Interviewing Authentically Barbara Safani 12/05/07

The goal of the interview is to showcase your accomplishments while developing a relationship with the hiring manager. The quality of the relationship hinges on the job seeker’s ability to construct credibility for their candidacy and, therefore, effectively gain the hiring manager’s trust.

Despite this relationship-building goal, many job seekers continue to "spin" their responses to interview questions. This tactic is often used when job seekers are asked questions with a negative slant such as "What is your greatest weakness?" or "Tell me about a mistake you made."

Perhaps candidates spin their answers in an effort to downplay any blemishes in their background or to stick with the strategy that so many interview preparation books teach. Either way, candidates that lack authenticity are easy to spot, and the outcome of the interview is severely compromised when job seekers chose to use this falsified approach.

As a matter of fact, in a recent Society for Human Resources Management survey, recruiters and hiring managers reported that one of their biggest pet peeves during an interview was candidates who responded to difficult interview questions with answers that attempted to spin a tough situation into one with only positive outcomes.

Below are a few of the most common interview questions to which job seekers try to spin their responses.

1. What is your greatest weakness?

Red flag answer: "I’m a perfectionist, and I get frustrated when people aren’t as committed to the job as I am."

Problem: The candidate is answering the question about a weakness by responding with an answer that suggests a strength. Such answers are disingenuous and are not well-received by hiring authorities -- the candidate hasn’t answered the question asked, but turned the question into one that he or she would rather answer.

The candidate is also assuming that perfection is considered a desirable trait in the organization. Some hiring managers will perceive a perfectionist as someone who gets so caught up in the details that they can’t achieve objectives.

Adjusted response: "Earlier in my career, when I was a software developer, my strong attention to detail was an asset because I could quickly spot and correct systems errors. But after I was promoted to project manager, this strength became a bit of a liability because I was now responsible for delegating work and overseeing the big picture aspect of the project. I struggled at first because it was my nature to want to fix every error. While I still have that tendency, I now rely on the technical expertise of my team, which allows me to concentrate on delivering projects on time and on budget."

2. Tell me about a situation where you did not get along with a supervisor.

Red flag answer: "I’ve been very fortunate and have never worked for someone I didn’t get along with."

Problem: Everyone has had situations where they disagreed with a boss, and saying that you haven’t forces the interviewer to question your integrity. Also, it can send out a signal that the candidate is not seasoned enough or hasn’t been in situations that require him to develop a tough skin or deal with confrontation.

Adjusted response: "It’s natural for people to have differing opinions. When this has occurred in the past, I have presented my reasons for my position and openly listened to my supervisor’s opinion as well. Recently, my supervisor recommended a change to a report that in my opinion made the reporting more cumbersome and time consuming. I expressed my concerns, but also asked many questions to determine what information my boss needed to capture that was not currently in the report. Once I understood her needs, I was able to offer a suggestion that satisfied her information needs and actually streamlined the existing report making it easier to use."

3. Describe a situation where you were part of a failed initiative.

Red flag answer: "I’ve never had a project that failed. My supervisors have always praised my work."

Problem: If you can’t discuss a failure or mistake, the interviewer might conclude that you don’t possess the depth of experience necessary to do the job. The interviewer is not looking for perfection. They’re trying to better understand your level of responsibility, your decision making process, your ability to recover from a mistake, what you learned from the experience, and if you can take responsibility for your mistakes.

Adjusted response: "Everyone makes mistakes. I’d like to think that I have learned something valuable from every mistake I’ve made. In my previous role as marketing director, I launched a product and was disappointed in the initial sales results. I realized that we had launched too quickly and needed to do additional market research to determine the needs of multiple demographics within our market. Following the research initiative, the marketing was realigned with a niche demographic and sales doubled within a year."

By developing and practicing honest, thoughtful responses to difficult interview questions, you will create a realistic and authentic portrait of your candidacy and develop a strong rapport with the hiring authority. Building a trusting relationship will help you advance to the next round in the interview process and bring you one step closer to securing the position.