So... you got past the application phase and you got the call-- an invite for an interview for a position at World Wide Wicket Theatricals, Inc. Yay! If the interview is with the assistant HR person that just wants you to "answer the questions to the best of your ability," you're kind of stuck. If not, you're off and running!
Visualize yourself seated at the table with the supervisor and (hopefully) an HR rep. Or maybe it's a committee. Maybe it's on Zoom. Whatever; you settle in, a little nervous, prepared to do well, determined to give it your best.
They start in with a few vague questions:
"What interests you about this position?"
"Did you enjoy your previous job?"
A few questions later, they launch into this gem:
"If you were stranded on a desert island, how would you lead the team to survive?"
Now it's getting progressively worse and slightly hostile:
"Why should we hire you when you lack experience in this field?"
Finally, you see HR squirming in their seat as you get this doozie from the supervisor:
"Are you married? Do you plan on having children soon?"
Nearly a quarter into a brand new century there are still employers that ask illegal and discriminatory questions. Regrettably, most of us cannot afford to march out of an interview with the proper indignant attitude. So we need a strategy to navigate these questions.
The challenge is the power imbalance. They can hire you. You can only try to impress them. In a typical interview there is a limited amount of time to hold their attention. Therefore, the objective is not to answer questions perfectly. The objective is to connect with the interviewer. After all, they really do want to hire someone. No sane person does this for fun.
Here are a few tips to help:
Find out the format. A structured list of questions? Round robin with a committee? Freeform? No matter what it is, express your enthusiasm for the process. If you can find out beforehand, great. If not, adapt.
Make eye contact. Lean in. Relax. Breathe.
When asked a difficult question, pause for a moment to think before answering.
Notice if you're talking too much. You may be nervous, but you don't need to fill the room with words.
Bring a pad and paper. Jot down the question or a note. It signals that you're listening.
Have some questions ready to ask them. Make them relevant and interesting. Now's not the time to ask about salary; that will come later when they've decided they adore you.
If all goes well, you might even enjoy the interview, particularly if it feels more like a conversation. If not, you need a fallback plan. So let's get straight to the uglies.
Illegal or Discriminatory Questions
Any question that directly or indirectly asks about a candidate's age, marital status, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected class under anti-discrimination laws. This is a tough one, because you have to get a sense of why they are asking. If they just want to get to know you, it's OK for them to ask open ended questions. In that scenario, you are free to share any personal details you would like to share (or not).
Q: "Tell me about yourself."
A: "I have a spouse, a cat, a used car and a mortgage, etc. etc."
On the other hand, if the question seems more nefarious, or is point blank illegal, you'll need to do your best to steer the conversation back to job-related topics.
Q: "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?"
A: "I don't think I'm allowed to answer that question, but I'd be happy to discuss how my past experiences have prepared me for this role. Is there anything specific about my qualifications you'd like to know?"
Leading Questions
Questions that guide the candidate to give a specific desired answer, potentially skewing the assessment of their true capabilities, qualifications, or interest in the position.
Q: "Our season this year is spectacular, wouldn't you agree?"
A: "I look forward to being a part of it!"
Negative or Confrontational Questions
Questions that put the candidate on the defensive, making it difficult for them to present themselves positively.
Q: "Why do you want to leave your current job? What's wrong with it?"
A: "I'm motivated by opportunities to move to a better position such as this one rather than focusing on getting away from an old position."
Irrelevant Questions
Questions that have no relevance to the job position or the candidate's qualifications.
Q:"What's your favorite movie and why?"
A: Well, nothing comes to mind, but if the goal is to get to know me you can rest assured it's not Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Hypothetical Questions
Questions that ask candidates to imagine extreme or unlikely situations, which may not provide meaningful insight into their abilities or experiences.
Q:"You are a superhero with the power to control time. One day, your arch-nemesis threatens to disrupt the space-time continuum. How would you use your time-manipulation abilities to save the world?"
A: "Sorry?"
A lot of interviewers seem to be fond of the "what is your biggest weakness?" question. I can't figure out what you're supposed to learn from the answer. Insight? Truth? Nowadays nearly everyone knows to answer with the "I work too hard" trope. The answer I prefer is: "I'm sure I have the potential to learn and improve, and look forward to understanding your expectations for the position." This puts the onus back on them, and hopefully opens up further dialogue.
Admittedly it's easy for me to dispense advice from afar. I've been in situations where the interviewer asked about my marital status despite getting a swift kick in the shins by the Director of HR. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to answer the question, even as I joked about the impropriety of the question itself. I've been in remote interviews where the questions were read sotto voce by a third party and I had to answer staring straight into the unblinking camera lens. I was mightily relieved when I didn't hear back from them.
Since every interview situation is slightly different, access to a good coach can help you anticipate and prepare for awkward questions. So get a good career coach. Ultimately if the interviewer's goal is to challenge you, or trip you up, or keep you on the defensive, it's likely there is something else going on in the room, and your chances at that point are already slim. If you can't connect with your future boss, it may not be the best choice for a job.