Asking the Nod: The Trick of the Trick Question
Sometimes *how* you answer is more important than *what* you answer.
Photo by Nathanaël Desmeules on Unsplash
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Hi Nod,
I was in an interview and thought everything was going fine but then they posed a question that left me flustered. They asked something open-ended but then they debated my answer about my own experience. It was weird. It caught me off guard and while I mostly recovered, the rest of the interview had a different tone and I didn't get the job. I can't help but go back to that one question as the turning point but I'm not sure what I might have done wrong with my answer. Any ideas?
- Confounding Open-ended Narrative: Faltered, Unsettled, Stumbled, Ended Downbeat
Hi CONFUSED,
Sorry you didn't get that role. The lack of interview feedback is frustrating and leaves you guessing but it's good you you're looking over the experience and trying to improve. Always onwards and upwards but reflect and iterate along the way.
Here are the questions that come up for me when thinking about that interview moment:
- Is there an answer could have gone better?
- What if the question/answer wasn't the point? If it isn't, what was?
In this case it seems like the latter is more important. You say the question was open-ended so there can't really be a "wrong" answer. The person doing the interviewing is human so it's always possible they were having a bad day or that you evoked their sworn enemy or something, both of which might have an effect. Humans are fickle but you didn't allude to anything of the sort.
What if the question being asked isn't the question being answered? It's possible this is a situation where they need an answer but can't ask what they want directly. Here's what I mean. If you're in an interview and I ask you if you're detail-oriented, good at conflict resolution, and able to accept and integrate direct feedback, you're going to say yes. Of course you are. The question being asked implies what the right answer is. It's only logical.
Let's switch perspective. As the interviewer, those questions are now all but worthless. Whether true or not, I'll get the answer I "want" to hear, which doesn't help me evaluate a candidate. Fair enough. That's why companies ask for examples. It's one thing for you to tell me you have a quality but I'll possibly learn more from you telling me a story. On the other hand sometimes a candidate can be really prepared for those questions too, masking the "truth" behind practice and repetition (this is a great position to be in if you're the candidate, but that’s not the point here). It doesn't make those examples useless, it just means that as an interviewer those aren't a perfect tool either (honestly, nothing is).
As an interviewer what can I do now? How can I uncover a characteristic about someone if I can’t ask directly and examples aren’t working? What if I create a scenario that will provide a real-time demonstration of someone's response? Something like debating the answer to an open-ended question. Depending on the work culture that sort of stressful interaction might even be indicative of the actual work environment. If I want to see if you can "roll with the punches," this might be a way to get me the information I need. I care more about HOW you answer than WHAT you answer. You answered the open-ended question, they responded in an unexpected, possibly semi-hostile manner, and you responded naturally. Bingo, now they “know” how you respond in those kinds of stressful situations.
Tricky, huh? It is. It's not even necessarily fair and I'm not trying to argue it is. This makes a stressful situation moreso and being able to navigate that sort of situation isn't necessarily indicative of your ability to do a job. Fair or not, that doesn't mean this scenario is unique or avoidable.
The takeaway here is to realize that interviewing, like many other interactions, has layers to it as each participant has their own motivations and intentions. For you as the candidate you're trying to be on your best behavior, to steer the conversation to share only your best qualities, and to share only the "right" answers to fit yourself into the role as described. The interviewer is trying to break through that facade to find enough about the real you to determine if the next step in the process makes sense for you. It's akin to fencing but the sparring involves silver tongues rather than steel sabres. (Not quite the same but this Pete Holmes bit seems relevant to share.)
My advice is to ask an additional question of yourself before you reply. "Why are they asking me this question?" You don't need to sit silently for minutes on end before you answer, but take a beat (and a breath) or two to think of the interviewer's motivation and incorporate that into your answer and respond like the professional you are. Do that again with their response. If the response is catching you off-guard, take another beat and ask yourself "why" again. Use that answer as you reply.
This isn't a science. You taking the moment to consider your response doesn't mean you're going to give a perfect answer or even that you're reading the situation correctly. The idea is that you take a breath to give a considered response, a thorough one, and maintain poise while doing so. The answer that answers the question they're asking and hopefully the question they actually need answered. If you're leaving the interview knowing you did the best you could, that's all you can ask for (until you review and iterate later on). Do your best to take the trick out of the trick questions.
A lot of people think that interview preparation is simply about memorization. It isn't. Interview preparation is about understanding yourself & your story, being comfortable talking about yourself, your accomplishments, & areas for growth, and understanding how to present yourself best while getting the information you need to make a decision. That's a lot of ground to cover. If you need help with figuring out what to say and/or practice in saying them, please reach out. I'd love to help.