Tricky interview questions. How to pass a work interview: tricky questions Tricky questions for accepting a job

Some companies like to ask what your ideal job is. In others, why manhole covers are round and not square. Some employers consider standard interview questions useless and improvise, while others carefully think through every next step. We have collected 20 questions that you will probably be asked at an interview.

Different questions have different goals. But most often, employers ask quite expected things related to the candidate’s personality, his professional level, career ambitions, understanding of the work mission, and suitability for the position.

1. “Tell me about yourself.” You will be asked to do this, so be prepared to share the main points of your work history. Use the simple formula “present - past - future”. First, talk about who you are at the moment, what you do, what you can do. Then talk about what brought you to your current position: your combination of skills and experiences. At the end, you talk about your plans and prospects.

2. “Name your strengths.” Here it is important not just to list your best qualities, but also to give an example of how they helped you achieve certain goals and successes in your work.

3. “Name your weaknesses.” Position your weaknesses as points of growth: tell us how you plan to work on your shortcomings, what you have already managed to correct.

4. “Why do you want to work for us?” Here you can demonstrate the degree of preparation for the interview, level of knowledge about the company, and interest in the job. If you are unable to find enough information, do not hesitate to ask questions to the employer.

5. “Why did you leave your previous job?” There is no need to be frank here. If your relationship with management did not go well or you simply became bored, the employer will be wary.

: You would like your job to be more varied, or your ideal boss doesn't bother you outside of work hours.

15 more questions you may be asked: 6. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

During the interview, the recruiter assesses the candidate for the position, analyzes his manners, ability to conduct dialogue, and other communication skills. In order to show his best side during an interview, the applicant must know what and how to answer a list of standard questions from a future employer.

Let's look at examples of job interview questions and answers to them that will not cause a negative reaction from the recruiter. So, first of all, the applicant will be asked to tell About Me, which is a kind of self-presentation for which it is advisable to prepare in advance. You should not drag out your monologue; 6-8 sentences are enough, in which the candidate can talk about:

your education, places of study;
experience in similar and other positions;
personal qualities that will be useful in work (the ability to find a common language with opponents, resistance to stress, creativity, and so on);
interest in the vacancy.

When a recruiter is interested in the applicant's views on life, the applicant should not talk about his religious views, much less show aggression. When answering this question, it is best to talk about the books you like and your hobbies, but at the same time try not to go into too much detail and remain neutral in your assessment of something.

How to characterize strengths and weaknesses in an interview? Most often, you are required to name three positive and three negative character traits during an interview. The applicant must answer such questions based on the position he is applying for.

Approximate features:

If you want to take a leadership position, then it should be noted that you are not afraid to make decisions and bear responsibility for their consequences, that you can find an approach to any person, prove your point of view by competently arguing it.
If an applicant wants to take the position of an executive, then he should note his resistance to stress, punctuality, and ability to work in a team.

For example, if you think about what negative qualities to name at an interview, we will come to the conclusion that you should name those shortcomings that will not cause an open negative attitude, but it is advisable not to be disingenuous. What shortcomings can you name during an interview? At the interview, three negative qualities can be chosen from:

smoking;
meticulousness and some tediousness;
silence or talkativeness;
impulsiveness;
hot temper.

What should you say at an interview about the reason for leaving your previous job? When a recruiter asks about the reasons why you left your previous job, the candidate should not talk about conflicts with the former manager or team and other negative things. It is enough to tell about the desire to improve your financial situation if the salary in the previous position was reduced, and the desire to develop in a new area if the applicant changes his field of activity.

How to answer the question at an interview: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

The best answer would be a story that the applicant plans not to change jobs, but may be applying for a higher position.

That is, the employer will be able to assess the long-term work prospects of a potential employee.

IMPORTANT! Girls should not talk about their intention to start a family - not every employer will be delighted with the prospect of a specialist going on maternity leave.

When a recruiter is interested in the desired salary level, the first thing to note is what is indicated by the employer - if a fixed salary is noted, then you should not apply for a higher one.

If a negotiated salary is indicated, the candidate should soberly assess his value on the labor market, competitiveness and other qualities, and based on this, name the desired level of payments.

IMPORTANT! Recruiters often ask for your recommendations from your previous place of work. You should not be afraid of such a request - as a rule, based on the recommendations, they check the reasons for the employee’s dismissal and find out other points. Therefore, think about what to say at the interview about the reasons for leaving your previous job, so that it is not an outright lie.

Often sounds strange to a candidate interview question about his hobbies. In fact, with this question, managers assess how trainable, sociable, and committed to development the applicant is.

Among the standard interview questions will be the following question: "Why do you want to work with us?". To answer this, the applicant should tell him what he knows about the company and its products, and what he has heard positive feedback from working employees.

The applicant must remember that the employer will give preference to a candidate who is positive and interested in the position.

How to answer an interview question: “Why should we take you?”. When a recruit asks why a particular candidate should be hired for a position, many are confused and don’t know what to answer. In fact, there is nothing complicated here - the applicant can talk about his professional achievements, note that he is able to improve the work of the company and benefit it.

How are interviews scored?

After receiving each response, the recruiter evaluates the applicant’s competence and skills and finds out how suitable he is for the specific position. Thus, the following criteria must be assessed:

whether the schedule, conditions and other nuances of the activity are suitable for the candidate or whether he is trying to rearrange them for himself in advance.
Leadership style (if the applicant is applying for a management position) or level of subordination (if the position is executive).
The candidate's work in a team and individually.
Ability to act in a conflict situation.
The seriousness of the candidate's attitude towards work responsibilities.

As a rule, standard questions are asked at the first stage of the interview. You should answer them in a focused, clear, confident and friendly voice. In order not to get lost or confused when answering, you can rehearse them in advance, at home.

Tricky interview questions and answers to them

Non-standard interview questions are a fairly common assessment technique, and the applicant should prepare in advance for possible trick questions.

The answers to them will also be assessed by the potential employer with the utmost rigor.

A fairly common question is: “What is your ideal job?” It is worth answering it in the context of the position for which the candidate is applying, that is, to describe its most important points related specifically to the implementation of the activity.

The question of which superhero the applicant wants to be unsettles many. However, the candidate must not only name the hero, but also explain what qualities in him particularly appeal to him. A reasonable answer to such a seemingly stupid question will help you appear in a favorable light before the employer.

This is a standard logic question at an interview; it shows not only the candidate’s creativity, but also his ability to think logically and identify the main thing.

If you are asked a question at an interview why are hatches round?, it should be remembered that this is how a candidate’s ability to think logically is tested. A constructive answer may consist of the following points:

the round lid will not fall into the well.
Thanks to its larger diameter than the well, the lid will not fall inside.
The round hatch is easier to move; instead of carrying it by hand, you can roll it.

Also, the employer will most likely ask what the candidate is proud of. This question can be answered simply by talking about your sports, professional or other successes. It would not be amiss to mention active participation in public life, if this is indeed the case.

“How will you integrate into the new team?” - this question often comes from a recruiter. You should answer it like this:

I will meet my colleagues;
I will respect the chain of command;
I will be friendly;
ready to listen to practical advice;
I will try to avoid conflicts.

IMPORTANT! The candidate should pay attention to the dress code in the company and comply with it, which will help to quickly join the team.

Interview assessment

The answers received to non-standard questions help the recruiter to correctly evaluate the candidate for the position and form a general impression about him. As a rule, the evaluation system includes the following criteria:

Why are they asking to sell an item?

If a candidate applies for a position related to the sale of goods, then he will definitely be asked to pass a small test - sell an ordinary item, for example a pen, phone, paperclip or something else. This case will help assess whether the applicant has the specific skills and qualities required for successful work. How a candidate will offer a product is assessed according to several criteria:

how information will be collected and processed;
how the necessary message is conveyed to the opponent;
the ability to ask and ask.

IMPORTANT! Passing a case is one of the most important stages, so it is worth rehearsing several situations before the interview begins.

Let's look at an example: how to sell a pen at an interview. If a job seeker is asked to sell a pen during an interview, he should not focus on its qualities.

On the contrary, it is necessary to focus on the needs of the buyer and find out from him what kind of pens he likes, why, and for what purposes the stationery product is used.

The candidate should remember that a beginner is talking about the properties of the item being sold, and a professional is talking about the profitability of purchasing his particular product.

How to answer questions correctly during a job interview? Regardless of what questions are asked during a job interview, the applicant must remain himself, be confident and friendly. It’s a good idea to review the correct interview answers. Preparing to answer non-standard and typical questions produces results; such a candidate always attracts the attention of employers.

The goal of any HR employee is to find out how suitable you are for the position. To find out all the information, questions are often asked in complex and tricky ways. We’ll look at how to answer them correctly and get your dream job below.

What you need to know to pass an interview

So, the employer has reviewed your resume and is ready to communicate in person at an interview. On average, the period of work in one place is about three years. According to statistics, more than half of workers are ready to change jobs for a number of reasons. Nowadays there is a tendency to be particularly biased towards specialists who stay in one position for many years. If you want to grow and improve, then you should look at new perspectives and develop in a new direction.
There may be a lot of achievements, but who will know about an employee’s professional experience if he himself does not talk about it at an interview?
Finding a suitable vacancy is difficult, but even more difficult is passing an interview and establishing yourself on the positive side. Questions can be tricky and provocative. They often violate the candidate's personal space and put him in an awkward position. However, we must remember that persistent and hardworking employees who can become part of the company and business communication are valued more. That is why asking difficult questions is just a way to find the most suitable employee and offer the job to the best candidate.

Tricky personal questions

Tell us about yourself? This is the most common question asked in almost all interviews. Initially, it seems easy and simple, but at the same time it is the most important and responsible.

It is necessary to identify the main points and talk about them as briefly and comprehensively as possible. Be sure to tell us about:

Professional experience;
Own achievements;
Desire to develop in a new place of work;
Marital status, presence of children;
An interesting hobby and what you do in your free time.

This story can be rehearsed at home and prepared before the interview.

Describe your strengths and weaknesses?

The question is too frank, so answer without deception and absolutely calmly. Don't be too frank, because shortcomings are best described as qualities that need to be improved. And it’s best to keep silent about your negative aspects of character. The interviewer may insist on a more complete list of shortcomings, in which case advise him to contact his former employer and ask him, since it is difficult for you to evaluate yourself. Talk to your former boss in advance, warn them that they may be calling from your new job, and best of all, ask for letters of recommendation.
Who do you usually vote for in elections, do you attend church, how do you feel about immigrants and people of Caucasian nationality?
Here you don’t have to answer, guided by the provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Politics, religion, intimate and interethnic relationships are prohibited topics for interviews. Such questions test your temper, self-control and your sound assessment of the situation. Don't make common interview mistakes.
Tell us about your relatives, what and where did your parents work?
But the question about relatives is quite normal. This question is included in most questionnaires and interview questionnaires. Often the information is checked by the company's security services, which receive and verify all information about the candidate.
Do you have children? Are you planning to give birth to a child in the near future?
Female candidates are usually asked about this, and this is due to the fact that after a couple of months of work, they go on maternity leave, forcing the employer to hold the position and pay monthly amounts. Here they want to hear from you that work and career come first, and then marriage and children. Tell me honestly how long you plan to have children, but it is advisable to indicate the next 3-5 years. If you already have children, this will be a plus, tell them that you leave the child with a nanny or that he regularly goes to kindergarten or school.

Provocative questions of a professional nature

Why did you quit your previous job?
If you want to lose your new job and prove yourself from the worst side, then you can safely start making a negative assessment of your former colleagues, management or the company as a whole. It will describe you well if you add something positive and good about the job you are applying for, for example, about a wide range of opportunities or an adequate assessment of professional abilities. This is why you should say that you are looking for “more appropriate compensation” or “a job with growth prospects.”
What salary are you applying for?
When posting a vacancy, it is customary to indicate payment terms. The question is asked as a test to check attentiveness and identify candidates who make decisions only because of the salary level. If the amount is not indicated, state the figure for which you are honestly willing to work at this place of work. Agree to reduce it only for the duration of the trial period.
What do you know about the company?
Before going to an interview, read about the company, ask what exactly it does, what products, works or services it provides. Connect the facts and knowledge gained with your desire to work there and effectively promote the company to new achievements and achievements.
Why do you want to work with us?
This question is closely related to the previous one. You can once again praise the company you are going to join and say that here you will finally be able to realize your full potential. Here you can talk about exactly how you will be useful to the company.
What pros and cons will the company receive by hiring you?
This is where open struggle with your competitors comes into play. Tell us about your strengths and that such an employee will bring profit to the company and new paying clients and partners. Having understood your positive sides yourself, it will be easier to convince the interviewer of this.

What else might interviewers ask when applying for a job?

Sometimes HR department employees provoke and try to understand your guidelines. So, for example, the question “In which team would you be uncomfortable working?” is possible. The goal is to identify the candidate’s excessive demands and understand whether he can work in an already established team. Answer honestly that you count on the help and support of your colleagues and mutual understanding with your superiors.
There is a check on your willingness to work overtime. Of course, no one needs those who work from 9 and leave exactly at 18. Therefore, you should find out what exactly overtime work consists of. If this does not apply to every day, then you can work longer. The best option would be the rule “I work more, I earn more.” Information about processing can be obtained from the employees of this company.
Specialists often change their jobs and find more promising or higher-paying jobs. Perhaps you have extensive work experience, the main thing is to competently present your skills and abilities to a new employer.

In contact with

Often, during a job interview, questions can be asked that make even the most experienced and intelligent people uncomfortable. Such questions can cause not only confusion, but also irritation for the job seeker.

You can prepare for most interview questions in advance. Such questions relate to the education, work experience, and business qualities of the applicant. But it’s simply impossible to prepare answers to tricky questions in advance. And the most unpleasant thing is that there is simply no time to think about the answer, since you should answer them immediately.

When faced with such questions, the applicant becomes somewhat confused. Moreover, the chance of getting the desired job largely depends on the answers to the tricky questions posed. However, there are still some tips to overcome them:

Always be yourself. You shouldn't pretend to be someone you're not. Nothing worthwhile will come of this, since there will be obvious contradictions between the fictional and real personality. This is especially important when an experienced psychologist is present at the interview. Even if it is possible to overcome this barrier, the applicant is very likely to get a job that is absolutely not suitable for him;
Be restrained and calm. In most cases, tricky questions are aimed at throwing the interlocutor off balance in order to:

test emotional stability;
the ability to control oneself in difficult situations;
reveal resourcefulness and intelligence.

Ability to correctly submit an answer. What is very important for an employer is not so much the content of the answer to a tricky question, but the ability to present it correctly.

Psychological questions during an interview

Very often during an interview, the applicant is asked questions of psychological content. This is done in order to identify the psychological stability of the applicant for the vacant position. There are many options for such questions, but the most popular questions are:

Where do you see yourself in the future? It is no secret that any leader of an organization needs interested and motivated employees. By asking such a question, the manager wants to understand from the answer whether your desires really coincide with the vacancy. Moreover, the answer to a question like this may indicate how important this work is to you and whether you will be passionate about it;
What is your ideal job? This question is asked during an interview in order to understand how well the applicant’s values correspond to the company’s values. When building an answer to such a question, you need to pay attention to those elements that in your opinion are the most important - teamwork, career growth, the possibility of self-realization, etc.

Uncomfortable interview questions

As a rule, questions relating to the personal life of the applicant are considered inconvenient. And this is not a matter of idle curiosity. Such questions have a very specific goal - to create a psychological portrait. The fact is that for an experienced headhunter, information not related to the business qualities and skills of the applicant can tell much more about him than personal data.

It is very important when answering such questions not to be rude, but to try to turn the conversation in a different direction.

Tricky interview questions

Often during an interview, the applicant is asked questions that make him feel awkward and, as a result, ruin the interview. However, many applicants do not know the difference between offensive and insidious questions, and as a result they fail the interview. But in most cases, such questions are completely justified, are not intended to offend anyone, and are of practical importance.

Thus, questions like these should be treated as a test to be solved. The most common question is to tell about yourself. It is this that in most cases drives the interlocutor into a stupor. On the one hand, it seems that all the data is indicated in the questionnaire, and on the other hand, what exactly they want to hear from him. Therefore, there is no need to worry, but it is best to clarify with your interlocutor what exactly he wants to hear from you - about personal or professional.

Provocative interview questions

A very common question is regarding the desire to change jobs. It is clear that an entry in a work book does not always reflect the true reason why a person decided to change jobs. When answering questions like these, you should never speak negatively about your previous boss. If the reason for the dismissal was personal, then you can only mention this, but in conclusion add a phrase that this is not the fault of the management.

This is the most common provocative question. There can be many similar questions, the purpose of which is to provoke a natural situation in order to assess your resistance to stress. Unfortunately, in stressful situations, some people's voice increases or, on the contrary, begins to tremble, and tears well up in their eyes. This indicates that a person has no idea about reality, since in most cases such questions have nothing to do with it.

During a job interview, hiring managers often ask very difficult questions in which they try to extract information from the candidate that the candidate may not want to disclose. Sometimes such questions are asked in order to see the candidate's reaction or how he will behave in a stressful situation. No matter what HR managers are trying to achieve, it is important to be prepared for the most unexpected questions.

In her book 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions, Vicki Oliver advises preparing smart, thoughtful answers to the toughest questions in advance.

Below we present the most common questions that HR managers like to ask during an interview, but the answers given are not universal for every situation. It is important not to try to deceive during an interview, since your lies may come true at some point and the employer is unlikely to like it.

1 question: What is your biggest weakness that is actually a weakness and not a hidden strength?

Answer: I'm very impatient. I expect my employees to shine from the very first assignment. And if they fail, I stop delegating authority to them and start doing everything myself. But to compensate for this weakness, I can prepare employees by explaining to them exactly what is expected of them.

2. Question: Do you want to take my position?

Answer: Maybe in 20 years, but by then you will be running a company and you will need a good, loyal assistant to help you run the company.

3. Question: If you knew the company wasn't doing well, why didn't you leave earlier?

Answer: I worked very hard to keep my job while other employees were being laid off, so I didn't have time to look for another job. With all the mergers and acquisitions that take place in our industry, layoffs are a common occurrence. Well, at least I did my best.

4. Question: Imagine that you have been working in our company for five years and you still have not been promoted. Many of our employees never get promoted. Does this upset you?

Answer: I consider myself ambitious, but I'm also quite practical. As long as I learn new things and grow as a specialist in my position, I’m happy with everything. Different companies promote employees at different levels and I am sure that if I work for you, it will motivate and stimulate me for the coming years.

5. Question: If you were running a company that produces a certain product, and suddenly the market plummets. What would you do?

Answer: I would explore new markets for the product, while incentivizing engineers to change the product so that it would be more popular with its original audience.

6. Question: From your resume it appears that you were fired twice. How did you react to these layoffs?

Answer: After I recovered from the shock, I felt stronger both times. I did get laid off twice, but I bounced back both times and got jobs that gave me more responsibility, paid me more money, and ended up working for more successful companies.

7. Question: Are you saying that now that you are over 40, you are ready to take an entry-level position just to work in our company?

Answer: Sometimes you need to take a step back to accelerate your career growth. Working in an entry-level position will allow me to learn about your company and its work from the very beginning and in all its aspects. The job I've had before is so different from what your company offers that I'm glad to have the opportunity to start from the beginning in the field in which you work. The pay cut is worth it.

8. Question: Can you describe your dream job?

Answer: This is my dream job, which is why I applied for this position. I am very glad that I have the opportunity to work in your company and help grow your business.

9. Question: If you were looking for a candidate for this position, what qualities would you look for?

Answer: I would look for the following qualities:

Ability to solve problems.
Ability to build good working relationships.
Ability to make deals.

A candidate who possesses these qualities can become an ideal assistant director. Let me tell you a little about my experience...

10. Question: Imagine that you are working with a person who takes credit for all your ideas. How would you behave in this situation?

Answer: Firstly, I would note and praise this person in front of everyone for those ideas that really belong to him. Sometimes it is important to be generous with praise, and this is enough for a person to reciprocate.

If this did not solve the problem, then I would try to create a work environment in which each of us would present our ideas to management separately. If this did not help, then I would openly discuss the situation with this person.

However, if the person using my ideas is my boss, then I would approach the situation more carefully. To some extent, I believe that my job is to help my superiors. But if I get a salary increase or a promotion up the career ladder for my ideas, then I will be simply happy.

11. Question: Tell us about a time when you were unable to meet a deadline.

Answer: I would love to do it, but honestly, it's never happened.

12. Question: Have you ever made a mistake that resulted in your company losing money?

Answer: To be honest, I am very glad that I cannot answer this question for you, since nothing like this has ever happened.

13. Question: What is more important - to be lucky or skilled?

Answer: I believe that it is more important to be lucky, although rich experience and good qualifications also help a lot in creating new opportunities. In my previous job, my superiors' faith in me helped and gave me confidence that I could make the right decisions for our company. But, of course, it should be noted that I was at the right time and in the right place.

14. Question: Have you ever been so confident in your decision that people around you called you inflexible or stubborn?

Answer: I'm not at all shy and quiet, so there would probably be a few people I've worked with who would call me inflexible. But I have never encountered this adjective in the description of my personal qualities or in the recommendations that were given to me. I guess in the end I managed to be hard and flexible at the same time.

15. Question: You have an amazing list of achievements. But how well are you a team player? We have several older employees at our company who need help with social media.

Answer: I had experience teaching my colleagues how to work effectively on Twitter. There are some pitfalls, but social media is fairly easy to learn, and social media can be a great tool for promoting your business. Would you like me to tell you a few secrets about working with social networks?