What are the Hardest Interview Questions?

Courtesy of Davis Staffing, Inc

January 24, 2014

As a job seeker, you may be wondering how to deal with the most difficult interview questions. But what are the hardest interview questions and if you encounter one in your next interview, what’s the best way to answer them? Relax – we’ve got you covered!

In this article, we will look at some of the roughest and toughest interview questions out there and give you expert pointers on how to answer them.

The Hardest Interview Questions in the World

First of all, do not panic or run out of the room if you ever get asked one of these tough interview questions. Take a deep breath and think like the professional that you are.

#1 – The What Ifs

Many of the hardest interview questions come from certain situational aspects of the industry or career you may be working in. Look for these to be a standard go-to interview question for any company you may be applying for. Such difficult situational job interview questions may be “If you were dealing with an angry customer, what would you do to help them?” or “What if you were in a company vehicle and a stranger asked you for a ride – what would you do?” The best way to answer is to think back to previous job experience, share the story (briefly) and relate it to the question in a comprehensive way.

#2 – The Culture Club

Oh how recruiters love to check out the personalities of candidates to see if they are good fit for the work culture! Therefore, you can expect that at least a portion of your hardest interview questions will involve your personality and suitability for the cultural environment. Listen for questions like, “Do you prefer a work environment that is collaborative or where you work in a private office?” and “What do you think about casual dress codes at work?” Then look around you, see what the norm is there and answer accordingly.

#3 – The Ethical Test

Employers today are worried about candidates’ ability to demonstrate positive work ethics and values. There are still concerns over employee loyalty and turnover, much as there always has been. You may be asked a hard ethical interview question like, “If you observed an employee stealing from the company, what would you do?” and “Have you ever experienced harassment from a customer and how did you deal with it?” are increasing in interviews. Just answer as truthfully and ethically as possible and you’ll do well.

#4 – The Money Madness  

Oftentimes, candidates find asking about salary and compensation to be very difficult indeed. Yet, they begged to be asked so you must know how. Obviously, if the job advertisement doesn’t list the starting wage, then you will want to speak up in your face-to-face interview. Wait for the person interviewing you to say something like, “What kind of salary range are you seeking?” or “Are you comfortable starting at [dollar amount] for this job?” Answer tactfully by first knowing what the industry salary range is for the type of job.

#5 – The Are You Kidding Me?

Once in a while, you may encounter an interview question that is so “out there” that you have no idea how to answer it. You may also get asked something that is actually illegal, based on current discrimination laws. These can be anything relating to your marital or sexual orientation status, if you have or plan to have kids, if you belong to a certain religious group, and your national origin or race. Before you answer any interview question, take a few seconds to collect yourself and if it’s something you are not comfortable answering, try to dodge it by bringing up a recent news article you read about the company or asking a couple of job related questions yourself.

Click here to see more from Davis Staffing, Inc.