Interview queries can have various different purposes. Some interview queries are made to trick you. Others are made to learn more about your past. Others are made to observe if you will say something negative, and so on. All of these queries tell the employer something about who you are as an applicant that they can utilize to help make a decision.
At 1st glance, the similar thing cannot be said about queries that seem to be “gimmes.” One of the most egregious instances is “How well do you manage deadlines?”
“I manage them very well”
It appears like a fairly clear answer, and it is. The answer to how well you manage deadlines is “very well.” If you answer with something along the lines of “Pressure makes me cry” you are possibly not going to be hired. So why do companies even bother inquiring it?
Why do Companies inquire queries About Deadlines?
Companies inquire queries about deadlines for 2 reasons:
- To alert you that the company has strict, pressure filled target times.
- To analyze if you can naturally inspire confidence in the interviewer about your capability to manage deadlines.
Warning – Deadlines Occur
Remember, when a candidate goes to an interview, they are interviewing the interviewer as much as the interviewer is interviewing them. They want to see if this is a place they need to work. If someone left their previous job because they felt too much pressure, then perhaps they do not need a job that is going to be filled with an equal rate of pressure. Simply inquiring this query will get rid of few of the pressure-averse applicants.
Inspiring Confidence
Additionally, though the meaning of the answer is still the similar, you can answer it in a unique way.
“Yes, I manage deadlines well” is not as impressive as “With my last job, we were under strict target times every day. If we failed to meet these target times, we would not be getting any revenue from the project. Though the pressure began out somewhat tough, over time these target times became a motivator, instead of a detractor, from quality, mistake free work.”
They say the similar thing, but one says it better. That inspires confidence in the interviewer that you are not simply offering them a BS answer.
Approach All Easy Queries
Whenever you receive queries that seem to have very clear answers, consider those 2 reasons behind the query. Sometimes they are alerting you about their company. Other times they may be looking for a response that inspires them. Either way, there may be other factors in the query besides only the answer.
Take Away Interview Tips
- Sometimes easy queries are letting you know more about the organization.
- Sometimes easy queries need you to provide them a more confidence inspiring reaction.
- Sometimes both.