Tell me about your biggest weakness

• Detail a real weakness
• Demonstrate that you are taking steps to improve your weakness
• Show that you can be effective in spite of having weaknesses

Why I ask this question:

I ask this question for three reasons.  First, I want to see how an interviewee will respond to a difficult, yet likely anticipated, question.  I want to know if the interviewee will try to dodge the question by responding with weaknesses that are really strengths.  For example: “My biggest weakness is that I work too hard”.  In my opinion, this is a cliché and obvious way to avoid directly answering a difficult question.  I strongly recommend picking an actual weakness.  The second reason why I ask this question is to determine if the interviewee is committed to continuous personal improvement.  If the interviewee is committed to continuous personal improvement then it should be easy for the interviewee to outline steps that they are taking to improve their weaknesses.  The third reason why I ask about weaknesses is to determine how the interviewee has managed to succeed in spite of having weaknesses.  We all have weaknesses, but people who are aware of their weaknesses can more effectively manage their work.

Example of a good response:

This response was given by a candidate for a Product Management position:

I recognize that one of my biggest weaknesses is public speaking.  In an effort to improve my public speaking, I have recently joined Toastmasters (an organization that helps people develop public speaking skills).  In the near future, I hope to act as the public voice for groups or projects that I am working on.  For now, I manage my weakness by being sure that I take on other responsibilities and allowing the public speaking roles to go to people who are proficient at public speaking.