By Kelly Cline, Consultant
Over the last few years, many businesses have changed drastically, and job interviews are no exception. We are starting to see people joining companies who have never set foot in the office after being hired through a series of virtual interviews, and new legislation is making it harder to discuss salary expectations. One thing that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon is the tried-and-true interview questions, particularly the request to tell potential employers what your biggest weakness is. If you have been stumbling over this question since you started your career, now is a great time to finally curate an answer you can feel good about.
The most important thing to understand about this question is that the interviewer isn’t looking for you to explain reasons why they shouldn’t hire you. Instead, they are looking to identify your level of self-awareness and your ability to handle challenges that may come your way – and the right answer can give you an opportunity to showcase your strengths in both these areas.
Before sharing suggestions about how to answer the question we should address what not to do. Ensure that your answer is not a requirement for the position. Interviews are a time to put your best foot forward and focusing on any gaps that you may have for the position sets the wrong tone for an interview. Also, avoid saying that you don’t have any weaknesses – this can make you come across as uncoachable or a difficult team member. It’s also important to avoid listing a strength disguised as a weakness (such as “I don’t know how to say no” or “I work too hard”) as talent acquisition professionals have heard these answers so many times and they often provide no value to them during the process.
Now that you know how not to answer the question, it’s time to focus on how you should answer it. To really sell yourself your answer should come in two parts.
The first part should be a challenge you have identified in yourself. This challenge should be something relatively minor and most importantly, something that you can improve on. It should also be a hard skill, in the vein of an ability you have “yet to master” as opposed to a stubborn personality trait that you may never improve upon. Remember, it should not be something required for this particular role.
Adding a second part to your answer can turn this into a stellar showcase of why you are the perfect candidate for the role. You should follow up on your weakness with an explanation of the actions that you have taken to improve your abilities in this area. Going back to the beginning, this allows you to demonstrate your level of self-awareness and your ability to tackle challenges in your life. This leaves the employer feeling that you are someone who will handle constructive criticism with action and continue to grow and develop throughout your position with the organization.
An example could look something like this:
Although I am very comfortable using MS Office tools, including Excel, I am not as strong with the sophisticated tools, like VLOOKUP and pivot tables, as I would like to be. I have recently enrolled in a series of online courses in this area and am starting to feel comfortable using formulas and other functions. I look forward to continuing to progress in this area as I complete the program and have an opportunity to use these skills on a regular basis.
If you want to ace this question, demonstrating that you are working on a skill that the company might be able to use later will help them understand how you can be an instrumental part of their team as their business changes grow and expand.
All interview questions are an opportunity to give your prospective employer a reason to hire you and this question is no exception – a little bit of planning today will make you more prepared for your next interview and give your skills a chance to really shine!