Ask This Question In Your Next Job Interview
Maybe I’m weird. But I like interviews. I enjoy meeting new people and there’s a decent adrenaline buzz you get from being grilled. That doesn’t mean I get every gig, but at least the process has some perks.
One thing we can more universally agree on is that the process after interviews (typically) sucks. The waiting. The not knowing. It’s unbearable.
There’s a solution. A simple question you can ask at the end of the interview to know clearly what your chances are of getting the job. Or, at least to the next stage in the interview process.
If you’ve been out of the interview game for a while let me remind you of the post interview emotional journey:
Day of interview
That interview went well. At least I think it did. Did I come across confidently? I think so.
Days after interview
Oh no! Is my email not working? I haven’t had anything new for 5 minutes. Refresh, refresh, REFRESH.
One week after interview
Ok I’ll send a really smooth, not pathetic, not needy email to the HR folks.
HI! I HOPE YOU’RE WELL? HAVEN’T HEARD FROM YOU YET? MAYBE YOU HAD A TYPO IN MY EMAIL HAHA? LET ME KNOW WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE.
Remember those feelings now? Sometimes that’s just the start. Next comes the desperate search for feedback. Hearing back nothing but wishy-washy answers, or worse, a blanket reply that you can only get feedback if you get past the 700th interview stage. The process sucks, so let’s improve it.
How do we make this better?
It’s not all on us as interviewees. There’s some work from HR folks that needs to be done to create better communication channels with candidates. We’re not here to talk about HR folks though. We’re here to talk about you and what you can do to make a lasting impression and see where you stand at the end of an interview.
Now, imagine this. You’re in an interview and you‘ve answered all the questions. They say : ‘do you have any questions for us?’. You, of course, say yes. In fact you should prepare at least 3 questions. Ones that you are genuinely interested in knowing the answer. You don’t have to ask them all but at least have them up your sleeve. Then, you hit them with your last question:
Right now, what are your main doubts about hiring me for this role?
let’s break it down:
Right now: this may not be permanent problem, you have the chance to change their mind.
Main doubts: Doubts are not deal breakers. It’s light, but curious. Giving the interviewer permission to be honest with you.
Hiring: Direct & juicy. You want the job, right?
This role: You’re not asking for a validation of your personality, it’s about you in the context of that specific role. After all, maybe there’s a different role open that would be a better fit.
That’s all there is to it.
Sounds simple, right? The hardest part, not chickening out (seriously). At the end of an interview you are pretty exhausted. Maybe you don’t think it’s gone very well. If that’s the case, it’s all the more reason to ask.
Asking hard questions is hard (duh) and the answers aren’t always what you want to hear. But they’re almost certainly what you need to hear.
You may still have to wait impatiently for an email to come through. The difference? You know where you stand. There’s an additional benefit too. You will look badass confident. You’re asking for feedback and asking a difficult question. That’s a good sign to an employer.
Why are we asking this?
- To get instant feedback on how your interview has gone
- To understand you’re chances in getting this role
- Help to uncover other opportunities in the company
Some answers I’ve had
This has had mixed but always interested results for me. Varying from:
- Uncovering that there are no doubts and feeling pretty confident about getting the gig
- Understanding what the doubts are and being able rectify them
- Seeing that the role I was interviewing for wasn’t going to work out but actually there are other roles (more junior, temporary, different department) that could be a better fit
- Getting a direct rejection and honest feedback on the spot rather than hanging about for days in that painful, uncertain limbo. More difficult for the ego but certainly better than the alternative.
Don’t stop there!
Question asking 101 – don’t accept the first answer. Dig, dig and and then dig a bit more. Hand me that shovel already.
Use Sakichi Toyoda’s method of The 5 Whys. The idea is, as you could have guessed, is to keep asking why 5 times to uncover the truth behind a statement someone is making. This will help you to see the employer’s real concerns rather than making assumptions or jumping to conclusions based on their first answer.
You don’t have to literally just say ‘why?’. We’re not 5 years old anymore. Although that would be a lot easier. Instead try: What do you mean by that? Can you explain exactly what you mean? Why do you say that? Why is that important to you?
Don’t forget to listen
Now you’ve done the hard part. You’ve asked what the employers doubts are, you’ve drilled down to understand why, and now? Now, make sure you listen to the answer.
You may want to jump to your own defence and try to convince the interviewer why they are wrong about you and explain how actually you’re the perfect fit. That’s natural. But, before you do, listen. Please. Ask questions to understand their points and see what more you uncover. You’ll then be in a better position to counteract their concerns. Before you do respond ask if it’s ok for you to try and ease their doubts.
Defending yourself rather than listening can be a deal breaker. It’s better to listen and not respond than respond and not listen.
Plus, if you don’t want to respond, you don’t have to. Listening is an underrated skill. You can follow up in email, on a call, in the next interview, or not at all.
Go on… Just try!
It’s uncomfortable for a reason. Give it a chance in your next interview and let me know how it goes. Or, at least, let me know your doubts.
Now, it’s over to you.
