Dare to ask about weaknesses

Imagine a job interview. You are sitting with a candidate who is excellent at presenting herself. 

Time passes. You start to wonder: is she truly this confident, or is she just trying to appear flawless? How self-reflective is she? Is there a gap between her self-perception and how others perceive her? 

How do you find out? 

The current trend in recruitment is to maintain a positive atmosphere at all times. The motto seems to be: think positive, stay positive, talk positive. 

Commonly, a recruiter begins this part of the conversation by focusing on the candidate’s strengths and successes. Then, they might ask something like, “What are your areas of development?” They intentionally avoid "negative" words, such as “weaknesses.” 

While there is nothing wrong with asking about areas of development, it simply isn’t the same thing. 

If you want to know about weaknesses, ask about weaknesses. 

You can remain perfectly respectful and friendly while still asking exactly what you want to know. 

Is there really a difference between the two? Isn't it just the same thing wrapped in nicer words? 

No. 

The difference can be explained like this: 

• A weakness is something you are not naturally good at, or something you find difficult to manage or progress in.
  

• An area of development is something you are currently weak in but have chosen to improve. Or, it’s something you already do reasonably well but want to master. 
  

An area of development can be one of your weaknesses—specifically, a weakness you have decided to work on. 

However, not all weaknesses are areas of development. And they shouldn’t be! You grow faster when you focus on your strengths and choose wisely which few weaknesses actually require your attention. 

So, why talk about weaknesses at all? 

As mentioned, if you want to understand a candidate, you need to know if they are self-reflective. Talking about weaknesses provides a more holistic picture of the individual. The more deeply you want to understand a person, the more facets of their character you must consider.

Returning to our polished candidate: you will discover a completely different facet of her character if she feels comfortable discussing situations where she is not comfortable. This gives her the chance to open up about difficult aspects of her professional life and show true vulnerability.

If you are unsure how to break through the rehearsed answers, try asking something unexpected:

1. The "Acceptance" Question: "That sounds like a great area to develop. But let's be honest: What is a weakness you have no intention of fixing, simply because it isn't 'you'?"
   

2. The "Stress" Question: "We all have edges when we are under pressure. When you are truly stressed, what behavior of yours is most likely to annoy your teammates?"
   

Dare to ask about weaknesses. Dare to find the "edges" in people while maintaining respect for the whole human being.

Edges make people interesting. They form a personality. In a job interview, what matters most is how a candidate chooses to speak about themselves—and whether they show an authentic mindset that fits your environment.