1. Why do you feel you would do well in this position? Problem: Feeling questions try to uncover attitudes, motives, etc. Applicant answers are highly subjective and subject to the interviewer's interpretations and biases. Feeling data says little about what an applicant "can" actually do or actually "will" do in a specific situation or task. Your final decision is often "gut instinct since these types of questions won't allow you to verify how the applicant actually performed. 2. Why did you decide to do the task that way? Problem: This type of interview question asks a person about his or her beliefs or values, but is usually after the fact analysis. Everyone knows what they should have done after the fact. Your task is to identify

what they actually did when doing the task or the way they responded in a particular situation. Ask behavioral (competency-based) questions instead. 3. You can type, can't you? Problem: This type of interview question is used by recruiters and staffing managers who desperately want to hire someone. They ask very leading questions in an attempt to get the applicant to respond in the way they want them to. The information gathered doesn't truly reflect what the applicant would actually do, rather it reflects what the interviewer believes. 4. What was your gradepoint average? Problem: This type of questioning sounds like an interview but is nothing more than a validation conversation in disguise. Interviewers asking these "factual" types of questions fail to identify "why" the applicants received the grades (easy classes, hard work, love of subject, etc.). Interviewers also fail to identify what really motivated or failed to motivate this individual, or what behavior he or she exhibited (strong participation, lack of participation, etc.) within the classes to receive a certain gradepoint. 5. How would you complete this task? How would you approach this situation? Problem: This type of interview question is asked by recruiters who think they can accurately interpret an applicant's answer and predict whether or not they will do the same in a specific situation or task. Astute applicants quickly realize that this is a hypothetical question and offer an answer that "sounds" plausible. The drawback to this line of questioning is that most interviewers can't tell the difference if the applicant is telling the truth or making it up.