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In the corporate world, it’s the early bird who gets the worm. Those who speak first, and with the loudest voice, often reap the biggest rewards. Group interviews are a great way for employers to spot the much-coveted “go getters” in a pack, and they indicate how a candidate responds to stress and interacts with others. During a group interview job seekers are at their most vulnerable, and some would-be employers like to exploit the situation. One way they’ll do this is by interjecting a particularly off-putting question near the end of the interview, at a point when candidates are starting to feel comfortable.

There are a few variations on the type of “bomb” questions that employers like to drop, but the most popular incarnation is this:

Besides yourself, who in this room would you hire?

Scary, right?

On the Tenure Track rightfully refers to this as the “most cutthroat interview question ever” and to make matters worse, there is no “right” way to answer the question. If you list the fine points of your competitors, you take attention away from yourself – the last thing you’d want to do in an interview. If you pick the same candidate that everyone else picks, you’ll come across as unoriginal. If you go for the underdog in the room, you may be deemed unqualified too properly assess a situation.

Lionel, a long-time bank executive tells me that this question is often used as a “scare tactic.”

“[The question] is a way for potential employers to pit interviewees against one another,” he says. “It’s sneaky because it forces candidates to surrender what little control they had in the interview process.” The only plan of attack is to centre the answer around yourself.

Instead of saying:

“I think Jane would make a great programmer because she’s analytical and she knows the product,”

you could say:

“Like me, Jane is analytical and she understands the product. I think we’d be a great team because, in addition to Jane’s strengths, I also have solid experience as a software developer.”

It’s not perfect, but it’s the best solution I’ve come up with. Seeing as most companies – even the “hip” and “forward thinking” ones – like to use this question, it’s only a matter of time before this bomb is dropped on you.

While I can’t guarantee you’ll pass your group interview with flying colours, being prepared will save you from dissolving into a sputtering, crimson mess. Sad to say, but that may give you a huge advantage over your competition.

Happy job hunting.

Posted in Tips