Three ‘gotcha’ job interview questions

We’ve all dreaded answering unanticipated job interview questions. When you’re caught off guard or just aren’t prepared, the tendency is to go with the first answer that pops into your head. Your response usually does little to improve your chances of continuing in the hiring process.

Here are three surprise questions and responses that can keep you on safe ground, put you back in control of the interview and improve your odds of landing that job.

‘What are your salary requirements?’

You might encounter a situation in which the hiring manager will ask you for a salary requirement during the initial job interview. Don’t be the first to toss out a number! You don’t want to be eliminated from further consideration based on some arbitrary number that flew out of your mouth. If the hiring manager asks you to provide a salary requirement in your cover letter, provide a 5 percent range with your salary number as the median. For example, if you require a $90,000 salary, then a 5 percent range would be $4,500 or a range of $87,750 on the low end to $92,250 on the high end. If you receive an offer, the general human tendency would be to “split the difference” and the offer might likely come in at $90,000. Don’t write that you’re “flexible” or “negotiable.”

While you should have a firm salary number in mind for your personal or family needs, continue asking questions to get a better idea if your number is within the salary range for the position when salary information is unknown.

Always ask for more than you want so you can settle for what you need. Then you know how far you might safely extend those boundaries.

Example interview: Salary posted in ad and offer is extended

Hiring manager: “So, Jim. We’d like to extend an offer to you for the position.”
Jim: “Can the posted salary of $83,500 for the position be adjusted? I’m very interested in being part of the team but the posted salary doesn’t quite meet my requirements.”
Hiring manager: “What are those requirements?”
Jim (Not wanting to kill the deal by blurting out a number): “Can you tell me what the salary range is for the position?”
Hiring manager: “It’s very competitive.”
Jim: “So the posted number represents a midpoint of the range? Low point?”
Hiring manager: “Pretty close to midpoint, yes.”
Jim: “Given my expertise and proven ability to deliver results, I feel that a salary of $88,500 is more in line with what I can bring to this team.”

Example interview: Salary not posted in ad and offer not extended

Hiring manager: “Jim, I just have one more question. What are your salary requirements?”
Jim: “Before I can give you that, I’d like to know the salary range for the posted position.”
Hiring manager: “It’s very competitive with offers for similar positions.”
Jim: “I’m sure it is, Mr. Hiring Manager, but both of us need to know what that salary range is to move forward. I wouldn’t want to be eliminated because I didn’t provide the lowest salary figure. Instead, I’d like to be considered for the position based on how my professional expertise will contribute to the company’s growth better than any other candidate. If you’re convinced that I’m that candidate, then I invite you to extend an offer to me with a salary range, and I can provide you with a salary expectation.”

Yes, that’s a bold response. But my approach to any career strategy is to always be in control of how you move forward from wherever you are in the hiring process and even after you’re hired.

‘Are you interviewing anywhere else?’

Hiring managers sometimes ask this question to gauge whether other companies are vying for your services. You can be truthful with a “yes” or “no,” but the usual follow-up question can be tricky: “Who specifically are you interviewing with?” If you’re in charge of your career trajectory, you might not want to open the kimono that much. You can say that you’ve been asked to keep those names confidential (as you should).

These two questions could be good signs that the hiring manager is interested in you. However, one possible response to the last question is: “Well, are you prepared to make me an offer now? Because my response to your question depends on that answer.” That might sound a bit assertive, but it puts you more in control of the interview, which is a good spot to be.

I actually had a client who gave that response in a job interview. The hiring manager hesitated for a couple of seconds, smiled and nodded his head (he’s thinking, “Ah! Touché!”), and came back with, “No, we aren’t prepared to make an offer yet.” My client replied (smiling in return): “Then I’m in fact interviewing with one other company and moving forward in that process.”

“And moving forward in that process.” Think about how that statement acts like a pebble in the hiring manager’s shoe. The mere suggestion that this candidate is progressing in another company’s hiring process has the effect (perhaps only momentarily) of giving the hiring decision a degree of immediacy — maybe even expediting it to avoid losing my client to a competitor.

The hiring manager could’ve also responded with, “Yes, I can extend an offer to you today.” My client’s directness (to some degree) might have accelerated that hiring decision and the hiring manager’s fear of losing this highly qualified candidate to a competitor.

Does this approach work every time? There’s no way of knowing. I haven’t seen any metrics for it. But it does put you more in charge of the interview — and your career.

‘What would you say is your worst personal quality?’

In my experience, this is a bush-league question from interviewers who don’t know how to properly vet candidates or simply have a prepared list of questions. (I’ve never asked a candidate this question.)

Think about it: Are you really going to confess your worst quality to a perfect stranger — even if being completely truthful disqualifies you from the job? Will a compulsive liar respond with, “I’m a compulsive liar”? That may be brutally honest, but it’s a failed strategy.

Such responses as “Well, I tend to be an overachiever” or “I tend to push myself too hard until the job’s done,” may sound like clichés (and they are), but a candidate is redirecting the response to address a work-related quality, not a personal one. Smart move.

Here are two other responses that can keep you moving forward:

• “I believe that this question is best asked of anyone on my reference list because they’ll be able to provide an unbiased response.” That’s an honest answer. (Smile while you say it and hand them that fine-tuned reference list. It shows you were prepared for that question.)
• If you have a solid assertiveness streak and can say it with a smile: “With all due respect, my worst personal quality is something I share only with those in my private life.” That too is an honest answer. You can follow this with the preceding bulleted response to help take any potential uneasiness out of that remark. I’ve used this response more than once without any negative effect, often generating a laugh from the hiring manager (or at least a smile). It reinforces your being an assertive, professional candidate who carefully and honestly couches all responses for keeping the shine on your brand (and for controlling the interview).

The point here is to remain in control of the interview with your honest responses that polish the image you’re presenting as a complete professional. We’re talking about the positive use of impression management to minimize anything a hiring manager might consider something that takes you out of the running.

Further practice

Practice might not lead to perfection, but it will prepare you for curveball questions thrown your way. Many other interview scenarios can create anxiety for candidates. Some practice methods you can try before heading into the interview are:

• Think-aloud protocols, where you are asked to verbalize your thought processes as you solve problems (a common practice in the high-tech industry when interviewing programming candidates).
• Role playing, in which you assume a particular role in a situation that’s designed to reveal problem-solving abilities or behavior patterns.
• Simulations, mostly used for highly skilled industrial, medical and military positions where you are placed in simulated environments for assessing requisite problem-solving skills during normal and crisis situations.

Learn how to "Shine like a STAR in behavioral interviews".

Donn LeVie Jr., an author, speaker and former Fortune 500 hiring manager, is a contributing author to Fraud Magazine. He has been a presenter and career strategist at ACFE Global Fraud Conferences since 2010. Contact him at donnleviejr@gmail.com.

Shine like a STAR in behavioral interviews

Hiring managers want to know how you responded to situations in previous positions and see how you articulate your behavior during your interviews with questions like, “Tell us about a project you were involved with when …” or “Describe a situation where you had to … ” No worries here. Just use the STAR technique to develop your response.

• S (Situation): Detail the background and provide context. Where? When?
• T (Task): Describe the challenge and expectations. What had to be done and why?
• A (Action): Elaborate on any specific actions on your part. What did you do and how did you do it? What techniques, tools or processes did you use?
• R (Results): Explain the results, accomplishments and recognition. And quantify wherever possible (revenues generated, costs avoided, percentage of the process improvement, etc.).

There are no right or wrong responses to behavioral interview questions. Because hindsight is 20/20, if the results you report were less than successful, offer a brief post-mortem of possible corrective actions that might have helped the situation.