A job interview is a traditional filtering method that companies - whether small scale or large scale - utilize during the hiring process. It is obvious that the ultimate goal of a job interview is to select the best candidates by asking job-related questions.
Relatively, applicants expect job interviews to give them the opportunity to showcase their talents and skills and, basically, talk about the job. However, many HR people seem to deviate from the real sense of conducting a job interview and end up asking questions that are sometimes offensive, and mostly irrelevant. Here are the five worst job interview questions that should never be asked from an applicant:
"What would you tell me about yourself growing up?"
Although it is a valid question to ask, the information it will produce is not entirely related and helpful to the goal. In a report by Fit Small Business, Leveaux Group Inc. Chief Strategist and Revenue Officer, Asa Leveaux, said that asking an applicant about his adulthood does not guarantee that the latter can provide significant contribution nor will it accurately help identify what personality traits the applicant has developed over the years.
"What is your biggest weakness?"
This is one of the most common questions in a job interview, yet the goal is still not clear. This type of question will never get an honest answer. Some business professionals believe that there is no sense in telling someone about your weakness, at least not in a job interview. For them, it would definitely make more sense if the question is "What is your greatest strength?" because the answer to this question is much easier to prove.
"Tell me about yourself."
Applicants spend time and effort adorning their resumes with all their honest data, and asking them this question is quite unfair on the part of the applicant. Professional interviewers strongly disagree to this question. For them, this question only demonstrates a lack of interest, skill, and preparation on the part of the interviewer.
"Among other candidates, why should we hire you?"
This question could be a valid answer. However, given that you know nothing about the rest of the applicants, it would be difficult to validate the answer to this question. In a Forbes article, HR professional Liz Ryan said that a good employer would rather ask job-seekers about their experience and how would they approach the job, rather than comparing themselves to people that they will never meet.
Interviewers who ask these questions are not necessarily bad. It's just that they lack the skill to ask better and more sensible questions. When faced with such queries, the applicant should remain honest, modest, and clever. For more related articles, check this report by Jobs & Hire.
