15 ms·

I hope I'm not alone in thinking "why should we hire you" is a bit of a dumb question and a bit insulting. If I was asked that, I'd be thinking something like:

by b6 10y ago

I hope I'm not alone in thinking "why should we hire you" is a bit of a dumb question and a bit insulting. If I was asked that, I'd be thinking something like: We're all adults here. We know why you're trying to hire someone approximately like me, and why I'm trying to get the job. Let's be friends instead of you trying to get me to trot like a show pony. This isn't a game show. Or if you think it is, maybe I don't want the job after all, because I value my dignity.

rl3 10y ago
These mirror my sentiments exactly. Not that I'd ever ask the question myself, but I'd expect the best candidates to respond with indignation.
- dpark 10y ago
  I wouldn't ask this question because it's pointless, but I would expect the best candidates to answer the question reasonably. Indignation is not a mature attitude to demonstrate in an interview.
  - tqkxzugoaupvwqr 10y ago
    The question is an insult to the interviewee. The interviewee can stammer around and say something about great fit, being a team player or whatever … basically re-iterating the requirements of the job and state how well he fulfils those. What is the honest answer? It all boils down to “I fulfil the requirements, and then some!” In my eyes, the question shows hostility towards the interviewee.
    - dpark 10y ago
      I completely agree it's not a good question. I don't think it's hostile, though, just stupid. Regardless, being unable to hold your temper in the face of a pointless/stupid/vaguely insulting question is a really bad sign for a candidate. If you can't handle this, how are you going to handle it when someone bluntly calls one of your designs terrible?
      - rl3 10y ago
        >... being unable to hold your temper ... I didn't mean to suggest the candidate should launch into a tirade or anything, just that the indignation would ideally be evident yet subtle. >If you can't handle this, how are you going to handle it when someone bluntly calls one of your designs terrible? The flip side of this is that candidates who find nothing wrong with the question are far more likely to not mete out such critiques. The last thing you want is your organization rotting from within because nobody's speaking their mind.
        dpark 10y ago
        > I didn't mean to suggest the candidate should launch into a tirade or anything, just that the indignation would ideally be evident yet subtle. I don't think that subtle indignation is a healthy response. If you're so bothered by this question, I think you should say so. A direct, honest response is far more mature way to handle it than acting annoyed by the question. I could respect a candidate telling me directly that the question is insulting. It would be harder to respect a candidate who responds to the question with snark or sarcasm or an eye roll or any other indication of "subtle indignation". > The flip side of this is that candidates who find nothing wrong with the question are far more likely to not mete out such critiques. The last thing you want is your organization rotting from within because nobody's speaking their mind. I don't follow this connection at all. I don't think that being annoyed by this question is very related to giving blunt feedback.
        rl3 10y ago
        >A direct, honest response is far more mature way to handle it than being acting annoyed by the question. I could respect a candidate telling me directly that the question is insulting. Then the interview quickly turns into a robotic caricature straight out of an HR manual. Why make the whole situation awkward and probably tank the interview just to state the obvious.
        dpark 10y ago
        Instead be snarky and annoyed and tank the interview by being a passive aggressive jerk?
    - HeyLaughingBoy 10y ago
      You're thinking too much into it. Just say "because I rock and your team's life would suck without me." And leave it at that.
ashark 10y ago
It definitely comes off as 1) "I don't know how to do my job, please explain it to me" or 2) "can you tell me why the salaried employment relationship exists?" I mean, I'd answer (while trying desperately to contain the sarcasm and not to talk to the person asking it like they don't know WTF they're doing) but the answer is always something like "you should hire me if you think I can and will complete tasks that are worth more to you than what I cost you". Obviously. You know your business, we've talked about what I can do... so figure it out.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
iamatworknow 10y ago
Same goes for "where do you see yourself in [some amount of time]?" Is anyone ever truly honest in responding to that question, or is the intent to have the interviewee lie and pledge their long-term loyalty to a company that they don't even work for yet?
- sidlls 10y ago
  It depends on the company and individuals, like everything else. I've had both positive and negative results with honesty. I was honest with my current company. I told them 5 years from now I'd be considering moving back closer to family with sufficient experience and promotions on my resume to demonstrate my ability to acquire work that pays better than what engineers typically make in that region. I also told them it's unlikely I'd be at the company longer than 2-3 years without some very interesting work. I had a similar level of honesty with an employer I was interviewing with several years ago and they turned me down (without indicating the reason, but clearly the honesty for that question either worked against me or had little or no impact on the decision).
  - iamatworknow 10y ago
    Good point. Answering honestly will have one of two possible results: they'll appreciate your candidness and won't hold it against you, or they'll disregard your application because your honest answer was "not what they're looking for". In the latter case that's probably a good thing since you probably wouldn't want to work for a company that will judge you negatively for voicing an honest opinion (or prediction). Sounds like a toxic environment brewing from the get-go. Still a bad question, in my opinion.
- WhoBeI 10y ago
  "In the mirror?"
  - ErikVandeWater 10y ago
    Well, I would hire you. Don't know about others.
mythobit 10y ago
I wonder if you wouldn't be justified in following up their question with your own of "Why should I choose to work for you?". Seems only fair that they should try and sell you on being part of their team as well.
- awinder 10y ago
  I've always asked teams why someone should come work there during the interview process. For one, a lot of employees are not terribly good actors, so you can read the room if you see people stammer through this question. Two, by even just asking that question, you can flip the tenor & tone of an interview by nicely showcasing that: you have options, so you're looking to understand why this is a fit for you and not just a fit for the hiring side.
  - ryandrake 10y ago
    That's pretty bold. I would imagine most companies' honest response would be "Well, you don't HAVE to come work here, we have 10 other people interviewing after you." I mean, congratulations if you have options, but in most employer-applicant relationships, there is a huge power imbalance benefiting the employer.
    - HeyLaughingBoy 10y ago
      Please, please, please don't think this. It's not bold, it's a perfectly reasonable question. In most parts of the US, it's a developer's market. Exploit that while you can. FWIW, every time I've asked this question, the response is always for the interviewer (sometimes with a slight smile) to try to sell me on working there. Never have I gotten a response like you predicted, and I'd be very surprised if I ever do. You're not a fungible assembly line worker; you're a highly skilled individual in great demand. Even if you don't really believe that, find a way to convince yourself of it temporarily before the interview: it will have positive results.
    - jjpe 10y ago
      Power imbalances often arise solely because the people involved perceive it as such (i.e. it's a purely psychological effect). Therefore, simply perceiving the situation differently and then acting on that can make a lot of difference.

by b6 10y ago

rl3 10y ago

These mirror my sentiments exactly. Not that I'd ever ask the question myself, but I'd expect the best candidates to respond with indignation.

dpark 10y ago
I wouldn't ask this question because it's pointless, but I would expect the best candidates to answer the question reasonably. Indignation is not a mature attitude to demonstrate in an interview.
- tqkxzugoaupvwqr 10y ago
  The question is an insult to the interviewee. The interviewee can stammer around and say something about great fit, being a team player or whatever … basically re-iterating the requirements of the job and state how well he fulfils those. What is the honest answer? It all boils down to “I fulfil the requirements, and then some!” In my eyes, the question shows hostility towards the interviewee.
  - dpark 10y ago
    I completely agree it's not a good question. I don't think it's hostile, though, just stupid. Regardless, being unable to hold your temper in the face of a pointless/stupid/vaguely insulting question is a really bad sign for a candidate. If you can't handle this, how are you going to handle it when someone bluntly calls one of your designs terrible?
    - rl3 10y ago
      >... being unable to hold your temper ... I didn't mean to suggest the candidate should launch into a tirade or anything, just that the indignation would ideally be evident yet subtle. >If you can't handle this, how are you going to handle it when someone bluntly calls one of your designs terrible? The flip side of this is that candidates who find nothing wrong with the question are far more likely to not mete out such critiques. The last thing you want is your organization rotting from within because nobody's speaking their mind.
      - dpark 10y ago
        > I didn't mean to suggest the candidate should launch into a tirade or anything, just that the indignation would ideally be evident yet subtle. I don't think that subtle indignation is a healthy response. If you're so bothered by this question, I think you should say so. A direct, honest response is far more mature way to handle it than acting annoyed by the question. I could respect a candidate telling me directly that the question is insulting. It would be harder to respect a candidate who responds to the question with snark or sarcasm or an eye roll or any other indication of "subtle indignation". > The flip side of this is that candidates who find nothing wrong with the question are far more likely to not mete out such critiques. The last thing you want is your organization rotting from within because nobody's speaking their mind. I don't follow this connection at all. I don't think that being annoyed by this question is very related to giving blunt feedback.
        rl3 10y ago
        >A direct, honest response is far more mature way to handle it than being acting annoyed by the question. I could respect a candidate telling me directly that the question is insulting. Then the interview quickly turns into a robotic caricature straight out of an HR manual. Why make the whole situation awkward and probably tank the interview just to state the obvious.
        dpark 10y ago
        Instead be snarky and annoyed and tank the interview by being a passive aggressive jerk?
  - HeyLaughingBoy 10y ago
    You're thinking too much into it. Just say "because I rock and your team's life would suck without me." And leave it at that.

ashark 10y ago

It definitely comes off as 1) "I don't know how to do my job, please explain it to me" or 2) "can you tell me why the salaried employment relationship exists?" I mean, I'd answer (while trying desperately to contain the sarcasm and not to talk to the person asking it like they don't know WTF they're doing) but the answer is always something like "you should hire me if you think I can and will complete tasks that are worth more to you than what I cost you". Obviously. You know your business, we've talked about what I can do... so figure it out.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

iamatworknow 10y ago

Same goes for "where do you see yourself in [some amount of time]?" Is anyone ever truly honest in responding to that question, or is the intent to have the interviewee lie and pledge their long-term loyalty to a company that they don't even work for yet?

sidlls 10y ago
It depends on the company and individuals, like everything else. I've had both positive and negative results with honesty. I was honest with my current company. I told them 5 years from now I'd be considering moving back closer to family with sufficient experience and promotions on my resume to demonstrate my ability to acquire work that pays better than what engineers typically make in that region. I also told them it's unlikely I'd be at the company longer than 2-3 years without some very interesting work. I had a similar level of honesty with an employer I was interviewing with several years ago and they turned me down (without indicating the reason, but clearly the honesty for that question either worked against me or had little or no impact on the decision).
- iamatworknow 10y ago
  Good point. Answering honestly will have one of two possible results: they'll appreciate your candidness and won't hold it against you, or they'll disregard your application because your honest answer was "not what they're looking for". In the latter case that's probably a good thing since you probably wouldn't want to work for a company that will judge you negatively for voicing an honest opinion (or prediction). Sounds like a toxic environment brewing from the get-go. Still a bad question, in my opinion.
WhoBeI 10y ago
"In the mirror?"
- ErikVandeWater 10y ago
  Well, I would hire you. Don't know about others.

mythobit 10y ago

I wonder if you wouldn't be justified in following up their question with your own of "Why should I choose to work for you?". Seems only fair that they should try and sell you on being part of their team as well.

awinder 10y ago
I've always asked teams why someone should come work there during the interview process. For one, a lot of employees are not terribly good actors, so you can read the room if you see people stammer through this question. Two, by even just asking that question, you can flip the tenor & tone of an interview by nicely showcasing that: you have options, so you're looking to understand why this is a fit for you and not just a fit for the hiring side.
- ryandrake 10y ago
  That's pretty bold. I would imagine most companies' honest response would be "Well, you don't HAVE to come work here, we have 10 other people interviewing after you." I mean, congratulations if you have options, but in most employer-applicant relationships, there is a huge power imbalance benefiting the employer.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 10y ago
    Please, please, please don't think this. It's not bold, it's a perfectly reasonable question. In most parts of the US, it's a developer's market. Exploit that while you can. FWIW, every time I've asked this question, the response is always for the interviewer (sometimes with a slight smile) to try to sell me on working there. Never have I gotten a response like you predicted, and I'd be very surprised if I ever do. You're not a fungible assembly line worker; you're a highly skilled individual in great demand. Even if you don't really believe that, find a way to convince yourself of it temporarily before the interview: it will have positive results.
  - jjpe 10y ago
    Power imbalances often arise solely because the people involved perceive it as such (i.e. it's a purely psychological effect). Therefore, simply perceiving the situation differently and then acting on that can make a lot of difference.