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The best question to ask candidates in an interview

2 November 2023

To help cut through the rehearsed responses and understand the person beneath.

Interviews are short and stressful, making it hard to truly understand the person you’re talking to.

But there’s one question Simon Sinek asks in every interview that can help you do just that.

What’s the question?

“I hate surprises. Can you tell me something that might go wrong now so I’m not surprised when it happens?”

Why is this question so powerful?

It’s a better way of asking, “What are your weaknesses?”.

Because no one wants to admit their flaws, so they give you a not so subtle strength:

  • Perfectionist
  • Too detail orientated
  • Too high expectations

But instead of putting them on the defensive.

You’re asking them to help you by discussing potential challenges that you’ll need to deal with in your working relationship.

Try it out next time you hold an interview. You might be surprised by some of the answers.

To watch the full video with Simon Sinek click here.

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