How to Answer The "What Do You Least Like About Your Job?" Interview Question

You have gone through almost the whole hiring process for your dream job, and it is time for your big interview.

Everything is going great, but suddenly the recruiter asks you a question you have no idea how to answer.

That description would match lots of interview question you might encounter, but there is one that would most certainly stop you in your tracks if you are not prepared – “What do you like least about your job?”

It might seem stressful at first, but if you are prepared for it, you are going to nail it.

And we are here to help you, in this article, we are going to explore the following questions:

• Why do recruiters ask “What do you like least about your job?”
• What’s the best approach to answer “What do you like least about your job?”

And, along the way, we are going to give you some important tips and tricks, and we are going to leave you off with some great example answers.

If you still struggle to get your interview, you might need to tweak up your documents to catch the recruiters’ attention. Check out our Resume Builder, along with our Cover Letter Builder, and make your documents the best they can be.

But if you are ready to learn how to answer “What do you like least about your job?” just right, stick around.

Why do recruiters ask “What do you like least about your job?”

Nobody likes everything about their job, and that is a fact. But it is essential how you present your likes and dislikes, especially when it comes to interview questions.

That’s why it is essential for you to know why do recruiters ask “What do you like least about your job?”

There are a couple of reasons for that:

• They want to see your viewpoint about your current workplace – when it comes to interviews, almost every candidate would have a reason for leaving their old job. So this question would present the recruiter with a great opportunity to compare your answer to those given by other job-seekers. Furthermore, the recruiter might use your response to figure out how you would communicate with other employees, and how you would establish goals and measure success
• They want to find what are your reasons for leaving your job – the most common reason for leaving a job is to advance your career. And that is one of the many ways to answer this question. But to do this right, you need to specify and give exact reasons for how the new job would help you advance your career
• They want to review your professionalism in workplace scenarios – last but not least, the recruiter would want to make sure you uphold moral and ethical standards in the workplace. You would need to answer respectfully, and positively about your current employer. Anything bad you say might be considered as a red flag, as you might reflect bad on their own company in a few years with the same type of attitude

Best approach to answer “What do you like least about your job?”

Now that you know why this question is so important for the recruiter, we should figure out how to get the best out of your answer.

There are a few simple steps you can follow.

Discuss a positive aspect of your previous job

No matter if you are answering an interview question, or preparing your resignation letter, you should not make your statement overly negative. Even your email for quitting a job should contain at least one positive element.

By using a positive tone, you can show recruiters that you have a balanced and realistic view of your experience.

You can use some positive experiences in your answer to get you started on the right note, like:

• Company culture – you surely liked some aspects of your previous role, including the company’s culture and/or the people you worked with. You can use that in your answer and direct your answer toward your career growth and how your performance has improved over your time with the company
• Relevant experience – a great point to make with your answer is all the relevant experience you have gained over your time in your previous role. Recruiters are always looking for experience over anything else
• Good leadership – you may have liked the leadership you have met in your previous company, including setting goals, and receiving feedback about your performance. You can describe all that, and explain how it has influenced your career
• Volunteering and training opportunities – no matter if you liked your previous company or not, you surely received multiple chances to help those in need, or had training opportunities to assist you in expanding your knowledge and skill set. Either way, you should acknowledge the impact of these experiences and show your appreciation

Talk about your responsibilities and duties

No matter what your position is, you will surely find people you don’t get along with, but that is not something you would want to include in your interview answers.

Instead, you should focus on tasks, responsibilities, duties, and situations that you disliked, rather than talk about people. In the opposite case, you might come across as hard to work with and not a team player.

By talking about your responsibilities, you shift the focus away from people you worked with, and your answer would sound more professional, rather than personal.

However, if you have to talk about people, make sure you don’t use any names, but job titles, or you might risk to sound unprofessional.

Last but not least, make sure you finish on a positive note by adding in how these experiences and job responsibilities motivate you to progress in your career and start in a new role.

Discuss your qualifications for the job

Don’t forget that your interview answers should always present you in the best possible light.

To do so, you should never miss out on highlighting your skills and other qualifications that make you the right fit for the position, and the company itself.

If you can show off interpersonal, technical, and problem-solving skills, you can easily use them in your favor, as these are transferable for most positions.

Make sure you strengthen your answer with examples of how you used these skills to demonstrate your potential, and show the positive impact you had on your previous co-workers.

Describe new opportunities that you can get with this role

Nobody is perfect, and recruiters know that. But you need to show that you know it as well, and that you are willing to develop.

To best achieve that, you should go through the job description and figure out where you would want to improve yourself, and how your improvement can affect the performance of your new team.

Including this in your answer, shows the recruiter that you are proactive, and have a plan for a future with the company you are applying for.

End with what you're looking for in a new position

The ending of your interview answer is just as important as everything else, you need to make it a strong one.

That’s where you need to share what changes you are looking for in a new position.

This interview question gives you a great chance to highlight your desire to advance your career, and how this new position is the perfect way for you to do so.

Furthermore, with a well-structured answer, you can show the recruiter that you would be a good fit in the company.

Last but not least, take the time to describe how your experiences motivate you to start in the new role you are applying for.

Example answers to “What do you like least about your job?”

Now, as promised, we have some great example answers for you, and we have separated them depending on your reason to change jobs.

Takeaways

We are all done, now you know how to answer “What do you like least about your job?”.

Just to be sure, let’s make a quick recap of your answer’s structure:

• Discuss a positive aspect of your previous job – keep your answer positive and discuss what you liked about your job, and all the experience and skills that you have gained
• Talk about your responsibilities and duties – when discussing negative experience, make sure you focus on your tasks and responsibilities, rather than talk about people
• Discuss your qualifications for the job – don’t miss out on highlighting all your skills and experience that you have gathered and make you a great fit for the position and the company
• Describe new opportunities that you can get with this role – go through the job description for the role you are applying for, and highlight anything you would want to develop further, and discuss how the company can help you with that
• End with what you are looking for in a new position – make a strong ending by discussing what would you like to be different in your new position, and make a strong point that you are looking to advance your career

Take one last look at our example answers, and you should be ready to nail this question at your next interview.