Interviewing and screening applicants is one of the most important jobs of any law firm.  The talent that any attorney, or law firm, surrounds itself with has a great deal to do with the overall success of the organization.

Unfortunately, many law firms don’t have a list in their head of answers that should effectively end the interview.  Instead, most law firms learn the lesson the hard way by hiring individuals that say things that should disqualify them.

They might even take what an applicant says in an interview, even if it doesn’t sound right, and come up with all kinds of positive spins on why the answer isn’t a problem because the applicant looks good on paper or they have a position that must be filled quickly.

One common interview answer is: “I don’t want to be micromanaged.” On the surface, this might not sound like an offensive thing for an applicant to say.  After all, most employers want an employee who can act independently, think and make decisions, exhibit sound judgment, and not require constant supervision, right?

The reality is that when an applicant says something like this, be careful that this is not what they are really saying: “If you hire me, I will do what I want.  I won’t play by the rules.  And I won’t respect your directions.”  Is this what you want from an employee?  I would assume not.

Maybe others have taboo interview answers that they’d like to share.  If so, you can do so below.