As part of Interview Intervention: Communication That Gets You Hired, I included what I consider the 14 most effective job interview questions an employer can ask a job candidate. While there are loads of great interviewing techniques and questions, I feel it’s important to balance time and effectiveness when determining whether a candidate and employer relationship will be strong long-term.

To aid in that effort, I identified the 14 I consider the most comprehensive—to gain the best understanding of the candidate’s overall fit in the least amount of time. I am gradually releasing these through the blog and today’s is Number 11. You can see a complete list immediately by downloading a complimentary ebook from the milewalk website!

Effective Job Interview Question #11: How would your coworkers describe you?

This question is designed to determine how the candidate views herself and what she considers to be her strengths and opportunities for improvement?

Other variations include “What would your coworkers (or others) say about you?” and “What would your boss, coworker, or subordinates consider your greatest strengths/weaknesses?”

This question is designed to reveal how you view yourself. It is often asked in place of the one related to your greatest strengths and weaknesses. I recommend that you provide only positive remarks regarding how your coworkers would describe you. That is a completely fair response on your part. I’m smiling as I write this because, let’s face it, if the interviewer wants you to discuss your weaknesses, make her ask for them specifically!

The best responses to this type of question will cover your greatest strengths. It is certainly all right to provide only these. In my opinion, the question itself is a bit unfair because it is asking you to speculate. I’m not in the speculating business. I’m in the success business, and you are too.