Unless this is your first job, hiring managers will ask you plenty of questions about your old job in an interview. This may include formal duties and major accomplishments, but they’ll also likely ask you what you don’t like about your current/last role. While this is a great way to see if this new role aligns with your preferences, it can be tricky to answer without going fully negative.
If you’re looking for the best practices to answer this common line of questioning, Forbes’ Caroline Castrillon has some absolutely fantastic advice. We’ll go over her insights, along with some of our own observations.
Stay positive
If you’re looking for a new job because of a toxic environment, you’re not alone. A bad boss or treacherous coworkers can make even the best role a nightmare. Even then, avoid taking this question as an opportunity to vent. Hiring managers want to see that you’ll be a positive culture add, and they’ll only have your side of the story. Avoid looking like a potential saboteur by remaining focused on the positives.
Caroline says to open by discussing what you liked about the previous role, including mentioning some of your accomplishments there. This reiterates your own positive qualities before mentioning things you disliked in your last role. This positions you as an upbeat candidate looking for new opportunities rather than someone bitter.
“No matter what you talk about, always take the opportunity to turn the negative into a potential positive with your new employer.” –Crystal Marie, The Muse
Ignore previous drama
You might be leaving a role you’d normally stay in if it weren’t for the interpersonal elements. Again, while this is certainly reasonable, avoid letting it define your answer. Every new company offers a chance to work with people you might not get along with. Instead, avoid the drama and focus on tangible areas.
Caroline lists a lack of growth opportunities, a work culture incompatible with your goals, a desire for industry change, or a need to learn a different set of skills as good reasons to mention. Not only can you use these to tactfully mention what you disliked at your last job but you’re also pivoting toward a look for the culture and reiterating why you’re a good fit for the new role. Not only are you successfully answering the question but you’ll appear forward-thinking and proactive.
Explain your actions
To appear even more proactive, you can talk about specific steps you took toward addressing what you disliked. This can show you aren’t willing to jump ship at the first signs of distress but that you’re willing to try to create change. This allows you to highlight your skills in a way that previous questions may not have covered. For example, if you wanted to take a bigger role, did you try to get involved with a big project or work with a team member with different skills to learn from them?
Indeed says that this can stealthily be an ideal opportunity to further highlight your skills. The skills you learned while trying to fix the situation can be applied to your new role, and any success you had in rectifying the things you disliked can be added to your personal highlight record.
End with a focus on future growth
Interview questions about a previous role are used to gauge what type of employee you are and what you’ll bring to the new organization. With this in mind, don’t spend too much time lamenting the problems of your old job. Even if you’re being mostly positive, it’s still smart to take some time to discuss what you’ll bring to this new role.
You have good reasons to seek a new role, says Caroline, so take time to highlight how this organization fits what you’re looking for. It’s a great chance to summarize what you’re looking for and express excitement for this role while ending on an uplifting note. Resume Genius’ Nick Herschel says this is a perfect time to mention a specific positive aspect you and the interviewer discussed to tie everything back together.
“Use your answer as a chance to highlight your strengths. For instance, if you’re looking for a role with more responsibility, mention how your current job has prepared you for taking on more.” –Zengig
Wrap up
By focusing on hard details, leaving the drama behind, and looking toward the future, you can successfully answer what you disliked about your previous role in an interview without setting off any red flags for your potential employer. Like all interview questions, this allows the hiring manager to learn more about you and see if you’re a good fit for the role. Handling these questions in the right way will show you’re aligned with the new company!
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