Tell me about a weakness. How to ask this question.

The interview question "tell me about a weakness?"

is often poorly answered by people who think they've aced it.

Here's how candidates typically go wrong:


The whole "my weaknesses are actually strengths" concept is the wrong answer (pretty sure Michael Scott used this method)

Sharing a "masked-strength" isn't giving a genuine answer to the question, and misses the point.

No, the "weaknesses" question isn't about weaknesses at all.

It's about Self-Awareness (and maybe a little trust-building)💡

HM's are often looking to see if candidates can reflect, show the capability to be introspective, and be self-critical.

Knowing your flaws and gaps is often the first step to being able to make an improvement...especially for Managers or People Leader candidates.

If you can't admit you have weaknesses or shortcomings, how would you deal with someone else's?

Before you head into your next interview, take a few minutes to consider what areas you could legitimately improve.

-Pick 1-2 "areas" to be ready to talk
-Have a story for how you discovered the issue
-Describe a brief plan for making improvements
-End on any positive progress you've made

Simple. Honest. Self-Aware.

You're not perfect, and you should be aware of that.