Page 27 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

THE RULES OF THE GAME

her accomplishments, drive, creativity, and dedication. This was
true except for one applicant. As we sat down he asked if I’d read
his résumé. I said I had. And then he asked me:

What looks to be the weakest part of my background? Can we
talk about that first? I know you’re talking to a lot of people and
you’re probably looking to whittle down the list.

At first I was put off, but then I had to smile. He was right. I
was approaching the interview by concentrating on whom I could
eliminate from the process. By positioning himself the way he
did, he showed me that he could think outside the box and he
had initiative. He had thought about the interview from my per-
spective, and he helped direct the conversation in a way that was
better for both of us. It’s unlikely I would have hired him had he
not asked this question. He turned out to be the best assistant I
ever hired.

Andrew Reese, an executive search recruiter with the McCormick
Group in Arlington, Virginia, calls these “red flag questions.” Reese
says, “While it’s hard to ask questions that focus on your perceived
weaknesses, it’s often the best strategy to invite the interviewer to
challenge you on any red flags he or she may have.” Sometimes,
according to Reese, the question is as direct as:

Is there any reason why you wouldn’t want to hire me?

This is really a more direct version of the previous question. They
are both designed to uncover perceptions and attitudes that, unless
brought to the surface, will doom your candidacy. “Interviewers
rarely bring up those perceptions and attitudes because it’s uncom-
fortable, so you should consider doing so,” advises Reese. “If there’s
a misperception, perhaps you can correct it.”

A senior recruiter at Bernard Haldane Associates, the largest
career management firm in the United States, suggests that appli-
cants consider this variant of the red flag question:

Now that we have talked about my qualifications, do you have any con-
cerns about me fulfilling the responsibilities of this position?

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