Hiring managers are asking lots of different questions these days. Just as candidates are changing the delivery of their message, companies are adjusting their focus. It’s important to realize, though the relevance may not be obvious to you, there is likely a reason behind the interviewer asking the question.  So long as the question being asked doesn’t touch on information you are legally protected from having to share, it’s best to go with the flow and try to imagine the purpose behind what’s being asked of you. Dismissing or challenging the question runs the risk of you appearing combative. There’s a fine line to walk in interviews. Candidates have the difficult task of showing conviction and confidence without appearing to pick a fight or dismiss what an employer views as important.

As an example, I’ll share a question that was brought to my attention earlier this week. During a discussion group for job seekers a member mentioned she had been asked by two different companies what other opportunities she had applied for lately. The initial reaction was, “what business is that of theirs?” Group members agreed and suggested the next time she faces that question she should challenge the employer to explain what that question had to do with what was needed for the job. I disagree.

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard the question was that the employers were likely looking for consistency on her part. Was she focusing on positions inline with their job/industry or was she all over the place? Job seekers need to keep an open mind and be willing to consider a variety of options, but that doesn’t mean employers have to hire a flight risk so you can pay your bills. Many of the companies asking questions like this do so because they experience high turnover. People seek them out for cash flow jobs and then dump them when the job they really want comes along. Works great for the job seeker, but not so great for the company. It’s expensive to have to keep hiring and training new people. If asking a question like the one mentioned above can give them a better idea of who may be interested in their job for a longer period of time, they are smart to go there.  Keep in mind, hiring managers have to figure out if you can do the job AND if you’ll stay in the job. Focusing exclusively on competency questions isn’t enough. Expecting only competency questions isn’t reasonable.

That’s just one example. If you want my take on other questions that have been asked of you, share them in the comments field. We can analyze them as a group and see what we come up with.

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