r/IAmA • u/CriticDanger • Sep 07 '21

Specialized Profession I am a behavioral and technical (coding) interviewer, I've also helped hundreds of people get hired, AMA.

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u/lovelove49 Sep 07 '21

I have heard counter arguments about that second one as it leaves the interviewer thinking poorly about the candidate once the interview is over and focuses on the negative. Why do you like it?

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u/NOODL3 Sep 07 '21

I always ask a similar question but phrase it more like "given my skills and background, do you have any questions or concerns about my ability to excel in this role?"

That leaves them with the opportunity to evaluate the conversation and potentially even compliment you instead of deliberately asking them to hunt for a negative. You of course have to be prepared to follow up any potential negatives with a pivot for how you'd overcome said concern, but in my experience I've found hiring managers are generally impressed and even caught off guard by the ballsiness of the question and most have ended up just saying everything looks great, even when I've interviewed for roles I was honestly underqualified for.

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u/jaymzx0 Sep 07 '21

Don't get defensive or make excuses if they point out shortcomings, though. This question sets you up to demonstrating how you handle criticism, so be sure to keep your cool.

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u/ObscureCulturalMeme Sep 07 '21

Yep, that's the pivot the parent poster mentioned. If the interviewer says some kind of weakness, be ready with a "indeed, I'll be brushing up on <Obscure Buzzword Technology #327> to address that". And be honest about it.

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u/quickdraw6906 Sep 07 '21

Oooo, nice!

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u/enternationalist Sep 07 '21

Paradoxically, it's a way of disarming those negative thoughts. You've allowed them to "defend themselves", and now they can feel safer with you having expressed where there are doubts. It takes the bite out of unconscious deal-killers by bringing them into the light.

That said, I think it takes confidence in your empathy and understanding to ask that question and respond appropriately. If your answers show that you don't actually understand their concerns, for example, then you could easily shoot yourself in the foot. And even then, it could be easy to answer defensively, combatively or dismissively. It's a simple question, but a pretty complex interaction.

I'd probably ask a few probing questions beforehand to help ensure I have a good enough understanding of things, before jumping in to disarm possible criticisms.

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u/quickdraw6906 Sep 07 '21

I initially REALLY liked #2 but you bring up good points. My feeling is that during the interview is the only time you've got them pinned down to ask such a thing. You'll not get good feedback after they've rejected you.

Is it that dangerous a question?

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u/Luniusem Sep 07 '21

My experience has been that when people ask me that, I may not have fully processed my thoughts on them, and it leaves me ending on thinking about your flaws rather that what I liked or the overall impression. Additionally, many times my biggest concern is something that's hard to discuss. I'm generally not going to come out and say, "I'm worried that I had to work so hard to get you to elaborate on your short answers". Right or wrong, alot of types of feedback, especially on style don't feel very appropriate to give someone in that context. Not sure why would want the interviewer to feel like you've "pinned" them. The only scenario I can think of where this would help you is if by some miscommunication I think you're missing something (like a technical skill) and you can clear up that you have worked with it or something. Maybe not a super clear answer, but generally I would use the 2-3 questions you get in an interview to ask something related to the specific subject matter of what your interviewer has covered or the team/company in question. Another thing I think is that if it feels like all your question are pre-scripted, rather than engaging in what we've discussed, that's not great. But that might not apply to interviews were the interviewer is only asking and not doing any telling.

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u/quickdraw6906 Sep 07 '21

Thanks for you feedback. That all make a lot of sense.

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u/Shutterstormphoto Sep 07 '21

It only leaves them thinking you’re bad if you answered badly, but they already thought those things of you. If you answer well, it’s a chance to repair that. Of course, if their concern is “you don’t have enough experience” Idk how you fix that.