This question demonstrates your self-critique and overall adequacy. Therefore, it’s not recommended to respond by saying you have no weaknesses 🙂 Everyone has some shortcomings. Show that you are aware of your weaknesses, that you’ve learned to live with them in a way that doesn’t hinder your work. The recruiter is assessing your self-awareness, not seeking perfection.
Avoid presenting your strengths as weaknesses, such as “I’m too passionate about projects” or “I’m overly responsible,” etc. Perhaps there are specific job requirements listed in the vacancy text that you don’t entirely meet. We would recommend highlighting these points with a comment indicating your eagerness to learn and your already formed plan for improvement. Provide examples from previous experiences, discussing problems that arose, why they occurred, and how they could have been avoided. This will add specificity to your answer.
Overall, don’t be afraid during an interview to talk about your imperfections or mistakes. Nobody is perfect, and it’s normal; everyone has room to grow and develop. The more precise a portrait the recruiter/hiring manager has of you, the more accurate and understandable the decision regarding your hiring will be.
Now, a piece of advice to the recruiter: it might not be ideal to ask such a question in this manner. Asking for weaknesses won’t foster a trusting context between you and the candidate, nor will it motivate the candidate to respond honestly. It’s better to reformulate the question along the lines of: “What skills do you think you need or would like to improve? What do you feel is lacking for your further professional growth?”
Feel free to reach out to us if you’re looking for a job or if you want to get a sense of the job market.
