There is one main goal when interviewing for a potential job: impress the interviewer. In order to do so, many people assume they should agree with the interviewer at every step of the job interview.
But the opposite is true: agreeing is good, but it’s important to express your honest opinion when you disagree. Agreeing to something you don’t necessarily believe in creates misconceptions and assumptions down the road, if you were to receive the job offer.
What can you do to be prepared to handle disagreement in a job interview?
Do research ahead of time
Before your job interview, you can do some research to get an idea of how receptive they might be to pushback or disagreement.
One place to start is their company culture: do they emphasize inclusion, open-mindedness and innovation? If so, they may be impressed with a job candidate who isn’t afraid to disagree. If the company’s culture isn’t easy to find on their website, websites like Glassdoor can provide some insight.
You can also look into specific team members on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook. What kind of content does the CEO post? How do managers interact on social media? This can give you some insight as well into how they think.
Don’t reply immediately
When you’re in the actual interview, if you encounter a question that gives you pause – do just that. A common interview mistake is rushing to answer a question, but that can also lead you to blurting out the first answer you think of – not your true response.
Take some time to consider the question. If you do want to disagree, now is a time to gently open a door for discussion. Try replying with “I haven’t considered that viewpoint, can I share my perspective with you?” These hands power back to the interviewer to make a decision.
Be respectful, not combative
Many people associate disagreement with something negative when that’s not the case at all. Disagreement can be a very positive and engaging experience for both parties. Just ensure you’re approaching disagreement from a perspective of collaboration, not competition.
Your goal isn’t to demean the interviewer, assert dominance or win some perceived argument. You can disagree respectfully. Use phrases like “That’s an interesting perspective” or “I see this differently” communicate disagreement without coming off as aggressive.
When in doubt, trust your gut
At the end of the day, you have to feel the room and the attitude of the interviewer. If you get a sense that disagreement will not be received well, then it’s entirely appropriate to avoid it altogether.
If the interviewer asks a question or makes a statement that you would disagree with, take the time to pause, think through your response, and pivot to another subject. For example, you could say “That’s an interesting viewpoint. It makes me think of my experience at X, where I learned to Y.”
If you do disagree in an interview and it is not well-received, that can be an invaluable learning experience as well. Did you feel uncomfortable? Is a work environment that encourages respectful disagreement important to you? This may be a deciding factor on whether or not you proceed with that company.
Impressing the hiring employee during an interview can make or break your chances of getting the job. Sure, it might be easy to agree all the time and make it sound like you’re a strong candidate. But showing that you can express your own opinions can be seen as a valuable personal trait. So stay prepared for anything, and don’t be afraid to stay true to your opinion during an interview.
Want more job searching tips? Working with an experienced engineering recruiter like Strom Minnesota can help you prepare for any job interview and take the hard work out of finding positions. Don’t waste your time scouring the internet for job postings or waste time applying with multiple individual employers. Strom Minnesota takes all the hard work out of the job search, so you can find a new position faster.
Strom Minnesota is an engineering and technical recruitment agency that specializes in high-skilled job candidates for highly technical positions. We facilitate contract employment, project staffing, temp-to-perm and direct hire opportunities. Industries served include IT, engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and manufacturing. We are affiliated with Strom Engineering, a national staffing and recruitment agency.
