Have you ever been asked, “What did you like least about your last job?“ in a job interview? This question can be tricky to answer, and can jeopardize your candidacy if you’re not careful in your response.
Why do they ask this question?
Potential employers will ask this question because they want to know what you didn’t like about your previous positions. They will ask this to be better able to assess if you’ll be happy with the position you’re interviewing for. If the positions are similar, you might be unhappy again.
Be honest, but don’t badmouth your previous employer.
The intent of a question like this is to open up an opportunity for you to discuss how you overcame specific challenges in your career. If you focus your answer on what you felt your previous managers or the company did wrong, the interviewer may perceive this as bad-mouthing your previous employer and it still doesn’t specifically answer the question.
It’s never a good idea to speak negatively of your former bosses or co-workers in an interview. Instead, focus your answer on the physical or mental aspects of the job that you didn’t like as much.
Focus on the work, not the people or office politics.
Perhaps, you work in an inbound call center, and you answer the same questions every day. You can respond to this question with something like, “I enjoy my work, I just wish the calls had a little more variety, because I like the challenge. I like things that keep me on my toes, it helps me stay sharp and hone my skills.” Or, “I didn’t see opportunity for growth, and I want a position that will allow me to build my career.”