Asking about a weakness is a very common interview question that most candidates answer poorly. Using the SUGaR technique, you can answer it well and stand out as a job candidate.
This is a classic interview question you will encounter time and again when job hunting. With a little planning and preparation, you can turn a question most people find difficult, and many do just ok with, to one where you can stand out against other candidates.
There are some common mistakes people make when answering this question. First, it has almost nothing to do with weaknesses. As we’ll see below it’s really about the process. Some people, however, focus on the weakness. They give a weakness and then go on at length about why and how they aren’t good at it. Once you name the weakness it shouldn’t require more than one sentence of explanation, if any explanation is even needed at all. The weakness is the setup for the real answer the interviewer is looking for.
What weakness should you pick? Avoid the humble brag answers like "I work too hard" or “I’m a perfectionist.” They are very transparent and won't get you any points.
Likewise, saying that you don’t have any weaknesses just tells the interviewer that you’re not aware of them. Everyone has them. Preferably choose a work-related weakness and not a personal one. The exception is if you’re right out of school and you may not have sufficient work experience, you may choose a personal example.
It also shouldn’t be just lack of knowledge. Saying, “I didn’t know how to use a tool” isn’t really a weakness so much as a lack of training, and something with an easy solution. That’s also not the type of answer the interviewer is looking for.
You want to pick a moderate level weakness. One that’s too simple will also be transparent and not sufficient for the process below, which is what the interviewer is looking for. Bad overly simple examples include: my emails can be long winded, or I sometimes lose focus in long, multi-hour meetings. Likewise, a very large or broad negative could be a red flag like: I don’t work well with others, I’m always late, or I have trouble with managing my tasks and deadlines.
Some good examples of the right level of weakness are:
Importantly, avoid anything that is too core to the job. If a key part of the job is communicating with others, you don’t want to list communication as a weakness. Ideally, it should be something more peripheral to the role. You wouldn’t pick “waiting until the last minute to ask for help” for a project manager role where the job is to keep things on schedule and remove project risk.
What the interviewer is looking for is Struggle, Understanding, Growth, and Results. You can remember this as SUGaR. (A helpful mnemonic similar to the STAR approach for other interview questions.)
What the interviewer is looking for is Struggle, Understanding, Growth, and Results. You can remember this as SUGaR.
The struggle is the specific issue, as noted above. Understanding is the next stage. How did you become aware of the issue? There are generally one of two answers. If you figured it out yourself, you want to use it to show self-awareness. If you heard it from your manager or a co-worker, then you can relate it as an example of how you are good at receiving and incorporating feedback. Either way, this part of the process can show a great attribute you possess.
The most important part is showing that once you became aware of the weakness, you began addressing it. This is the heart of the answer; it shows that you are proactive in addressing issues. Be as specific as possible. This is why “I didn’t know X, so I went and learned X” isn’t helpful if X is something simple like how to use a tool. On the other hand, if it’s public speaking you can talk about how you got training in the area and looked for opportunities to practice the skills and get feedback. If the weakness was being more diplomatic, you could relate how you sought out people who exhibited that trait well and asked them for coaching; perhaps you also would reflect, after each experience requiring diplomacy, on what you did and what you could do better next time.
Finally, you want to show results. Ideally provide concrete examples of how you have improved in the area. It’s ok if you haven’t fully grown because the point of this question is to see if you can identify and proactively address issues.
Here's a made-up example for someone who can be curt. While I have performed well in the technical aspects of my job, sometimes I was a little too abrupt when explaining things to co-workers. My manager mentioned this during my review and noted that my teammates didn't have my experience in this domain. I worked to be more aware of it, and also asked my manager and a trusted colleague to point out to me any time I did this just in case I didn't notice it myself. Each time I faced the situation I tried to think about the context in which my co-worker was asking the question and worked to respond more appropriately. Each night I would reflect on how I answered and if I could have done better, sometimes seeking feedback from others on my approach. At my six months review I asked my manager for feedback, and she said I had significantly improved and had gotten positive feedback from my colleagues about my improved communication.
Using the SUGaR process above, not only will you address the question the way the interviewer wants, but you can also get bonus points by using the techniques for the understanding component. As with all interview questions, you should practice your answer the way you would for a public speech-–know it well, but don’t memorize it word for word. Ideally have two to three examples ready so you can select the one which will be most appropriate for the interview.
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