4 Hard Interview Questions And How To Answer Them

If you’ve gone on a job interview, you know just how important that part of the hiring process is. You also likely know just how nerve racking it can possibly be. However, the key to easing your nerves and being able to sell yourself as the best candidate in the running is preparing. This is why you want to ensure you can answer any and all types of questions that may arise, particularly the hard interview questions that are designed to catch you off guard.

The good news is that these questions can ultimately demonstrate how much of an asset you would be to the company you’re applying to. If you’re wondering what tough questions to be on the lookout for, here are four that are likely to come up — and what you should address when answering each:

Why should I hire you?

When an interviewer asks “why should I hire you?,” they’re asking you to sell them on you and your skills. In your response, they will be assessing how confident you come across, as well as whether you’d be a valuable asset to the company.

What to address: your accomplishments

In the event that this is one of the hard interview questions you get asked, you’ll want to come across as confident without being narcissistic. With that being said, don’t be nervous about highlighting your professional achievements! Remember that you are trying to sell and make the case for yourself as the hiring manager’s best option for the role. Just be sure to make it clear that you can be a team player as well.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Like the “why should I hire you?” question, this question is also likely to come up during your interview. When a hiring manager asks you where you see yourself in five years, they want to see how ambitious you are, and whether or not their company factors into your future plans.

What to address: your game plan

The answer to this question should demonstrate your level of ambition to a hiring manager. You should therefore focus on how you plan to grow within the company and help the team accomplish its goals in your response.

Have you ever been involved in a workplace conflict? If so, how was it resolved?

It’s never easy to discuss a time when you ran into an unpleasant situation with a coworker, but it’s important to remember that workplace conflicts aren’t uncommon. If you’re worried that a hiring manager will judge you for it, don’t be. While challenging, your answer here can be what puts you over the top!

What to address: your ability to resolve issues

Should this be one of those hard interview questions that comes up, your best bet is to be as honest about the situation as possible. The hiring manager wants to see how you would handle workplace issues that may arise, so be honest about the conflict, and more importantly, address how you helped resolve it. Your response should show that you possess some signs of high emotional intelligence.

What do you do for fun?

Since this question doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with your qualifications for the role, it has the potential to throw you off your game. It’s an easy question to overthink, because there’s always the lingering feeling that an interviewer will judge you if your interests seem out of the ordinary. However, that’s rarely what the hiring manager has in mind. Usually? They are genuinely curious to know what your interests outside of work are in order to get a feel for your personality.

What to address: your personality

While most of the interview will be spent talking about skills and experiences, it’s critical you convey your personality and personal interests throughout the interview. If this question comes up, don’t overthink it! Just remember that this is a way for a hiring manager to get to know you a little more and maybe even ease some pressure.