18 of the Worst Interview Questions to Ask a Job Candidate

Bad interview questions don’t give you valuable information about a candidate and can reflect poorly on you as an employer. You need to be strategic with the questions you ask applicants, as you have limited time with each one. By avoiding the worst interview questions, you can get to the point faster and narrow your list of candidates down with ease.

1. Where do you see yourself in five years?

While this question seems like it can provide insight into where an employee wants to go with their career, it does not show you that the candidate has the required skills to be successful. This question may give you some observation into the applicant’s career desires, such as if they want a leadership role; however, it does not give you any indication of their ability to do the job.

Instead, ask: Where does this position fit along your long-term career path?

2. What is your biggest weakness?

This provides no insight into an applicant’s skills and is so common that many candidates have canned responses ready to go—many will say they’re too much of a perfectionist or too dedicated. It’s better to ask an open-ended question that allows applicants to display self-awareness about their potential growth.

Instead, ask: If you encountered X situation, what steps would you take to resolve the issue? Or ask what professional development would make you a more effective employee?

3. Why should I hire you?

This question puts the applicant on the spot and can back them into a corner. Most will respond by simply saying they believe they are a fit for the position. Asking a variation of this question can give you insight into how well the candidate understands the job requirements.

Instead, ask: How does your previous job align with the duties for this position?

4. Where do you live?

Many interviewers like to ask this question to get an idea of where a person lives in relation to the work location. However, it borders on illegal as it might allow you to make inferences about a candidate’s race or ethnicity and could be considered discrimination if you choose not to hire the candidate. You want to know if commuting will be an issue for the candidate, so you can ask this question differently.

Instead, ask: Are you comfortable with the work location?

5. How did your childhood shape your professional life?

This borders on an illegal interview question as it could be considered discriminatory based on how and where a candidate grew up and should be avoided for that reason alone. Candidates may feel that their religious background or the fact that they grew up in a “rough” neighborhood was the reason they were not considered for the position. Plus, the answer will not give you insight into how the candidate will perform in the role, making it a waste of precious time. You really want to know how their prior experience aligns with the job you need to fill.

Instead, ask: How does your experience prepare you for this role?

6. Describe yourself.

Open-ended questions can be good to spark conversation and give you insight into a person’s experience and character; however, asking a person to describe themselves will likely not give you the information you are seeking. Instead, ask a different type of open-ended question that relates to the job they are interviewing for. This will allow them to tell you the skills they have that will make them good employees.

Instead, say: Tell me something that is not on your resume that aligns with this job.

7. What would your arch-nemesis say about you?

Some people like to ask this question because they think it shows the applicant’s self-awareness. In reality, all it does is welcome lies and misstatements because someone’s arch-nemesis likely has nothing good to say about anyone—but that’s how most candidates will try to spin their answer. This theoretical question wastes time, and you have no way of verifying the answer.

Instead, ask: What are the areas of professional growth you recognize you need to improve?

8. Why do you want this job?

Candidates want a new job for countless reasons—better pay, better benefits, they don’t like their old manager, they’re moving. None of these answers give you valuable information to help you make a hiring decision.

Instead, ask: As you understand this job, what is the biggest attraction to it for you?

9. What did you like least about your last job?

People change jobs most often because of poor managers. Don’t ask a candidate to discuss poor management or even trash-talk their previous employer. A different open-ended question about the applicant’s prior role would be better suited to give you valuable information.

Instead, ask: What aspects of your previous position did you find most professionally challenging?

10. What would your former manager say about you?

This question puts a candidate on the spot to either lie or make something up. Plus, your job is to conduct a reference check, so you will hear directly from their former manager exactly what they think about the applicant. You should, however, ask the candidate how they relate to others they work with.

Instead, ask: Tell me about a time when you were required to work on a project as part of a team and how you handled the situation.

11. If you could choose a different career, what would it be?

Most people who receive this question answer with either an altruistic motive or a selfish one. They either say they would want to invent something to help society or go into a field that allows them to make more money and retire sooner. No matter the answer a candidate provides, it gives you no information about how they will perform in the job with your company.

Instead, say: Tell me about a challenging project or work experience you had to overcome.

12. What three items would you bring to a deserted island?

This theoretical question does not give you any information about the applicant’s ability to do the job. It might seem like a fun icebreaker, but you can ask a different question that will yield more valuable information.

Instead, ask: On your last day of your current job, what three things would you tell your replacement?

13. If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?

This theoretical question provides you with no valuable insight, so avoid it altogether. Most applicants will have a canned response, and it will simply waste your time. It is a better idea to find out the skills that the candidate currently possesses or needs to acquire to do their jobs.

Instead, ask: If you could have one additional skill to do this job better, what would it be, and why do you think it would be beneficial?

14. Imagine you’ve been pulled over for speeding. How do you try to get out of a ticket?

This question is an amateurish attempt at a behavioral interview question. Unless you’re hiring for a traffic cop or a bootlegger, this question has no connection to the job you need to fill. Not to mention, it could entice the candidate to think up a lie that might get them out of the ticket. Someone that would lie about a situation is not someone you want on your team.

Instead, say: Have you ever been asked to do something unethical? How did you handle the situation?

15. What was the worst trait of your previous manager?

This is a poor attempt at understanding how the applicant likes to be managed—there are better ways to get an answer. Phrasing the question like this only encourages a candidate to bad-mouth their previous manager.

Instead, ask: Do you prefer to be told what needs to be done and figure out how to do it, or do you like to follow an established process? Please give me an example.

16. Batman or Robin: Which one are you?

This question does not relate to the applicant’s ability to do the job at all. The intent of the interviewer might be to see what type of work ethic the applicant has based on perceptions about these two fictional characters. If they answer Batman, they’re trying to show that they are a driven leader. If they mention they’re like Robin, they’re saying they are supportive and follow directions well. In other words, the candidate will give you a canned response that still does nothing to help you make the right hiring decision.

Instead, say: Tell me about a time when you had to be both a leader but also a supportive contributor to get a project done on time.

17. Are you interviewing with other companies?

A lot of companies want to know if candidates are interviewing with other companies so they know if there is any competition. While you may want to know, avoid this question and simply assume that the candidate IS interviewing with other companies. It is common, however, to want to know how quickly the candidate would be able to start their new job with your company.

Instead, ask: If hired, how soon would you be able to begin?

18. Of your former co-workers, who do you admire the most and why?

You may think that by asking this question you will find out what attributes the candidate admires most when working with others. However, it doesn’t actually give you a clear picture of the way the candidate will interact with members of your team or their ability to perform their job. What you really want to know is how well the candidate can acclimate with your team and company.

Instead, say: Tell me about your biggest accomplishment at work and how you were able to use the skills and expertise of your colleagues to achieve success.

Bottom Line

Interviewing someone for a job is a tricky task at which you will get better with practice. You have limited time to speak with each candidate, so you must make every question count by asking only the best interview questions. Avoiding ineffective and downright bad interview questions can better give you the information you need to make the right hiring decision.