4 ms·

If during an interview the question gets asked "What's your greatest weakness?" I try to answer as best I can and then I make a mental note to ask this later:

If during an interview the question gets asked "What's your greatest weakness?" I try to answer as best I can and then I make a mental note to ask this later: "Since you asked me what my greatest weakness was, I think it's fair to ask: What's the worst thing about working here?" I've only been able to ask it once, and didn't really get a good answer, but I think it has the potential to elicit some thoughtful (or telling) responses.

tome 14y ago
I think it's a great question to ask anyway, even if the interviewer doesn't ask about weaknesses.
- mountaineer 14y ago
  Exactly, this is one of the first 2 or 3 questions I always ask an interviewer. I usually get some great, honest answers.
btilly 14y ago
My attitude about the "greatest weakness" question is to treat it as a softball for whatever I would like to most be accommodated on in the workplace. Here are some random example answers to demonstrate. (For each one, I have known someone who that example fits.) "I live a ways away, and to avoid rush hour won't ever be at the office before 11 AM." "I can come in to work early, but I always have to leave by 4 PM to be home in time to pick up my children." "I am an observant Jew and have to leave early on Fridays." "I have life threatening condition X (asthma, diabetes, whatever) and will need accommodation Y." And so on. I originally got this idea from a secretary whose issue was that she was very talkative, she needs to have people she can talk to throughout the day. So she started answering the weakness question that way, and found that her bosses wouldn't complain about her talkativeness because she had already told them that up front.
- greenyoda 14y ago
  I'm not sure any of those things would qualify as someone's "greatest weakness"; they're incidental matters. Turning it around, would you say that the ability to be at work at 9:00am every day could be considered to be someone's greatest strength?
  - btilly 14y ago
    In a workplace environment, all can cause problems.
    - illuminate 14y ago
      They're potential problems for the employer, but not "weaknesses".
ratherbefuddled 14y ago
Here's a somewhat amusing (not quite verbatim) transcript from an interview I once had: Interviewer: "So, why're you looking to leave your current employer?" Me: "Well, we were acquired a couple of years ago, and the change in culture has frustrated me a bit. I'd like to work somewhere more dynamic where there's not so much red tape and so many stakeholders to talk to about everything." Interviewer: "OK, so do you have any questions for me?" Me: "What's the worst thing about working here?" Interviewer: "Well, sometimes it can feel like there's too much red tape, lots of stakeholders to consult. It would be nice to be more dynamic". I didn't get that job.
- mnicole 14y ago
  Ha! Had a similar one; said what I didn't like about it and the two guys interviewing me looked at each other, sighed, nodded their heads and asked me the next question.
epoxyhockey 14y ago
The best way to answer the What's your greatest weakness? question is by highly accentuating a positive trait and stating how you overcome the stated weakness: - Sometimes, I am too nice to my customers during phone conversations, so I set mental time limits for how long a call should last - I need to be caffeinated in order to code my best, so I always make sure to stop by the coffee shop on the way to work Yes, it is cheesy to answer like this, but it is a cheesy question to begin with.
- BryantD 14y ago
  Interviewers know that one, although I think the right answer is pretty close to what you suggest. I recommend identifying a real weakness and then talking about how you're working to overcome it. Maybe divide the answer into two parts: what you've already done and what you're continuing to do.
  - epoxyhockey 14y ago
    Interviewers know that one Well, I guess it's just a difference in philosophy. The question is more of a trap than a constructive tool. When I was trained, it was taught to me as a way to weed out people who slip up and say something stupid .. or worse.
    - snowwrestler 14y ago
      When I hire, I'm looking for people who think and communicate honestly. When I hear a BS response to this question, it tells me that either this person does not think they have any weaknesses, or that they are too scared to discuss them. Either way it's a red flag.
drewcoo 14y ago
That's a sign that you're dealing with someone who doesn't know how to interview. What did he/she intend to learn from that? Think about it. Try to put yourself in that person's shoes a little. If you're interested in the job, please understand that you're being interviewed by someone who doesn't know how to do it at this point. Don't hold it against the person. The best thing you can do is be completely conversational (and honest) in return and start driving the interview yourself. I don't want to put words in anyone's mouths\, but something like "Foo is probably my greatest weakness; bar is my strength.What do you find you often look for in prospective coworkers? Why is that? Have you been burned before or have you worked with someone who's a complete rock star?" Etc, If you're not interested in the job by now, this is also a great place to politely explain that the interview loop is over and thank the interviewer for his/her time . . .

tome 14y ago

I think it's a great question to ask anyway, even if the interviewer doesn't ask about weaknesses.

mountaineer 14y ago
Exactly, this is one of the first 2 or 3 questions I always ask an interviewer. I usually get some great, honest answers.

btilly 14y ago

My attitude about the "greatest weakness" question is to treat it as a softball for whatever I would like to most be accommodated on in the workplace. Here are some random example answers to demonstrate. (For each one, I have known someone who that example fits.) "I live a ways away, and to avoid rush hour won't ever be at the office before 11 AM." "I can come in to work early, but I always have to leave by 4 PM to be home in time to pick up my children." "I am an observant Jew and have to leave early on Fridays." "I have life threatening condition X (asthma, diabetes, whatever) and will need accommodation Y." And so on. I originally got this idea from a secretary whose issue was that she was very talkative, she needs to have people she can talk to throughout the day. So she started answering the weakness question that way, and found that her bosses wouldn't complain about her talkativeness because she had already told them that up front.

greenyoda 14y ago
I'm not sure any of those things would qualify as someone's "greatest weakness"; they're incidental matters. Turning it around, would you say that the ability to be at work at 9:00am every day could be considered to be someone's greatest strength?
- btilly 14y ago
  In a workplace environment, all can cause problems.
  - illuminate 14y ago
    They're potential problems for the employer, but not "weaknesses".

ratherbefuddled 14y ago

Here's a somewhat amusing (not quite verbatim) transcript from an interview I once had: Interviewer: "So, why're you looking to leave your current employer?" Me: "Well, we were acquired a couple of years ago, and the change in culture has frustrated me a bit. I'd like to work somewhere more dynamic where there's not so much red tape and so many stakeholders to talk to about everything." Interviewer: "OK, so do you have any questions for me?" Me: "What's the worst thing about working here?" Interviewer: "Well, sometimes it can feel like there's too much red tape, lots of stakeholders to consult. It would be nice to be more dynamic". I didn't get that job.

mnicole 14y ago
Ha! Had a similar one; said what I didn't like about it and the two guys interviewing me looked at each other, sighed, nodded their heads and asked me the next question.

epoxyhockey 14y ago

The best way to answer the What's your greatest weakness? question is by highly accentuating a positive trait and stating how you overcome the stated weakness: - Sometimes, I am too nice to my customers during phone conversations, so I set mental time limits for how long a call should last - I need to be caffeinated in order to code my best, so I always make sure to stop by the coffee shop on the way to work Yes, it is cheesy to answer like this, but it is a cheesy question to begin with.

BryantD 14y ago
Interviewers know that one, although I think the right answer is pretty close to what you suggest. I recommend identifying a real weakness and then talking about how you're working to overcome it. Maybe divide the answer into two parts: what you've already done and what you're continuing to do.
- epoxyhockey 14y ago
  Interviewers know that one Well, I guess it's just a difference in philosophy. The question is more of a trap than a constructive tool. When I was trained, it was taught to me as a way to weed out people who slip up and say something stupid .. or worse.
  - snowwrestler 14y ago
    When I hire, I'm looking for people who think and communicate honestly. When I hear a BS response to this question, it tells me that either this person does not think they have any weaknesses, or that they are too scared to discuss them. Either way it's a red flag.

drewcoo 14y ago

That's a sign that you're dealing with someone who doesn't know how to interview. What did he/she intend to learn from that? Think about it. Try to put yourself in that person's shoes a little. If you're interested in the job, please understand that you're being interviewed by someone who doesn't know how to do it at this point. Don't hold it against the person. The best thing you can do is be completely conversational (and honest) in return and start driving the interview yourself. I don't want to put words in anyone's mouths\, but something like "Foo is probably my greatest weakness; bar is my strength.What do you find you often look for in prospective coworkers? Why is that? Have you been burned before or have you worked with someone who's a complete rock star?" Etc, If you're not interested in the job by now, this is also a great place to politely explain that the interview loop is over and thank the interviewer for his/her time . . .