Have you ever been in a situation where during the interview, you were asked about something that you are not exactly sure how to respond to? But what causes interviewers to ask these questions that could potentially put your interview in jeopardy? Here are 10 things you never want to hear during the interview from the hiring manager.
1.“We will let you know again”
There is a chance that this could mean that you will never hear from them again. If a company intends on following up with you and contacts you, they will state the specifics of the timeline. “We will let you know again” is the lazy approach of hiring manager’s of concluding the interview without letting you down. Always ask the hiring manager to clarify the exact or estimated follow up. “When can I expect to hear from you” is a reasonable question to ask.
2.“Your superior can be hard to work with”
Sometimes hiring managers might slip in details to turn off your interest in the job. Ask yourself if this job is really important for you. Enough to put yourself through a hard working life for the next several years. It’s best to ask more questions to find out more information before you make your final decision.
3.“You got my name wrong…”
If you mistaken your hiring manager name, that might just be the final straw you won’t get employed. It may sound too extreme, but it does show how important it is for you to familiarise all the details of the interview before you enter the room. Always prepare yourself days before leading up to the interview from the materials you need to bring to the details about the interviewer.
4.“Are you certain that this is the right job for you?”
This is the hiring manager’s approach towards saying “You’re not the person we are looking for this position based on what we have seen in the interview.” The best approach to respond is to be truthful, bring out examples from your past working experience to show that this job is the right opportunity.
5.“We are a startup company and we are still figuring things out as we go.”
Part of working in a startup company especially in the beginning stage certainly has its positive side, but do you really want to work for a company that is just flying where the wind blows? It may sound ominous, so prepare to ask questions about the areas that may concern you especially when it comes to work hours, employee benefits, compensation, etc.
6.“This position has a high turnover rate”
This should be a red flag for you. Why is the turnover so high? It is implying that the nature of the job you are interviewing for has bigger issues that you should be concerned about. Don’t be afraid to ask the reason behind the high turnover, if you don’t like what you hear, it’s best to move on and keep searching for a job.
7.“I found a few spelling errors in your resume and cover letter…”
If you land yourself a job interview with spelling mistakes in your cover letter and resume, you should consider yourself very lucky. All these simple mistakes should not get you past the screening stage. Always check through your documents right before you submit a job application.
8.“Here is a piece of advice…”
Not a good start for a job interview, if this question has been raised towards you. It could be something you have said or done that has drawn a concern to you in the eyes of the interviewer, and now the best thing you can do is respond appropriately. Accept the advice graciously and with a smile instead of taking it with a bad reaction.
9.“We only hire the most competent people for the job…”
This may surprise you, but it does require more context because this statement may be hinting that the company is not looking to promote employees within the company and looking to hire the best people that fit the role. You may want to consider asking questions in regards to the policy on promoting employees.
10. “I was looking at your social media profile and I noticed that..”
How this question ends is the key to how you should properly respond to this statement. If the interviewer talks about matters that could potentially affect the company, you may need to consider putting some work into interview-proofing your social media to avoid any sensitive matters. Be sure to remove any controversial matters especially if it doesn’t align with the company values.
What other things that got your concern during the job interview? Leave us your thoughts on the comment sections below. Head over to Jobstore.com and unveil your next job opportunity.
You Jing is a content writer who writes career and lifestyle contents to inspire job seekers and employers alike on their journey to work-life balance, empowerment and transformation in their career path.
Reach me at youjing@jobstore.com