Tough Interview Questions - What did you dislike about your last job?
Following is a tough interview question:
What did you dislike about your last job?
Similar interview questions:
What part of your current/last job would you rather not do in a future job? Was there anything you hated about your job? We all have something we hate about our job--what do you hate about your job?
Why the interviewer is asking this question:
The interviewer is trying to identify any potential for discontent with the role up front. If there is an element to the role that you don't want to be doing, it is best to identify it up front, rather than have you step into a role which you do not want to do.
The best approach to answering this question:
Be honest about areas which may have been less desirable, but do your best to keep it positive. Absolutely no venting on what (or who) was bad in your role. Yet with whatever you offer up, you need to be aware that it may potentially disqualify you for the role. So only discuss an area which was truly disliked and that you would not want to see repeated, to the point that you would not want to be offered the role if it exists in the role for which you are interviewing. If there was nothing in your job you disliked, politely decline to answer or reframe the question by giving an answer about something which was less than ideal. You can also use this question as a way to push back the question to the interviewer to identify/verify if the same conditions may exist at the employer.
An example of how to best answer this question:
"My last role had many positives and I liked my work and the people I worked with in my role. Perhaps the one area that I disliked was the lack of use of the latest technology. We were limited in what we could do competitively, since we did not have access to the latest tools and technology. So this is an important part of why I am looking to make a move. Can you tell me about the tools and technology you provide for this role?"
An example of how you should not answer this question:
"There wasn't much to like, so I guess dislike was pretty much everything. You know how everyone says Facebook should have both a like and a dislike button? Well, if I had a dislike button at work, I would be pressing it all day long. So where do you want me to start?"
Remember to answer each interview question behaviorally, whether it is a behavioral question or not. The easiest way to do this is to use an example from your background and experience. Then use the S-T-A-R approach to make the answer a STAR: talk about a Situation or Task (S-T), the Action you took (A) and the Results achieved (R). This is what makes your interview answer uniquely yours and will make your answer a star!