.

Do not get nervous about the recruiter/manager showing up.  If you stare down every person that passes by, you’ll seem too eager… so, calm down!  That’s why good conversation or an excellent book helps… gets you to focus on something else other than time.

The Recruiter Arrives

A firm (not Terminator firm) handshake and a smile.  I’m convinced that there should be advanced training around the handshake and greeting smile… seriously.

Know that recruiters, in many cases, are excellent judges of character.  Yes, they are going to ask you questions… but, the judgment is already well on its final path to conclusion.  Before you ever sit down, I would guess that you’re 75% of the way through… good job!

Now, for the interview itself.  The rules are simple:

• Be Candid
• Smile
• Make eye contact – Not stalker-like, but consistent eye contact helps!
• Answer as completely as possible without making it one-sided.

Concluding The Interview

This is important.  If you forget everything else we’ve discussed, just remember this last part.

Interviews are a part of a “rule-in, rule-out” process.  At each step, decisions have to be made.  Your job is to help the recruiter clear up questions.  One of the best ways I have found to do this is to ask the following question:

“Based on what we have discussed, do you have any concerns with my ability to perform well in this role?”

Most people, when asked a direct question, will give a direct answer.  This is your opportunity to get through any objections that the recruiter may not have vocalized.  The alternative, of course, is to leave them with their assumptions about you and what you can or cannot do.  So, given the chance… just ask the question!  Besides, if you are going to be ruled out, it’s better to know early on instead of waiting around for a couple of weeks.

Finally, depart in good standing.

Another firm handshake, a smile and be sure to ask if there are any additional steps that you should be taking to assist in the selection process.  Be sure that you have their address and correct name so that you can write a follow-up “Thank You” note.  Yes, this is still a good practice.

Nothing groundbreaking… but, hopefully these few tips will help you next time you find yourself in an interview process.  This is, in no way, a complete list of best practices – it should, however, get you started.

What other tips do you have to share?  Has something worked very well for you in the past?  What do you think recruiters?  Any other approaches you really appreciate when interviewing a candidate?

Photo Credit, anyjazz65

At some level every job-seeker dreads interviews. Simply getting to an interview can be challenging, with multiple phone-screens the norm. Clearing those hurdles means facing the in-person interview, typically with several interviewers. It’s hard, when you’re looking for a job, to envision a scenario in which you will hit it off with every person who you meet in the hiring process.

In this difficult job market, the dread may ratchet up even further if you find yourself the object of a behavioral interview. Trained to ferret out how you will respond to specific situations or challenges based on your past experiences, the behavioral interview begins with the attitude that past is prologue – what you have done in prior jobs determines how you will handle yourself in the future. The interviewer trained in this technique can unsettle even the most qualified applicant with just a few questions.

We’ve talked before about the benefits of establishing a personal brand. For the candidate about to participate in a behavioral interview, a well-conceived personal brand is essential. You’ll be prepared to answer questions designed to see if you possess specific behavioral attributes with direct, clear examples of instances in which you’ve demonstrated the behaviors the interviewer seeks.

First, a quick review of what I mean by personal brand in this context:

• A personal brand is a word, short list or statement of attributes that differentiates you as a person and an employee. It should include your areas of interest, skill and accomplishment.

Take Jane, an accountant working in an executive function for a Big Four consulting firm who came to us for strategic career coaching. Focused, driven and detail-oriented, Jane had her sights set on a partnership. Jane knew her firm used behavioral interviewing and wanted to prepare herself for the series of interviews ahead. We discussed the importance of developing a creative personal brand that would enable Jane to position her skills and strengths as the behavioral attributes the hiring manager was looking for, using specific examples drawn from her experiences.

Jane knew the behaviors her manager sought:

• Willingness to work on cross-functional teams
• Ability and patience to problem-solve
• Strongly analytical
• Consultative manner

In our discussions, Jane was able to describe her personal brand:

A skilled accountant with the ability to listen to client needs and find solutions, the flexibility to work with people of many and varied temperaments, a pragmatic perfectionist who seeks creative answers to complex problems.

We ran a set of mock interviews in which I asked Jane several questions about each behavior she anticipated the interviewer to cover. Jane was able to relate specific examples that showed how she had behaved in prior roles, with successful outcomes for clients and her firm. She mined her personal brand, her past experiences, and her knowledge of the firm to position herself as the ideal candidate for the job.

As you work on your authentic personal brand, think about how you would respond to a behavioral interview. Don’t fall into the standard trap of describing your accomplishments as a bullet list of tasks completed: connect your accomplishments to the benefits that accrued to your employer and focus on the value of your actions. Think of specific examples that illustrate your ability to do the job you want. Look outward, not inward in this case – looking from another direction can really help to gain another perspective and perhaps some further clarity.

What are the toughest questions you’ve faced in a behavioral interview?

Guest Blogger: Meghan M. Biro, founder of TalentCulture, is a globally-recognized expert in talent acquisition, creative personal and corporate branding and new media strategies that accelerate talent acquisition.

Read Meghan’s last post “Hiring For Personality And Culture Fit”

Photo Credit, slushpup