How to Answer: What are your weaknesses?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Workday job interview.
20. What are your weaknesses?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
It is your interviewer's goal to attract, retain, understand, and nurture top talent while developing their workforce "for whatever comes next." Their ideal talent will have a vision of where their career path is heading and will take responsibility for their own development. Part of taking charge of one's own development is taking advantage of every growth opportunity available to them, and seeking out feedback, rather than waiting for feedback to come to them. Workday boasts of having an open feedback culture, which they call, "anytime feedback. Converse with mentors and connections, establish goals, update skills, and define competencies." This helps their leaders capitalize on their worker's strengths while retaining their top talent.
Written by Kevin Downey on January 2nd, 2024
What You Need to Know
Workday supports internal collaboration between a manager and employee by way of anytime feedback and check-ins at every stage in their journey, to visualize where they are today and take accountability for their career plan. Workday connects employees to opportunities based on the skills they have or want to develop, allowing them to take an active role in their career development. Workday creates direct lines to career growth, and talent goals, and drives personalized career development.
Written by Kevin Downey on January 2nd, 2024
How to Answer
Rather than labeling them as weaknesses, reframe them as growth opportunities. This mindset reflects someone who is emotionally intelligent and takes responsibility and ownership of their own development. When thinking of growth opportunities worth volunteering in your interview, avoid offering any which are core competencies of the job, or those which might present you as a risk or a liability. Instead, consider areas where you have already made progress and improved upon, but recognize there is still room for improvement.
Written by Kevin Downey on January 2nd, 2024
Experienced Example
"I would say my greatest weakness is learning how to pace myself. In the past, I would take on more than I could handle and would over-promise and under-deliver. So I adjusted this but swung too hard in the other direction. I focused on my time management skills and planned to always deliver ahead of the deadline, give myself extra time to do extras, and go the extra mile. But I didn't always accomplish what I'd set out to. My mentor regularly reminds me that my ambition, although it is a strength, often is also my Achilles heel. Finding that balance, and going easier on myself in the process, is where I still have a little room to grow."
Written by Kevin Downey on January 3rd, 2024
About the Author
When I started my career in business management, branding, and marketing, I believed in the company I worked for. The company was growing, they operated with integrity, and it was truly a fun place to work. They had a great brand; people loved shopping there. I was popular just because I worked there. To this day, I am grateful for everything the company gave me and how it changed my life for the better. That’s the kind of place you want to work - a place that feels like a good fit for you. This should be the mutual goal of both the interviewer and the interviewee. I knew that going into my interview for that job, and I knocked it out of the park. When I was recruited into management, I had no idea what I was getting into. I assumed the harder I worked, the faster I’d rise through the ranks. But I had no idea how much I had to grow and develop personally and professionally to get there. I accepted the challenge, but it was an uphill battle, nonetheless. Not too many people helped me out, either. There was a lot of competition, and I was just thrown to the wolves. And there were not only wolves but sharks in that tank. Talk about tough. So I learned most of my leadership skills the hard way, and the journey was long.
Conducting interviews is an art form. As a leader, my favorite parts of the job were interviewing, recruiting, building the perfect team, and mentoring and coaching those on my team. Every single individual I mentored advanced far ahead of their peers. But it all starts with that interview and making sure the job was the right fit for them.
I love coaching so much that I later volunteered my services at career fairs and trade schools. I left my management career behind me and am now a full-time writer. Yet, I still love coaching others to succeed, and I love writing for mockquestions.com for this very reason.
Not everybody knows their way around crafting the perfect CV and resume, the secrets to delivering a flawless interview, or how to negotiate a decent raise. It’s hard to navigate that terrain without a map, and I enjoy giving people directions. Here’s what I said to a friend I mentored long ago: “Every single thing you do, at every stage, can alter the perception others have of your professional worth. My goal is to make you look like an asset worth fighting for.”
Learn more about Kevin Downey