6 MOST DIFFICULT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS! (How to ANSWER the HARDEST Interview Questions!)

Right at the very start of your interview, the hiring manager will ask you to introduce yourself. It is imperative you get your interview off to a positive start with your answer.

When you introduce yourself, talk about the skills and qualities you have, the strengths you can bring to the position, an example of a significant achievement you have gained in your life so far, and what you will do in the role if they hire you.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

INTRODUCE YOURSELF

“Thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed for this position with your company today. I would describe myself as a loyal, self-disciplined, motivated, and innovative team worker who has the experience to meet the demands of the role.

After graduating from college with good grades, I went on to work in several companies where the need to complete tasks and projects at speed, collaborate with other departments, and build long-term relationships with clients and customers was essential.

I consider myself to be a high-achiever. In my last position, I helped the organization win a lucrative sales contract, and I was praised by my manager for my willingness to carry out duties outside of my job description, and train new team members when they joined the company. If you hire me, I will be a positive role model for the company brand, take responsibility for my ongoing development, and adhere to the organization’s core values in all my work.”

When you answer this question, it is essential you tell the hiring manager you have RESEARCHED their organization. If you haven’t carried out any research, it tells the hiring manager you are solely interested in a pay check, and you may not stay working there for very long. 

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

 WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR US?

“I want to work for your company because I have held an interest in working here for some time. Not only have I used your products and services many times before, which I think are excellent, but the manner in which you support and develop your staff, and strive for excellence, tells me this will be a great place to work.

I am seeking an employer who will help me grow, listen to my ideas and suggestions, and give me challenging tasks and projects to work on where my skills and experience will be put to good use.

You are the only company I want to work for, and if you hire me, I will work hard to ensure you achieve your commercial and financial goals.”

This question is hard to answer because you must give strengths that ensure you ADD VALUE to their organization and make you stand out from the competition. But which strengths should you give? Well, a good starting point is to give strengths that are aligned with the essential qualities listed in the job description. 

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

 WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST STRENGTHS?

“My greatest strengths include my calmness and resilience in challenging situations, my ability to find solutions to difficult problems, and my commercial awareness.

In my last role, a team member went off sick part-way through an important project. I assessed their responsibilities, absorbed some of their work myself, and outsourced the rest. This enabled the team I was a part of to successfully complete the project despite being one person short.

My commercial awareness means I am fully aware I must do a great job for you, help increase sales, and seek ways to increase profits by being frugal with supplies and resources. Other strengths include my interpersonal skills and self-development. I will fit into your team quickly, build mutually-beneficial relationships with co-workers and other departments, and take ownership of my professional development to ensure my skills are always useful to the team.”

This is what’s called a behavioural interview question. You must give a specific situation you have been in where you took responsibility for a difficult problem and solved it with determination and resilience. My advice is to use the STAR technique to structure your answer to this question.

So, the STAR technique stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

• So, you begin your answer and outline the SITUATION you were faced with.
• You then give brief details about the TASK that needed doing.
• You then give in-depth details about the ACTION you took.
• Before finishing off your answer with the RESULTS following your actions.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU HAD TO OVERCOME A CHALLENGING PROBLEM

SITUATION: In my last job, I was asked to arrange a large meeting for my manager at a local conference centre. I organized everything quickly and efficiently. However, two days before the meeting was due to take place, I received a call from the centre informing me they had an issue which meant we could no longer use their venue.

TASK: This was a difficult problem because invitations had gone out to all attendees, and refreshments had been arranged. It was my task to remain calm, take ownership of the situation, and find an alternative venue.

ACTION: I called various conference centres that could potentially hold the meeting, but none were available. I then decided to speak to local hotels and eventually found one large enough with the appropriate facilities and parking that could accommodate our needs. Once I had booked the new venue, I informed my manager and started calling all attendees with the change of venue before following up with an email confirmation. I gave all meeting attendees my personal cell phone number in case they had problems finding the new venue on the day.

RESULT: The meeting went ahead as planned, and my manager thanked me for my resilience and problem-solving capabilities.

This is the question most people fail their interviews on. Be very careful how you answer it! Do not give a weakness that is a match for anything listed on the job description. Instead, give a safe weakness and tell the hiring manager you are trying to improve.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS?

“My biggest weakness is I find it difficult saying ‘no’ to people. If people ask me for help or assistance, I automatically say ‘yes’ without assessing my capacity to help them. In the past, I have ended up with too many responsibilities because of this weakness. However, I am aware of it, and I am trying to be more mindful in these situations and closely assess my workload before committing to additional duties.”

This is a very difficult interview question to answer because most people don’t even know what they will be doing next week, never mind in 5 years’ time! The hiring manager does not want to hear you plan to be working elsewhere in five years’ time, because that means they will have to re-advertise the post and train someone new. 

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?

“In five years from now, I plan to still be working for your company either in this role with more responsibility, or having gained promotion to a higher level. I would have completed numerous training development courses, diversified my skills, and have built an extensive professional network that enables me to complete my work efficiently and competently. In five years, I would be seen as a trusted, reliable, and highly-productive member of the team who could be used to help train new members of staff as and when they join the company.”