Tell Me Something Negative You’ve Heard About Our Company

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

Here is a slippery question that some companies ask. There are very few good ways to do it; here, I offer several.

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I’m Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, the head coach for JobSearch.Community. And welcome. You know, I worked as a recruiter for more than 40 years filling more than 1,200 positions plus consulting assignments during my career. And, you know, one thing I know is that people do damage to their candidacy when they’re not prepared for interview questions.

Now, on my podcast, No BS Job Search Advice, I spent a year helping people with interviewing and answering tough interview questions. And this is one of those questions or requests that’s kind of seductive. Tell me something negative you’ve heard about our company is the question.

Now, if this firm is in the press, you can’t say, I haven’t heard anything about your firm. It would seem like a jerk, if that’s the case. And, you know, sometimes a firm is looking for reconnaissance, like, what’s the scuttlebutt about us? But when push comes to shove, there’s no real way of winning that one.

So here’s a couple of suggested ways. If they’re in the media for something negative, you can respond by saying, you know, I’ve read some press accounts. Who wouldn’t have read these press accounts? They’re all over the press these days.

And, you know, it’s obvious that the firm has some struggles, but that opens up some opportunities for someone like me to step up and make a difference. That’s for someone in a leadership role. For a staff role, you could do something similar, but conclude by saying, you know, but it offers a challenge for me joining as a staff individual, offers a challenge to contribute and be a strong performer, and perhaps change some of the public perception of the organization.

Again, leadership, staff. Now, if there’s nothing that you were able to research about the firm online, say, you know, I haven’t seen anything current about your organization. You know, it’s not like I’m out there trying to say, okay, tell me everything bad you’ve ever heard about the firm.

You know, I have some friends and some opinions about you. I did a quick Google search. Everything seems to be in order.

Nothing here to scare me or anyone else. And just let it go at that. Going into any sort of detail, even if you have heard of something from a friend, or from a former employee, it’s a bad signal.

And they don’t want to hear it. That’s the truth of it. All it does is make them concerned as to whether or not if they make an offer to you, you’ll say no.

So, just skirt it in a very casual way. Avoid really going into any detail. You’ll do fine answering.

Hope you found this helpful. Again, JobSearch.Community. And if you’re interested in one-on-one coaching from me, because that’s really where I do most of my work, email me at JeffAltman, at TheBigGameHunter.us. And in the subject line, put the word coaching. I look forward to helping you.

Have a great day. Take care.

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