How to Deflect Difficult Questions during Interview
“Do you have any other offers?”
Whether it’s in interviews or negotiations, we are frequently asked questions we would rather not answer. An honest answer might weaken our position, compromise our privacy, or disclose sensitive corporate information. But how we respond can impact both our economic outcome and our relationship with the person asking.
We’ve all found ourselves in the situation during a negotiation or interview, faced with a question that feels like a trap? We’ve all been there. The way we handle these questions can significantly influence both our economic outcome and our rapport with the questioner.
Traditionally, there are three common strategies to tackle these direct, difficult questions which I would shortly discuss below:
1. Honesty:
While honesty is generally valued and can make you appear trustworthy and likable, it can also be economically disadvantageous.
For instance, confessing that you don’t have any other job offers might lead to a lower salary proposal.
Truth leads to Trust but is it always the case?
2. Declining to Answer:
You could opt to dodge the question entirely, but this approach can damage your relationship with the other party. People tend to distrust those who withhold information, even more than those who disclose negative information about themselves.
3. Deception:
Lying is another alternative, but it’s a risky one. People tend to dislike, distrust, and often retaliate against those who deceive them.
But what if there was a fourth approach that could help you navigate these tricky waters more effectively? Welcome to the art of deflection.
Deflection:
This strategy involves responding to a direct question with another question, effectively shifting the conversation back to the other person.
For example, if asked, “Do you have any other offers?” you could deflect with, “Are you intending to make me an offer?”
Our research suggests that deflection allows individuals to avoid disclosing costly information, leading to better outcomes than simply declining to answer. Plus, it’s less reputationally risky than deception.
To validate this theory, we conducted a series of experimental studies involving over 2000 participants. The participants, playing the role of art sellers, were paired with art buyers (our research assistants). The sellers were informed that they could command a higher price for their painting if the buyer had other pieces from the same collection.
As a result, our participants almost always asked the buyers if they had other pieces of the collection. We then observed the negotiation process and assessed the outcomes based on the different response strategies used by the buyers.
While the full results of these studies are beyond the scope of this blog post, the initial findings suggest that deflection can be a powerful tool in your negotiation toolkit.
Now the real question arises, how to master this art and succesfully deflect the question without hinting anything.
How to deflect
Deflection can clearly be a useful tool when negotiating or interviewing. When asked a tricky question, it can help you avoid suffering economic or social penalties that might come with being honest, declining to answer, or lying.
However, deflection does not come naturally for many people. So here are some suggestions for effectively deflecting direct questions:
Anticipate the difficult, direct questions you are likely to be asked.
There are times when we are asked questions we don’t want to or cannot or should not answer. For example, in an interview we may be asked questions about our relationship/marital status, age, or political affiliation. Think about questions you don’t want to answer so that you can formulate responses to them.
Develop deflecting questions.
The best deflecting questions stick to the same subject of the question that was initially posed (this helps to maintain the flow of the conversation) and focus on your counterpart (people are often keen to talk about themselves).
Deflection questions that are humorous can also be particularly disarming. For example, in response to the question, “When do you plan on having children?” which by the way is illegal for employers to ask in the U.S., the deflection could be: “Do you have any children?” Or a humorous response might be: “At least 9 months apart. Is there a different norm at this company?”
A little humor can pivot the conversation to a different topic and signal that you want to create a pleasant interaction.
We are often asked direct, difficult questions. Because the will to answer a direct question is so strong, many people offer responses in the moment that they later regret, from revealing costly information to telling a lie. By focusing on how to deflect difficult questions, we can guide a conversation and protect our interests.
So, the next time you find yourself faced with a difficult question during a negotiation or interview, consider deflecting. It might just lead to a better outcome.
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