Bad Interview Questions

In her article in the January/February 2014 issue of Exchange, "Questions that Get You Great Teachers," Jennifer Carsen points out that the following sorts of questions don’t tend to elicit a lot of helpful information in job interviews:

• If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?  Whatever the applicant answers, it’s probably not going to tell you anything useful.
• What’s your favorite animal, and why?  If you’re hoping for the applicant to reveal something about a desired characteristic (“I like mules because they’re very tenacious!”), it’s much better to ask about that characteristic directly.
• What are your weaknesses?  Applicants have been conditioned to spin a negative into a positive here (“I’m a relentless perfectionist!”), so you’re not going to get a truthful answer.  No job applicant is going to volunteer info about his spending problem, or her procrastination.
• How do you feel about workplace gossip?  Again, even if she is an enthusiastic participant in workplace gossip, the applicant is not going to level with you on this one.  Additionally, this type of question can make applicants worry that your workplace has a gossip problem — which will drive away the strongest candidates.
• Tell me about yourself.  This is too broad, and too vague to elicit the type of information you’re seeking in an interview situation.  Additionally, it opens the door wide for disclosures about the applicant that you’re better off not knowing from a legal standpoint. 

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