Construction and Built Environment employers share the real meaning behind 10 job interview questions that hardhat professionals find annoying.
1.“What is your greatest weakness?”
We do not ask this question to actually assess your actual weakness, but what you did to OVERCOME a weakness.. To respond to this question, it's best to follow this formula:
- State your weakness
- What you've done to overcome your weakness
- The results of your effort
2. ‘What don’t you like about your current job?’
We have many varying rationales for asking what you liked least about your current job. Some reasons why we might want an answer to this question include:
- Seeing your viewpoint about your current workplace
- Reasoning for why you want to leave the company
- Reviewing your professionalism in workplace scenarios
How should you answer this question?
- Discuss a positive aspect of your previous role - A positive tone shows that you're ready to approach this answer and give a realistic viewpoint of your experience.
- Talk about tasks and situations when highlighting your dislikes - This way, you're shifting the focus away from people in your current company
- State and reiterate your feelings about your current job situation, -, so the we know the exact change you're looking for in your next position.
- Discuss your qualifications for the job - Outline the skills and other qualifications that make you the right fit for your company's culture, along with the position itself.
- Describe new opportunities that you can get with this role - Study the job description for the position to find out where you want to improve and how your improvement in a certain area can affect the performance of your new team.
3.'Why should we hire you over other applicants?'
We ask this question to learn a few different things about you. First, we want to know what differentiates you from other candidates we might be interviewing. In other words, what would we gain by hiring you specifically over other interviewees?
Although this question may seem vague and intimidating to answer, it can be quite simple by preparing a confident response ahead of time.
- Study the job description - To understand the specific skills, qualities and experience we are looking for in an ideal candidate.
- Research the company - Spending time researching the company’s mission, goals and recent announcements can help you to answer this question.
- Tie your background to the job posting - Explain how your experience, skills and attributes make you the best fit for the job as it pertains to the company and position for which you’re applying.
- Quantify your accomplishments - When possible, support your accomplishments with numerical results
- Go above and beyond - Think of any relevant qualities or experiences that set you apart from other candidates.
4. 'You are stranded on a desert island and can only take three items with you. What would they be?'
Although you might be thinking ‘an unlimited supply of booze and biltong’, refrain from giving that answer. When we ask this question we want to see that you are smart, have good judgment and can contribute to ideas.
While there's no right answer, you'll want to showcase an ability to prioritize and think logically through tough situations.
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5. 'How honest are you?'
This question is really about your integrity .In the workplace, integrity relates to consistency of your character, and knowing how to answer questions about integrity can positively influence the impression you make on us in the time you have. Showing your commitment to honesty, responsibility and loyalty could make you a more hirable candidate for many jobs.
This is your chance to share a personal story that proves your dedication to integrity. Use this question as an opportunity to share a past situation that forced you to choose between making an easy decision and making the right decision.
6. Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?
When we ask you about your professional goals for the next five years, we do so to gain an understanding of a few different things. We often want to learn the following:
- If you’ll stick around with the company for at least five years - The longer employees stay in a position, the less turnover and turnover-related expenses the company has to worry about. So, if you can’t see yourself in that position or with that company for at least the next few years, this is valuable information an employer would want to know before hiring you.
- If your goals match what are able to offer - You’ll likely have a few set goals in mind in terms of how you want to grow within the position you’re applying for.
The following are steps you can take to prepare for and answer this interview question:
- Get clear about your career goals. Take some time to brainstorm what your career goals are for the next five years.
- Find connections between your goals and the job description.- This will allow you to relate your goals to the position you’re applying for in the interview.
- Ask yourself if the company can prepare you for your career goals.- If it can’t, you may want to reconsider the position or let the employer know up-front that you may not be with that company for at least five years.
7. What are your salary expectations?".
Are you squirming in your seat? You probably weren’t prepared to discuss money, and you don’t want to give an amount that’s too high and blow your chances of getting the job. On the other hand, you don’t want to sell yourself short either.
When we ask about your salary expectations, it’s usually for one or more of three reasons:
- We have a budget. We want to make sure your compensation expectations align with what we have calculated for the job.
- We want to gauge how well you know your worth. A good candidate knows how much their skill set is worth in the market and can share it with confidence.
- We want to determine whether you’re at the appropriate professional level. An applicant who asks for a significantly higher amount than other candidates may be too senior for the role. Alternatively, answering with a salary expectation on the low end could indicate you’re at a lower experience level than the job requires.
Your answer to this question can be the beginning of the salary negotiation process. As a result, you want to make sure you’re providing a well-researched response.
8. If You Could Be A SuperHero, What SuperPowers Would You Want To Get?
Think about the question. It's important to consider the purpose of the question. We are really asking this question to learn more about your skills, not your favorite superpower.
We are not necessarily asking this question to trick you, but we may be trying to disrupt your thought process and force you to think more creatively. It's important to approach the question as you would any other question. While the question may seem tricky, it's a standard interview question framed in a more creative way. Think about the question as "What is your biggest strength or asset?" to help you develop your answer.
It's also important to take this question seriously. While the question may feel fun compared to other questions, it's important to provide a thoughtful answer. However, you may still use the question to show your personality.
9. What Does Your Previous Boss Has To Say About You?
We ask this question to see if you have the ability to build meaningful professional relationships. If we ask you this question, it means your work personality and potential for camaraderie could factor into our decision-making process.
Try to mention at least one specific trait. If you can give an example of when you displayed this trait or were recognized for it, you will be highlighting additional details about your work history that could impress your potential new employer
10. Are you high?
There is no hidden meaning to this question. If we ask you this question you clearly have a big problem and you need to reflect on it. CAREERTIPS are compiled with the input from both industry employers and Professionals
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