Any lawyer can tell you which interview questions to avoid due to liability concerns, but some legally permissible questions still make applicants’ teeth grind when asked. Many of these questions seem like smart things to ask, but rarely give you any added insight into the applicant as a future employee.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the top five worst interview questions to ask an applicant—and what you should ask instead.
1. What’s one thing you disliked about your old job?
Asking this question encourages an applicant to gossip—rarely a beneficial trait in a future employee. The rule “if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all” applies to companies as well as general conversation. By asking this question, you ask applicants to disrespect their previous employers and, if they’re hired, put your own school at risk of being badmouthed when they’re looking for new jobs.
Ask instead: “What is your ideal working environment?”
2. What is your biggest weakness?
It’s good for people to be aware of their weaknesses and to understand their impact on their professional lives. Still, most applicants will worry that this is a “trick” question and will either answer with the “strength disguised as a weakness” solution promoted by some job coaches, or feel around for what they think you want to hear. Mind games do little to tell you about an applicant’s suitability for the role.
Ask instead: “Tell me about a time when you failed to accomplish a goal. How did you handle it?”
3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
What do you mean to accomplish with this question? Most applicants know that you’re looking for someone who will stay in the job for an extended period of time and will answer accordingly, whether or not they intend to do so. For those eschewing “the mind game” this question invites, how can they answer honestly? Anything from family emergencies to a bad economy might cut their tenure at your school short. Until divination becomes more reliable than a weather forecast, avoid this question.
Ask instead: “What are you looking for in your next job?”
4. On a 1-5 scale, how would you rate yourself at X?
Asking this question is a minefield for applicants. On the one hand, they can answer modestly and risk undervaluing their skills. On the other, they can respond with a high number and appear overconfident. Self-evaluation is relatively meaningless in this situation. You, as the interviewer, can’t tell if the applicants are arrogant or humble unless you know their abilities. If you knew that, you wouldn’t be asking the question in the first place!
Ask instead: “How have you used X in your previous work?”
5. Where did you go to school?
This question—and others like it—is bad because it reveals that you didn’t do a good enough job reading the applicant’s materials before the interview. It makes you (and your school by extension) look uncaring to the person who wants to work for you. Even if you couldn’t find the time to read the résumé before meeting him or her, at least look at it for the answer before asking.
Ask instead: “Which classes/courses/conferences/workshops have proven to be the most beneficial in your work? Why?”
What was the worst interview question you’ve ever been asked? Tell us on Twitter with #isminc or in the comment section below!
Learn how to hire the right people, the first time, in our Comprehensive Faculty Development workshop from June 21-24. We believe the question isn't whether schools should evaluate, develop, or reward faculty, but rather how to do so effectively. Using ISM's Comprehensive Faculty Development book as a framework, participants will emerge from the workshop with a self-created blueprint for implementing effective teacher evaluation, development, and merit-based compensation at their schools. (Part of the 2015 Summer Institute workshop series.)
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 13 No. 4 Comprehensive Interviewing: In-Person Interviews
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 13 No. 1 Comprehensive Interviewing: Phone Interviews
Private School News Vol. 12 No. 2 Twenty-Five Off-Limit Interview Questions
Additional ISM resources with Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 33 No. 10 Characteristics of Professional Excellence: Faculty Interviews
I&P Vol. 37 No. 1 Systematically Attracting, Developing, Rewarding, and Retaining Faculty: A Mission-Based Model for 21st Century Schools
