Multi-millionaire businessman reveals go-to job interview question that highlights red flags in candidates
A multi-millionaire and former CEO has revealed his top three go-to questions to ask applicants in a job interview.
Even the most confident people in the world dislike the process of sitting down in-front of potential bosses for a formal interview, with worries about what the type of questions they'll ask and the quality of your answers likely to be at the forefront of your mind.
Thankfully there's plenty of tips floating around on the internet providing you with advice on how to best market yourself to employers.
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The latest person to share their thoughts on interviewing is Tripadvisor co-founder Stephen Kaufer, who has since gone on to launch his charitable venture Give Freely.
Speaking about interview tips during an episode of The Logan Bartlett Show, Kaufer shared the questions he usually asks interviewees which reveal any red-flags.
The first of Kaufer's three questions is related to the importance of teamwork, with the businessman often asking: "What's the hardest project you've ever worked on?"
Kaufer went on to explain that this question allows him to assess how strong candidates are working in a team and whether or not they're able to take responsibility for their shortcomings.
He said: "I'm listening for 'are they blaming other people' or 'are they empathetic to what other people have to go through, is there teamwork involved'.
"It can tell me, are they ever taking responsibility for why something became difficult."
Show empathy with struggling co-workers and he sees this as a positive whereas the person who is quick to point fingers during a difficult moment is 'kind of a red flag'.
The same also applies to anyone who views certain tasks as too hard if it means they're required to work on a Saturday.
"It can tell me their definition of hard," he added.
After all, you won't build a successful business by only working between the hours of nine and five in the week.
Sticking with questions around self-reflection, Kaufer then asks candidates to recall their most successful project and then explain how they would refine their work.
"That'll sometimes catch people off guard. And I can see kind of by the pause - they've never thought about it," he said, adding that people who are looking for 'self-improvement' are valuable candidates.
"If you go through life learning on your past mistakes... you won't make the same mistake," Kaufer noted.
Finally, Kaufer revealed that he prefers a candidate to show curiosity - especially when it comes to adapting to new forms of technology.
He went on to use the example of AI and chatbots, explaining that a software engineer who hasn't experimented with the tools isn't someone who would 'fit' with his personality.
Brenna Cooper