How To Answer "Why Shouldn't We Hire You?" In A Job Interview

Popular How To Answer "Why Shouldn't We Hire You?" In A Job Interview J.T. O'DonnellApril 01, 2024 Bigstock {"adCodes": [{"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 0, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}, {"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 1, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}, {"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 2, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}], "adsOrder": [2]}

A client in my masterclass this week told me that when she was in an interview, she got asked these two questions: "What do you think would be the reason why we wouldn't hire you?" and "If you eventually got fired from this job, what do you think you would be fired for?"

First of all, those interview questions just stink. But it doesn't surprise me that this level of questioning is coming out right now because hiring managers are feeling the pressure to make sure they hire the perfect person. So they're creating all these questions to try to figure out who's the wrong person to hire.

As crazy as those questions sound, I understand why they're asking job candidates, "Why shouldn't we hire?" They've likely been burned and hired some people who haven't worked out or have been told, "Don't blow it. You better hire the right person." They don't know that asking these questions isn't going to give them that answer.

But if you get asked a question in an interview, you better answer it. Failing to answer questions in an interview will cost you the job. So when you get asked the "Why shouldn't we hire you?" question in a job interview, you must find an answer that isn't too controversial.

How To Answer: "Why Shouldn’t We Hire You?"

"Why shouldn't we hire you?" is kind of a new take on the "What's your greatest weakness?" question. You don't want to do the whole, "Well, my strengths create my weaknesses so if you were to not choose me it's probably because I have too much attention to detail," or "If you were to fire me it's because I said yes to everything and I got overworked." Those answers are not going to fly.

Here's what you need to do instead...

Think about the job and the top five things that are needed to do the job well. Hopefully, you've done your homework prior to the interview. You know what the job description says. You know what the five most important tasks are that you're going to need to do on this job.

Then, take a moment to rank yourself in terms of your ability to do these tasks. They can't all be equal. Say, "I'm strongest at this. Second strongest at this. Third strongest at this. Fourth strongest at this. Fifth strongest at this."

While you're capable of doing the job and doing it well, if you were to rank yourself, the fifth task is your least strongest. By phrasing your response this way, you'll have a fact-based answer to the "Why shouldn't we hire you?" question.

Here's an example of how to answer this question:

"Well, if you weren't to hire me, here's the way I look at it. Based on the job description, these are the five most important things you need me to do in this job—and do well. I'm never going to tell you that I am perfect at all of them and will exceed your expectations. I'm always looking to improve myself. So if I had to rank myself, I would say I'm best at this, second best at this, third best at this, fourth best at this, and fifth best at this. If you're not going to choose me, it might be because you want me to be the strongest at this fifth thing. I can do this, but maybe that's the reason you might not choose me for the job. And if I were to get fired, maybe it's because when I start the job you quickly realize that there's another skill set that's way more important than the five that I just described and therefore you feel I'm not a fit anymore."

That's a very logical answer to the "Why shouldn't we hire you?" question, and it's a way to avoid going down the path of TMI. I see many job seekers being too brutally honest, which is probably what the hiring manager wants, but you don't need to do that. You can give a more objective answer based on the facts if you do a little homework.

Be prepared for this question in a job interview. These behavioral interview questions, these open-ended questions where they want you to tell a story or give more than a one-word answer, are designed to evaluate your personality, your aptitude, and your experience because they're trying to understand if you will actually be a good fit for this job.

You need to brand yourself in these job interviews, but you have to brand correctly. No TMI. You need to get it right. I hope the framework above helps when you get asked "Why shouldn't we hire?" in a job interview.

Good luck, and go get 'em!

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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.

In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.

For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.

Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach Bigstock

Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:

• How did I learn about this job?
• How did I apply for the job?
• Did I earn an interview?
• What was the ultimate result?

A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:

Negative Trends

You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.

The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.

One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.

The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.

This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.

Positive Trends

You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.

The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.

The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.

Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.

The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.

Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention Bigstock

Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.

Let's start with resumes!

Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.

The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.

Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.

While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.

As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.

If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.

Build Your Personal Brand

Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.

Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"

Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.

By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.

You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.

Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search Bigstock

Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.

There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:

• Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
• Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
• Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!

Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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