"What is your greatest weakness?"

One of the most dreaded job interivew questions. Here's what you said:

Your biggest weakness is when you are not aware of your shortcomings or negative points.--Pankaj

I eat too much....Seriously, that’s the answer I have used in a number of interviews (112kg) its quite obvious that I do!—Paul

The expectation that the people surrounding me will have the same drive and desire for the company to achieve excellence.—Robert

I had answered this on one interview and was subsequently hired. I answered that sometimes I loose focus and get too carried away with the problem. And I appended that in such situations, I usually get out of the office, take a stroll in fresh air and address the problem again with a fresh perspective. I think no one is perfect and everyone has some weakness. To admit your weakness also shows one's honest evaluation as well--Bhawar

You answer that question with 100% HONESTY then close that answer by explaining ways you will better your weakness.—John

I was thrown a curve ball in my last interview. The question was phrased, "What would your mother say is your biggest weakness?" This twist to your question tries to force the person answering the question to take a different perspective and "hopefully" reveal more about their personality. By and large I have not been impressed by hiring managers who have hiring authority. Once you are past the basic requirements of the job, it becomes more a question on how well you would "fit" into the organization's culture. People tend to hire others that they feel can do the job and will "get along" with others in the group or team.--Rod

My weakness? I can resist anything but temptation! Seriously, I have gotten that question on interviews recently. As a sales professional, I have answered in the past that I am stubborn. When it comes to taking no for an answer during a sales call..--Randall

what I usually say-- and it's the truth-- that I'm not good at keeping expense reports. That in the past if I had been reimbursed for all the mileage I'd put in on a job, I could have bought a new car. But then I add that I've come up with a system to deal with this weakness, and that's carrying a clipboard in my car with a form I made, and writing down ALL my mileage and expenses every day,whether they are business related or not, and I put a check in the correct box-- business-related or personal. I still don't like doing this, but it does keep me on track.
--Carol

Two strategies for dealing with this: first, mention something that is both a strength and a weakness, like always wanting more info, and explain how you prevent the disadvantage of never finishing the assignment or reaching a conclusion. Second, describe a weakness you had earlier in your career, and give a short description of how you overcame that weakness.--Mary

I used to always say "thinking that I don't have any" and leave it at that. I never got once asked to elaborate on this answer I don't know why. Still it worked each time I was going for a job which wasn't that often. Good thought provoking question!!! --Ian

I don't want people to tell me their weaknesses. I hire people to do a job and I expect them in an interview to explain to me what strengths: skills, behaviours, experience, track record they will implement to do that job. To get the best out of someone, I expect him/her to be willing to provide the best and anyone who starts explaining weaknesses (which are always relative, fluctuate and merely the result of subjective perceptions) is not focusing on what the job requires. I've rarely heard a professional football player or basketball player go into a key match admitting his/her weaknesses. However, I've often heard them explain how they play to their strengths. So from a HR point of view and even if I know that many of my colleagues in HR may not agree with me, I expect candidates to convince me of their strengths and I don't expect them to plunge on their sword by revealing their imperfections.—Joseph

Joseph, I can't even imagine someone in an interview launching into an unprompted discussion on their weaknesses. If they did, I'm sure it would be a very short interview. As an interviewer, I always ask this question, with no care for knowing what the weakness is but to get a better understanding of the person. As you mentioned, I would hire them based on their skills and strengths but you can't hire based just on that. You need to know the person will fit the culture of the organization. I don't interview people that don't have the skills I need, they get weeded out early. I will ask 2 - 3 questions in an interview to get confirmation of their skills to make sure the resume is truthful, but the remaining questions are all about getting to know the person, how they think, how they behave under pressue (which this question illicts). Many hires go badly because companies don't consider organizational fit in the hiring process.—Gregg

Jan, this is a question which is asked often of a sales candidate. Thus, all individuals entering an interview should be prepared in advance to answer it. One answer which is particularly good for a sales candidate, it to state that your biggest weakness is "impatience". Then elaborate on that statement by saying that you strive to be the #1 rep in your region, and that your impatience in becoming #1 causes you to make that "extra sales call" each day, or lie awake at night thinking about how to "close that tough customer". Thus, you are turning a "weakness", impatience, into a quality which is a benefit to a sales representative.—Ian

I have difficulty when people are not as enthusiastic about the job as I am. - Completing my paperwork in an enthusiastic way. However I make sure I am prompt with it's delivery.—Adam

Wow, what a broad spectrum of answers. From my perspective the truth is the only way to go. We all have weaknesses so to play the turnaround game of saying "my weakness is my strength in ...." would immediately raise a red flag for me as an interviewer. Basically tells me this guy'gal thinks they're perfect or has something to hide. I know my weaknesses and have enough self esteem to admit them. As a business leader I also know to hire people around me that complement my weaknesses. As an example I am truly a believer in people. One of my weaknesses is sometimes allowing people too much rope before making the decision to remove them. I go for remedial training, performance improvement plans, etc because my belief system tells me people want to do a good job. Based on this I know I need a strong HR person around me to tell, not suggest, that I have been more than fair and have to act. It is a weakness and I know it but I also recognize it and know how to address it. When I am being interviewed and have answered this question with the above weakness, I have yet to receive anything but positive responses. I believe that is the case NOT because of the specific weakness, but because I was honest. For all you leaders out there, remember one of the basic facts is that "management" is liars. The more ammunition we provide to prove to support that stereotype will make developing trust just that more difficult.—Gregg

A willingness to speak to anyone at anytime which costs exactly that .....time!—Allan

Hi, Jan--this is a question a lot of employers are asking today. I think many candidates tend to answer the question with something that may be perceived as a positive, such as "I work too hard." Employers are wary of these type of answers as it may appear the candidate is "hiding something."My advice is to be truthful. Focus on recent feedback you've been given by a boss, coworker, etc. AND the specific actions you took to address the weakness.For example: "In my last job, my manager told me that he was surprised at the invoices that came across his desk in terms of high expenses he did not anticipate. So, I set up a system to submit purchase orders to him, first. He would sign off on the purchase order and, when the invoice arrived, I would attach the PO to the invoice for his review. In my last performance review, he noted this process was keeping him much more informed.So, be honest about the weakness (if they hire you, they're gonna find out anyway!) and focus on what you're doing to improve.—Steve B.

I think this question is a very interesting one to answer. I agree, it can sometimes be good to answer it with a strength. However, it is also important to follow the flow of the interview. They ask you skills questions, they ask you leadership questions, and they will ask you "are you the right fit" questions. If it is during the skills questioning time, you want to focus on the job description and how you can use it to benefit them. If it is during the leadership questioning time, you want to show your weakness as something you acknowledge and are working to improve. As a leader, personal weaknesses are OK as long as you are aware of them and can manage them. If it is in the "are you the right fit" time, you want to determine if it will impact the chemistry of the office. They are probably looking to you to help improve the cohesiveness as well as meet operational goals. Any weakness should be minor and not impactful to the team. Hope you find this helpful.—Alex

I used to always say “thinking that I don’t have any” and leave it at that. I never got once asked to elaborate on this answer and I don’t know why. Still it worked each time I was going for a job which wasn’t that often. Good thought provoking question!--Ian

Where is the weakness? As far as I am concerned what you have said is a strength - not a weakness, or maybe that's the point?—Andrea

The best response I ever received was, "I would probably say that my weaknesses are also many of my strengths." (sound confusing?) The candidate went on to say, "While I'm very proficient in my understanding of this industry (telecom), it's so perpetual that there's always more to learn and ways to further develop my skills."—Susan

Jan, I haven't interviewed in awhile, but I did get that question several years ago. I said that I tend to be too competitive and work too hard to reach my goals or finish projects, (which is true by the way.) I also had a challenge dealing with incompetence and people who only give mediocre effort to their job. I don't know if that resonated but I did get the job I was interviewing for.—Neil

I wouldn't tell someone that I had no weaknesses, that could easily come across as being arrogant which is a terrible weakness in itself. Whenever I'm asked that question, I always answer that I am at heart a perfectionist (which is 100% true.) If they don't see being a perfectionist as a weakness (which sometimes happens, particularly if they are perfectionists themselves) I explain to them that the problem with perfectionists is that they would willingly spend additional time and money trying to get something that would be quite acceptable to be 'just right,' or to improve on something that currently works just fine as it. I then reassure them that because I know I am a perfectionist, I am constantly on my guard to make sure that when I am working on something that I understand what is 'good enough' is and don't needlessly waste additional time trying to make a 'good' job a little bit better. Most business people I deal with appreciate this approach, particularly because I usually charge them by the hour. It might not be an answer that works for everyone or in every situation.—David

All interview questions are asked in the context of "you" in relation to the organisation that is interviewing you. The answer should be dynamic as opposed to static. The answer should point to some aspect of the organisation that is unknown to you at this point, primarily because it can only be known by an "insider" and at this stage in the process. you are an "outsider" wanting to become an "insider".—Sam

Hi, I would turn whatever weakness I had in the past into a positive by both demonstrating that I recognised it and what I had done about it. Thus 'your biggest weakness' becomes a strength. Just my response - anyone else?—Adrian

I would say honestly as well. It will take away the need to hide or disguise your weakness.--Dennis

Interesting feedback. Personally I think this is one of the most arrogant questions asked during interviews because the interviewer never returns some constructive feedback to the answer you give. They never ever say: ok, well we can handle that or that's no problem we have solutions for that. They just leave you with the feedback you have given. Lately I stopped answering to these kind of questions ( like the your 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses). I return the question to the interviewer that if she/he provides me the same answers on his personality and/or the company they work for then I will respond. Amazing the reactions I get.—Jarek

Evrybody has weaknesses. Positioning a strength as your weakness will be recognized as BS and negatively impact your credibility. I believe the key is:1) You are sufficiently self-aware that you know your weakness,2) You have developed interpersonal and management styles to overcome it.--Brant

As somebody else said - truthfully. This means knowing yourself, and if THAT means having to do some serious introspection as part of your job search, so be it. Most employers accept that people have weaknesses. Professing yourself to NOT having a weakness is, in itself, a weakness. It smacks of conceit and arrogance. A well considered expose of a genuine weakness and, more importantly, what you have done/are doing/would do about counteracting it is an excellent interview stratagem. Such a response shows that you are objective, honest and the right balance of confident/aware. If all else fails, do what I do and ask your significant other to tell you what your biggest weakness is. My wife is forever telling me what mine is!!! :-):-)—Steve

Obviously you just can't say you don't have any. You can mention one or two (favoring towards the 'minor' weaknesses) but followed with how you've eliminated or strengthened the weakness, e.g., "On job xxxx I found I wasn't as organized as I needed to be. I've now created folders for all my accounts and do not let documents accumulate more than two days."—Steve

think the best way is answer this question is to state a weakness that is irrelevant to your job requirement. It also depends on how you "phrase" your answer. Another way to get by is to add a little humor to your answer. It always help. :-)—Alvin

My biggest weakness is that I'm too effective....and therefore the rest of the business has to catch up to me... which usually ends up distorting the optimum corporate "Effectiveness/Lag Time" ratio....—Scott

Heres a better one: What do your parents think of you?—Paul

Truthfully!—Bob

Good answers !! As we're all prepared to talk about strengths, this question is often uncomfortable more if you are not prepared and it takes seconds to start answering. I prefer as Paul to talk about weakness that in reality can be transformed in strengths like :a) Hard to tolerate a job not well doneb) Too much detail at workc) Too loyal at the risk of my own job.d) Process focused.It's a mandatory question after the strengths question that interviewers have to ask even as they know that your answer is not always the truth. Always be prepared to support with examples and references to allow the interviewer to see the big picture.—Samuel

The area I am working on most to improve is ...........—Mike

A counselor gave me the best: "I don't do well when I am given a task with a set of boundaries and then micro-managed. I am a leader - give me the task and the time table, then judge me after it is finished." –-Sam

You have to realize why they are asking the question, and give them an answer that is appropriate. They what to know how you grow and correct negative points in your make-up. I typically say that I have little patience with people that use statistics and data incorrectly. Especially in a meeting where people look to me to ensure nobody is 'gaming' the crowd. I used to call them on it right there on the spot, and came off as 'arrogant'. Now I see it as an opportunity to educate the person on how they went wrong, and allow them to come back to the room and say "after further digging, I have to correct something I said before". They save face, the problem is corrected, and people view me as a coach instead of the data police.—Michael

How about "I'm not able to work 24 hours a day" or, better yet, respond with "Why are you asking that question--we both know that's not likely to develop a trust-based dialog?" You may really want to consider if you want a job working for someone who plays the "gotcha" game...—Michael

Dear Jan--
I answer this by saying my strengths are my weakness ... eg. I am very organised and work in a structured / process oriented environment... if the client place is not all that organised then, will be willing to change their place for the good failing which I will ship out....—Anand

When a candidate I'm interviewing gives some bogus weakness (a strength disguised as a weakness) I become suspicious that either they're hiding something significant or they simply aren't self-aware enough to know their own shortcomings. If they do that, I typically use a few follow up questions/statements to get them to shoot straight. In my view, the world is different than it was when all the interview coaches first starting teaching people how to hide weaknesses. We're now in a world moving rapidly toward openness and transparency. Companies and individuals afraid to face the brutal realities are getting crushed. The best thing a candidate can do when asked that question is to answer truthfully and engage in an honest dialogue around how that weakness can be managed around or fixed in order to achieve stellar performance.--Travis

Consider the role you are interviewing for ! More than likely a Continuous Improvement role. What do we do ! We look for laws, fault, and weakness then develop solutions! Same applied for our own self evaluation ! if you can't apply this to yourself how can you apply to a new business?As some have mentioned ! be overt, but offer up solutions of how you do or intend to manage this, there are mant texts out there especially Carl Jung who can offer up solutions to manage ones own weaknesses, as we are really talking about traits or preferences in how we deal with problems.—Gary

I tend to get disgusted on a project where there is little engagement on the part of the stakeholders who hired me to get this project up and running. So that the negativity doesn't reflect in working with team members I use a high feedback, highly participatory process in the requirements gathering and make involvement very visible.—Jeffrey

Turns your weaknesses into positives, ie "I'm a workaholic," "I always look at details", "I review things carefully before I submit/propose ideas." Let the weaknesses become positives. Don't reveal weaknesses that you would not want to hear.—Mark

Complementing Marks's answer, Analyze the environment, the company, the position & responsibilities and you have your answer. Any weakness can (and should be) transformed into a positive one and that's something Mark is transmitting. You'll never hire a person who has weakness that deteriorate the labor climate or can't stand to the level of requirements for such position.—Samuel

Procrastination. But now I am using a prioritized Things To Do reminders that keeps me from procrastinating. I am surely getting better.—Parth

I say Chocolate!! I think the question is asked to know what you are going to overcome your
weakness.—Shawn

I have none. Steel will and power :-) Answering this one is a lose-lose situation. This type of questions should not be allowed. On my weaknesses I take the fifth :-)—Jean Pierre

I spend too much time surfing the web at work.—Cindy

"I have a hard time putting up with mediocrity and stupidity"—Dave W.

Just answer the question, everybody has a weakness and knowing what it is demonstrates honesty. Being big enough to admit a weakness has got to be a strength.—Christopher

My greatest weakness is related to one of my greatest strengths. Sometimes I have to ask for a little additional time to complete a project so that nothing I turn in is less than what my customer or management team expects of me.--Tom

Jan--One of the tougher interview questions and a risky one to answer here in a semi-public forum, but here goes! Obviously the old saw was to say "My friends tell me I work too hard." That answer has become cliché, it would seem. Newer advice says to cop to something, but how does one ever know if that one little shred of info will be used to eliminate you as a candidate? I think it's important to look objectively at your skills, pick an area of potential growth (c'mon, we ALL have them!), and develop a response that has a positive theme to it. Sometimes, I have said in response to that question: "I don't enjoy the feeling of knowing a team mate or direct report is failing. When dealing with a performance issue, I usually err on the side of extra coaching and performance improvement versus giving up on them. That said, all the coaching in the world won't help if someone is no longer a good fit for their position. I always know when it's time to move a non-performer off the bus, and I count on my leadership team for their support." Now that I stuck my neck out, I accept all criticism and feedback!—Ed

Following the normal 2-step interview pattern of Problem then Solution, I usually say this. Keep in mind I am from the Project Management world. Often I get too wrapped up in the details of the project, often striving for perfection (do it yourself syndrome) and at times, end up taking on too much work. The remedy and workable solution I have experienced is to weave personal tasks and checkpoints into my project plan and resource control documents to ensure I only give myself the allotted time to complete my tasks. I publish this set of documents to peer PM's, team members and stakeholder to ensure visibility is given, as well as to ensure someone else is in review, aka another form of risk management (cya). This will usually lead to inquiries on examples of the tasks in the project plan and resource mgmt sheets allowing me to showcase my work at the same time. Up to now, I have not had any show stopper interview issues using this comment and often ask the same question back to the interviewer and the company I am applying to.—Greg D.

Being a perfectionist ...—Nishant

All of the responses have been good. I'll them to my repertoire. The one I haved used sucessfully is: "I believe I should always be improving upon myself, good or bad. I learn from my mistakes and weaknesses and take the corrective action to fix the situation."—John W.

This is a tricky question because many individuals do not know what their weaknesses are. Those who do fear that by telling an interviewer their weakness they will disqualify themselves from the position. My recommendation would be to choose a weakness that you have taken an active role to overcome. An example of this would be public speaking (most people fear this more then death). If you explain that in order to improve your public speaking you have taken several speech classes this will make you attractive in the eyes of your interviewer because they see that: a) you know and are conferrable with your weakness b) you are taking part in improving your skills. Hope this info helps!—Doron

I ask all candidates a variation of this question during my screens and then coach them on this question before their interview with a client. The best candidates can articulate their weakness and then follow-up with what they are doing to improve upon it. I will typically ask that question during the screen as well. I will also work down a list of attributes for the position and ask which ones they fell strongest in and where they would like to improve. Occasionally I will get the "I'm not sure what I need improvement on" or "I'm not weak in any of those". I then try to bite my tongue and not say something about forgetting to add "humility" to the list.—Mark

Jan--I believe this question is quite hackneyed and can be treated with a little contempt, by using it as a platform to lead the interview. So, reply with an answer that extols a virtue rather than a weakness. An example might be; A. Feedback from my team has shown that I set a very high standard, one which they can sometimes feel daunted by. As a leader I have to be sensitive not to let this demotivate them. (a nod in the direction of potential weakness) I have been careful to use the high standard setting as a good opportunity for me to teach my team to stretch themselves and not be afraid of failure. The bonding achieved by collective responsibility has encouraged my team to try things they previously didn't think they were capable of. Overall I hope that I have used my weakness for setting demanding standards to the teams advantage. (This last line is quite punchy and should be used advisedly.)—Johnny

OMG the "greatest weakness" question will never go away will it? So much as been written on how to answer this one question and we keep trying to come up with something more creative than before. After countless interviews and countless times hearing this question I'm done with turning this question inside out. Nope, time for some serious answers to this question boys and girls and not necessarily in this order: a) I don't have weaknesses. I have developmental OPPORTUNITIES. b) Carbohydrates c) Kryptonite d) Cupcakes e) The color pink (it's a LONG story) f) Animals in distress And YES, I have successfully used a,b, c, d&f during interviews and gotten jobs with those answers. It's an absolute hoot to take the interviewer off base. Usually they repeat the question thinking that you didn't hear them correctly as they are looking for one of those pre-programmed answers. Just keep repeating the same answer until they understand that you are serious. I got hit with this question during a lunch on a recent interview. It was a long morning, I was hungry, I dove first for the croutons on my salad and then WHAM, the what's your greatest question arrived. Well "carbohydrates" was my response and with that the question was repeated. My answer is carbohydrates because as you noticed I went straight for the croutons....—Glenn

I usually try to be thoughtful, mindful and positive about this question, depending on the position. I believe one of my weaknesses is difficulty letting go. Taking ownership of any duty, task, responsibility and/or project is very important to me and when it is time to begin delegating or letting go, it is very much like a parent cutting the apron strings. I have learned through watching how my initiatives have taken hold and evolved over time that there is creativity in others for the process, and keeping that in mind gives me courage to willingly "cut the strings" with less regret and move forward.—Diane

Tell you what folks. No names no pack drill, but a few of you have revealed some weaknesses to me with your answers! Hey! Vive la difference!—Steve

Steve--So what I like my grub! LOL I am not sure how many that have answered have had to do a series of interviews but be sure of this, if it was me that was interviewing I would be so bored useless of the "smoke up my ass" replies. Very few of them are inspiring or different or will mark you out frorm the crowd. A weakness is something you know about yourself that you know you need to fix. It is not and never has been a strength. A weakness could be that you you have a drug problem. Someone want to explain the strengh in that?? Going to AD/AA/Rehab doesnt count. When you fix it (ie its in your past) its no longer a weakness!--Paul

This is what I call a Dilbert question & I have never been able to take it seriously. If asked, I hoot with laughter and ask "Weaknesses? What weaknesses?? Well, I haven't been published in the Harvard Business Review or featured in Time magazine (yet), so I suppose that is a weakness. Jeez, I hope your next question isn't going to be: where do you see yourself in 3 years time?" This response usually causes the interviewer to squirm uncomfortably and it is terrific fun for the interviewee...go on, lighten up and give it a go... never fails.--Dee