Tag: interview answers

Interview Answers: Why Shouldn’t I Hire You

Each interviewer will have different criteria and methods they feel will best assess a candidate. One style is to confront a candidate very aggressively to see how they candidate will respond. Often, the questions will focus on failures. One of the most difficult to answer is “Why Shouldn’t I Hire You?”

Each interviewer will have different criteria and methods they feel will best assess a candidate. One style is to confront a candidate very aggressively to see how they candidate will respond. Often, the questions will focus on failures. One of the most difficult to answer is “Why Shouldn't I Hire You?”

This question will stop a lot of job seekers in their tracks. Most people won't expect it. It is a rare question, but does get asked from time to time. It also requires giving a reason why you should be rejected. This is not a topic many people want to cover in an interview.  Hiring managers ask this question for three reasons.  First, they may want to make the job seeker uncomfortable to see how they react.  Second, they may be assessing the candidate's ability to self assess and admit limitations.  Third, they may be fishing for a weakness that they haven't spotted.

If you are asked this question, you need to give a good answer. You can't deflect the answer with something like, “You shouldn't hire me if you don't think I'm the best for the job.” An answer like this will not impress a hiring manager. It does avoid discussing your weaknesses, but it is a very weak answer.

A much better approach is to outline your strengths and weaknesses, and relate these to the job. Show why you are a good choice, and provide aspects of the job that are potential weaknesses for you. If the job is a good fit for your background, your strengths will related to the key priorities of the job and your weaknesses will related to minor responsibilities. If done right, outlining your strengths and weaknesses can help sell you to the hiring manager.

Example

Consider an experienced plant manager interviewing for a plant manager position:

“My background is in leading and managing production teams. I started out as a supervisor and worked my way up. Throughout my career, I have done an excellent job of motivating teams, holding employees accountable for their performance and controlling costs. I've picked up a lot of technical knowledge along the way, but I am not expert on the equipment. I have succeeded by using the technical expertise within my team. If your organization needs a hands on plant manager that can troubleshoot processes, I'm probably not the best candidate for the job. I will perform much better in a role where technical expertise exists in the organization and needs skilled leadership to maximize its effectiveness.”

This answer focuses on the candidate's strengths and gives a reason why the candidate should be hired. It also provides a reason not to hire the candidate. Most plant management jobs will seek a strong leader and not a pure technical expert. This makes the answer safe in most situations. There are exceptions. Some plants are technically very weak. They need a top leader that can provide engineering, process and equipment expertise. If this is the case, the answer will hurt the candidate's chances. This may not be a bad thing, though. If the candidate really isn't a technical expert, a role requiring this background will not be a fit.

Preparing an Answer

Should you prepared an answer for this question? The question is rare, and may not come up in any of your interviews. Despite this, I recommend preparing an answer. The reason is simple. If you can articulate very clearly why you are both a strong and weak fit for a position, you can sell your potential in almost any interview answer.

Interview Questions: Your Professional Development

The challenges and expectations in your career will continually change. You must learn and grow to succeed. Interviewers often will question how you approach your career and what you have done to continue learning.

The challenges and expectations in your career will continually change. You must learn and grow to succeed. Interviewers often will question how you approach your career and what you have done to continue learning.

Some of the interview questions about your professional development include:

  • What continuing education classes have you completed recently?

  • What new skills have you gained in the last 3 years?

  • How do you stay current on developments in your industry?

Professional development can come for a variety of sources. Many people stay current through magazines, blogs and books. Others receive excellent continuing education at work. Some individuals take training classes, college courses or pursue industry certifications. All of these activities are good to discuss.

Your answers to professional development interview questions need to be specific. I’ve had candidates give answers like “I keep up on my industry by reading a few trade magazines.” This does not tell the interviewer anything. You could add some detail, for example, discussing specific periodicals and books you have read, but this is still a weak answer.

A better answer would include specific knowledge or skills that were gained. You could discuss a new technology, a tool or a process you learned. Your answer should have a clear, direct benefit to the job you are seeking. You want the interviewer to see that you are committed to your professional growth and are adding skills that will benefit them. Very broad learning unrelated to your field may help you in the long run, but probably will not make a strong memorable impression on the interviewer.

The best answer to a professional development interview question will discuss what you learned, how you learned it, and how you have applied what you learned to deliver results. This last piece makes a huge difference. It’s one thing to say you learned something. It’s another to say your learned something and applied successfully.

Look at the projects you have completed in the last couple years. Which projects required you to apply skills or knowledge that you didn’t possess before the project?

An example of an answer to a professional development interview question is:

“I am committed to continuing to learn in my field. I read several periodicals, and I try to take training courses in my field on a regular basis. Most recently, I attended a seminar on inventory management. I learned a new cycle counting approach that I applied this past year. By implementing new cycle counting procedures, we reduced our inventory levels by 20% and improved our inventory accuracy. All of this was achieved while we reduced our cycle counting hours by 15%”

This example shows a commitment to professional development, and most importantly, a commitment to the continuous improvement of the organization from the lessons learned. The results are likely to be valuable to an employer, making the candidate also valuable.