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Contrary Evidence QuestionsFiled Under: General

At first, this type of question seems tricky and may feel uncomfortable to ask. But the intent of contrary evidence questions is not to trick or trap a candidate, but to drill down to reveal what’s behind a candidate’s past work experiences. Contrary evidence questions are an effective tool to use in exploring the degree and refinement of a candidate’s skills.

Contrary evidence questions have two parts: the first part describes a situation that is somewhat negative; the second part asks for behavioral evidence that demonstrates action taken by the candidate that was contrary to the precipitating situation. The second part of the question is asked only after the first part has been answered. For example:

Interviewer: “What things make you angry?”

After candidates answer the question by telling the interviewer all the things that make them angry, the second part of the question is then asked:

Interviewer: “How do you deal with each of those situations?”

Here are a few more contrary evidence questions to consider:

• “Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision about a matter that wasn’t covered by a company policy. What did you do?”
• “Do you have job-related areas that you need to improve? Tell me about a time that illustrates your need for improvement.”
• “What experience have you had dealing with subordinates with performance problems? Give me an example of a recent problem and how you resolved it.”
• “What were the major obstacles that you encountered in your present job? Tell me how you overcame each of them.”

At least one contrary evidence question should be included in every structured behavioral interview. The ability to positively impact negative situations is of vital importance. Questions that begin with behavioral negatives tend to take candidates off guard a bit, but result in excellent
behavioral evidence that is very valuable.

Taken From: 10 Minute Guide to Conducting a Job Interview