As a recruiter, I interview literally over a thousand people a year. The psychology behind asking the questions you gave, below, is typically to allow the hiring manager/recruiter to gauge the honesty of the candidate, the candidate's ability for introspection and self improvement, as well as gaining insight into the employee's likes/dislikes. The main question you need to be able to answer when hitting the door for the interview is:

Why would you like to work for Company X?

Know the answer - search the website - be ready. It is great to have statistics and strong reasons why you want to join a company - not simply - I heard great things about you, and I need a job. We have a page for basic interview questions on our web site:

In answer to your questions:

1) "Tell me what you like least about your current job?"

Sometimes you can weed out really poor candidates quickly here - they say things like "I hate my boss." "They put too much focus on work, not on enjoying life." I did have one candidate that said they, "Made her come on time." They know you are looking to leave, so having a good reason why is key. For the more intelligent candidate, typically a good response is:

"Although I love working at my current job, I feel that is does not present enough of a challenge in the long run."

If they press you for more:

"I have mastered the skills to be successful at my current position, and there is no more room for growth."

Honesty is also good:

"I love my current position, unfortunately with the down turn in the market they are unable to sustain their workforce."

2) "Tell me your weaknesses" OR "What do you need to improve upon?"

This allows insight. We actually hired an employee that said her biggest weakness was always coming 5 minutes late. She was here today - 5 minutes late. It is nice to know someone's weaknesses upfront so that you are prepared to deal with them.

I normally ask, "If we call your references, what would they say is your biggest weakness?"

Good weakness:

"Although I try to keep a good balance between my strengths and weaknesses to balance each other out, I would say that my biggest weakness is that sometimes I do not have the ability to 'give up' on a project. I seem to keep working at it, no longer what it takes to complete it. Although this can be considered a strength as well, I try to recognize it, and if a project is taking up too much time, to reprioritize to ensure all facets of my work are completed in the best manner possible."

3) "Tell me about a wrong decision you made and what you would have done differently?" or "Looking back on your career, do you have any regrets?"

"I feel that, as most of us do, I could have extended my education to Masters or PhD level. So, I could have stayed in school longer. However, I feel that I would not go back and change my education or career path as I feel the real world knowledge I gained early in my career was invaluable. Besides, had I deviated from the path that got me here, I would not be meeting with you today."

Good luck! I hope those tips helped!
Cheers! :)
Heidi Golledge
Sr. Partner/Director of Recruiting

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