Is it OK to say I don’t know at a job interview?
Do you need to know all the answers at an interview to get the job?
Is an interview a conversation or a tick-box exercise?
There are some heart-rending stories on LinkedIn about the number of applications that people are having to make before they even get an interview. But if you get to the interview stage, how do you make sure that you get a company that is right for you?
A close friend who has worked in permanent and contract roles over the past 10 years has recently applied for a few positions. I was interested to hear how she approached her latest attempts at securing a job.
She told me that for this round of job applications, she had decided just to be really honest at interview and if she didn’t know the answer to one of the questions, she would say so. I said that might be risky but she then went on to say that she would make some suggestions and see how they responded. She wanted to know if they would be curious and continue the conversation or just move on to the next question.
I wasn’t sure whether what she was doing was a good idea. I’ve always been someone who prepared really carefully for interviews and tried to have endless examples and answers for everything that might be thrown at me. I always felt that it would be bad if I couldn’t give a knowledgeable answer to every question.
As the interviews progressed, it became clear that her strategy was working and eventually she was offered 2 good roles. She then had the difficult (but nice problem) of deciding which role to take. This is what I learned from her approach:
From the employer’s perspective:
The interview technique of saying ‘I don’t know’ worked for them because it showed she was honest
When she offered suggestions it showed she could think on her feet
She came across as relaxed and confident - it did not phase her if she couldn’t answer the question
From her perspective:
She was attracted to the company she chose because the interview felt more like a conversation
They were interested and open to her ideas - that made her want to work with them. She felt they would value her contribution
She chose the role with the company that seemed genuinely interested in her ideas even though they offered less money
Clearly you can’t say ‘I don’t know’ to too many questions, but my friend's experience reminded me that a job interview is a two-way process. It’s your chance to see how your potential new employer will behave. Are they open to new ideas? Do they respect your honesty? Or is their interview process more about ticking boxes?
The next time you’re in a situation where you’re asked a difficult question why not have the confidence to say ‘I don’t know’ and get into creative idea-sharing with curiosity.
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