When preparing for an interview, the question: “what is your weakness?” is arguably the one that candidates dread most; in fact, a huge majority of respondents in our recent poll selected it as the most difficult part of an interview (62%).
Typically, candidates prepare canned answers with vague examples for this question, unlike their specific, personalised responses to most other interview enquiries.
According to Kevin Halligan, Azon’s Associate Director, a huge percentage of interviewees tend to give a disingenuous answer, or one that falls short of what the question is really asking: “9 times out of 10 a candidate will answer this question with the generic ‘I’m a perfectionist’ push, or similar,” he states. “While this might be true, it doesn’t give us the full insight we’re looking for.”
His advice? Be honest, and create a narrative.
“This question is popular with recruiters and interviewers because it exposes a candidate’s ability to recognise – and improve upon – their own shortcomings. It’s not about admitting personality flaws. The best way to answer this question is by stating your weakness, and outlining how you tend to (or intend to) overcome it, with particular focus on the role you’re applying for.”
Your answer can be bolstered, Kevin continues, by revealing the systems you put in place to guarantee this weakness will not be an issue for your new employer. “Strengthen your answer by outlining the progress you’ve made since this weakness came to light – we want to really know how you coped with overcoming it in your previous roles. This will help us to determine your ability to deal with this weakness in relation to the open role you’re interviewing for.”
Finally, stay relevant and remember these 3 guidelines:
1- Keep it short
Answer in 3 – 4 sentences maximum. If they ask you to expand be sure you can, but revealing too much initially could lead the conversation down an indeterminate path.
2- Do not mention a weakness that will be a vital element of your new role
This may seem like common sense, but needs to be reiterated. If you are applying for a role as an Accountant it is not a good idea to state your weakness is dealing with numbers. Instead, focus on something less likely to be a red flag for a new employer – like giving presentations in a group setting, or public speaking.
3- Finish on a positive note
Where possible, try to turn the answer into a positive – one that is quantifiable for the interviewer.
