How To Answer Interview Question: What Annoys You?
An interview is a face-to-face assessment of job applicants to check if they are qualified for the job they are applying for. One of the most critical interview questions asked is: what annoys you? This question is highly relevant to job recruiters and managers because they get to checkmate individual behaviour or challenging behaviour in a work environment. One of the major facts about life is that everyone gets angry and people get angry over different things, that is to say, what makes Mr. A angry may not make Mr. B angry. For instance, a particular employee may get angry if the environment is noisy and another employee may get upset if he is criticized. There are different personalities and there are also different ways people react to situations.
What the interviewer is looking for:
The level of the job applicant self-control
This question is being asked to check the level of self-control in an individual and the ability to remain tolerant. As I mentioned earlier people react to situations differently and some people easily get irritated while others don’t easily get irritated. No job recruiter wants to employ someone that is hot-tempered and gets angry over everything. The job recruiter asked this question to check the level of your adaptability to situations because there is no perfect job environment and situations will always come but the level of your tolerance matters.
What motivates you?
People often get angry if their goals are not met. A job recruiter may ask this question to understand your goals and how they can be met. They also want to know what will increase your stamina when doing your job.
How will your relationship with your Co-workers be?
Co-workers can be very annoying at work, some Co-workers do terrible things like keeping the dishes dirty, gossiping about other co-workers, trimming nails at their desks, making telephone calls out loud, and many more. All these things can be very irritating but an interviewer wants an employee that is easy-going, optimistic, and can work past these differences. The interviewer also wants to assess how your working relationship with your colleagues will be.
How to answer the Interview question: What annoys you?
Acknowledge you get angry:
The first thing to do if you are asked this question is to acknowledge that you get upset and be open to the interviewer about what irritates you. This is not the time to play Mr. Perfect as everyone gets upset and you are not perfect. As a human being, you can also react to situations.
Acknowledge Different Personalities or the Power of diversity:
Acknowledge that people have different personalities you may not like. If you recognize these diversities you can say the differences and how the working environment can be a better place.
Generalize your responses:
Try and generalize about your colleagues and situations. Do not try to cover up the truth by saying there is nothing wrong with a colleague and do not focus on the shortcomings of your colleagues. The interviewer is assessing how well you get along with your colleagues and your level of tolerance. Turn this negative question into a positive and show the interviewer the level of your tolerance as a person when pissed off.
Choose your words carefully
Use words that will show your unique and positive character rather than words that will present you as harsh and difficult.
Minimize your words
Do not be too detailed because you may bore the interviewer, let your responses be concise and straight to the point. Keep in mind that your answer should be natural
Focus on job-specific topics
Rather than digressing to situations outside the job, focus on job-specific habits and challenges that one encounters day to day while performing a job function. This angle helps to show your strength rather than your weaknesses in others.
Show you are a solution and not a problem
One of the disadvantages of anger in a working environment is that it kills teamwork or team spirit. At times in teamwork, a particular colleague may not contribute and it can be very irritating. In such a scenario, your anger outburst will only make things worse and so show the interviewer that you will rather offer a solution than cause more problems. Show how you can strengthen the team to collaborate and achieve the organization’s goals. This will show the interviewer that you have interpersonal skills, commitment and that you are a good candidate for the job.
Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid complaining about past co-workers in your previous workplace and do not project yourself as a difficult person before the job recruiters. Do not focus on the negative aspect of the question but turn the question into a positive one. Show the job recruiter your level of tolerance, adaptability, patience, and management charisma.
Sample Answer to “What Annoys You” Question
The diversity of the working environment also shows how someone will react to situations. Someone who is a salesperson may encounter different situations than someone who is a customer service. Below are some sample answers to the question “what annoys you”
Sample 1
Customer Service Agent in Telecommunication Industry
“It annoys me when customers pour out their anger at the customer service agent of the telecommunication industry. One thing I realized is that customers may not be satisfied with the service the industry offers and they want to show their resentment. I will plead with them and encourage them to be patient with the industry and above all promise them that the industry service will improve“.
Sample 2
A salesman at a Store
“It bothers me a lot when I try to get along with everyone but my co-workers always get on my nerves. I have to respect the fact that my co-workers have different personalities and I have to be patient with them. The most important thing is that customers are happy and the store’s sales keep increasing daily“.
Sample 3
Working in a Construction Site
“It is very irritating if there is teamwork and some co-workers don’t contribute in any way at all. I will try my best to manage the team and work together with the rest of the people in the team in order to achieve our goals“.