The purpose of a job interview is to provide an opportunity for applicants and potential employers to assess each other. Theoretically, at least. In practice, it is usually the applicant who continues to seek answers after the interview. When was the last time you asked the hiring manager how they would describe their leadership style?
Four questions for everyone
For the company, the main goal is essentially to address the four important fundamental questions based on a personal impression: Does the applicant deliver what they promised in their written application? Will they fit into the team? Are they suitable for the advertised position? Will they stay with us, or are they just passing through on their way up the career ladder or towards their true calling?
But how can one obtain the most genuine answers to these questions? Even with honest applicants, it can be a tricky matter. Who would admit that they don't really care about the potential employer and that the application was born more out of fear of long-term unemployment than a passion for that particular job?
Clichéd question-and-answer game
In many job interviews, the aim is to somehow uncover the truth. For example, through open-ended questions like "Tell us a little bit about yourself" or "Briefly summarize your professional background again," which provide opportunities for a brief self-presentation. It becomes more challenging with ambiguous or tricky questions that are designed to reveal if the candidate is being too casual with the truth, similar to a psychological test.
Unfortunately, a fixed canon of questions has long been established in this discipline. On one hand, these questions are extensively covered in specialized literature for HR professionals, and on the other hand, they are discussed in guidebooks for applicants, which offer various "correct" answers to these exact questions. It's no wonder that many job interviews slip into the realm of clichés. If an applicant encounters an interviewer who expects these specific answers, it doesn't necessarily have to be a negative thing. The common admonition that "HR professionals immediately recognize standard answers and hate them" is only partially true. After all, standard answers demonstrate that the applicant has prepared. Unfortunately, the number of those who settle for standard answers is shrinking. So, how can we avoid clichéd dialogues?
Look beyond the questions
A good example is the popular question "What did you dislike about your previous employer?" It would be foolish to provide a genuine reason here. Despite apparent honesty, stating "My boss was unbearable" or "I couldn't stand my colleagues anymore" won't earn you any brownie points. The interviewer with experience has already heard harmless standard answers like "I would like to further develop myself." The only chance to escape this awkward situation is to recognize the underlying intention behind the question. What is it really about?
In this case, the potential employer wants to find out if you badmouthed your previous employer and if you might do the same to them in the future. In such a case, it is acceptable to show that you have understood the purpose of the question: "Certainly, you would like to know if I speak negatively about my previous employer. I would actually prefer to discuss the advertised position and new challenges." Often, the possible answers are even a bit simpler. Essentially, almost all questions can be reduced to the five fundamental questions mentioned above—and can be answered accordingly.