“Tell me about your weaknesses” is the dreaded interview question that candidates hate or fear to be asked, but interviewers love to ask!
It’s a popular question with all companies looking to recruit these days. The question is aimed at finding out how candidates can turn a negative trait into a positive. As part of our HR solutions, we do like to throw out this question sometimes when helping clients with recruitment.
In this blog post, we’re going to look at why it’s asked, common mistakes to avoid, how to answer it well, and the top six weaknesses that people spin as a positive.
Why Do Interviewers Ask About Weaknesses?
It’s not a trick question. Employers often ask about weaknesses to know what help and guidance you would need if you got the job.
Interviewers are looking to see whether you can demonstrate self-awareness and honestly evaluate your flaws, as well as where you’re hoping to improve and what steps you might have taken to improve on them.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
You might find it hard to speak up about your positives and strengths, let alone to talk about your weaknesses. However, candidates must understand how to answer this question and know that as long as you can say what you do to overcome these weaknesses, it’s OK to admit them. We all have some!
Honesty and Confidence Matter
A shy and nervous person would find it hard to speak up to talk about their positives and their strengths, let alone to talk about their weaknesses, however, it is important that candidates understand how to answer this question and know that as long as you can say what you can do to overcome these weaknesses, it is ok to admit we all have them!
Top 6 Weaknesses and What Answers to Give
Now, down to the bit you’ve been waiting for. Here are the top six best flaws and explanations that we see as an HR services provider.
01 – You Find it Hard to Ask for Help
“I take pride in figuring out solutions myself and like to be independent with tasks that I have been set, sometimes I struggle to accept I need help and to ask for help and support. I am learning though that I do not have all the answers and sometimes it’s better to draw upon the skills and expertise of others.”
02 – You Find it Hard to Strike a Healthy Work/Life Balance
“I love my job and sometimes find it hard to switch off. However, I have now learned that this has an impact on my health, and I set myself boundaries to help enjoy the best of both worlds, ensuring my work performance does not suffer.”
03 – You Pay Too Much Attention to Details
“This can be both my strength and weakness. I have an eye for detail, which is good when people need things checking and double-checking, but I also know that I can get on others’ nerves when I pay attention to every little thing. I am learning when to pick up on things and when to leave them.”
04 -You Lack Self Confidence
“Sometimes I lack confidence in myself and my ability. I become too shy to speak up in large groups of people, even when I think I have a good idea. I fear others will not think the same and therefore keep it to myself. I am trying to work on this and overcome my fear. I do this by telling myself there is no such thing as asking a bad question, especially when putting forward ideas.”
05 -You Stress About Deadlines
“I get stressed when projects I work on go past the deadline. I take pride in being a punctual person and apply this to every aspect of what I do. I am trying to accept now that sometimes things do happen beyond my control and, therefore, there is no point being stressed and worked up over something I can’t control.”
06 – You Struggle to Say No
“I like to be able to please people and help where I can. I struggle to say no to people when they ask me if I can do something, even if I already have too much to do myself. I see it as a negative if I say no, but I need to accept at times I cannot do everything and should let others help too.”
How will this question be asked?
Recruiters will vary the way that they ask about your flaws, but some common examples include:
- Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses
- Tell me what things you need to improve on
- If I were to ask a previous employer what your weaknesses were, what would they say?
- What would you consider to be your technical strengths and weaknesses?
As well as our HR solutions, Clover HR provides seamless recruitment, helping connect candidates and employers. If you need help with your job search, just click here or contact our friendly team today.
