How To Answer “What Did You Like Least About Your Last Job?” (With Examples)

Answering, “What did you like least about your last job?” can feel a bit like a trap. You know interviewers want to know why you’re looking for a change, but you also don’t want to be overly negative or angry.

If you’re currently employed and preparing to interview for a role at a different company, keep reading. You’ll likely be asked something along the lines of, “What did you not like about your last job?” and we’ll help you prepare a tactful answer to this question.

Key Takeaways:

• This is a tricky question to navigate in a job interview, and if you aren’t prepared for it, your answer may seriously hurt your chances of being hired for the position.

• When answering this question, it’s important to stay positive, focus on the question, and turn the conversation back to your strengths.

• It’s important not to talk badly about your previous boss and place of employment because it could come back to haunt you later on.

How to answer, “What did you like least about your last job?”

To answer, “What did you like least about your last job?” address the question in three parts: a positive introduction, a task-oriented explanation, and a conclusion that highlights your strengths.

Remember to think of this question as more along the lines of, “What frustrations in your current job would you like to avoid in your next job?” rather than, “Who drove you crazy at your last job?” as you craft your answer.

1. Start positive. List at least one positive part about your job, such as the opportunity to work with a team of innovators or develop a skill that you’re passionate about.

2. Stay focused on the tasks. Criticizing the company or coworkers at your old job can lead to messy politics, especially if the hiring manager knows people who work there.

   Instead of disparaging a person, choose a specific example of clearly unreasonable expectations put on you, such as consistently working sixty-hour weeks when you had been told in your interview that you would work forty except in rare circumstances.

   Or, talk about how the position or company culture wasn’t what you were looking for. This way you can be honest about the problems without blaming any one person.

3. Turn the conversation back to your strengths. There are two common ways to do this:

   • Share which strengths you weren’t able to use in your last role. To set yourself up for this, try to focus on a barrier that prevented you from playing to your strengths in the rest of your answer.

     What Did You Like Least About Your Last Job Strengths Example Answer:

     “The unreasonable amount of paperwork I was required to do prevented me from doing what I was hired to do and what I do best, which is working with people and forming connections with clients.”

   • Explain how the challenges you listed were excellent learning opportunities that helped you develop additional skills and learn how to adapt to the situation.

     What Did You Like Least About Your Last Job Learning Opportunities Example Answer:

     “The disorganization across the company as a whole helped me understand how being organized impacts productivity, and I was inspired to make organization a personal goal. My stress level and work output drastically improved when I started implementing these new measures into my daily routine.”

“What did you like least about your last job?” sample answers

Here are some good and bad examples of how to answer, “What did you like least about your last job?” to help you get a better idea of what your answer should look like.

Good example answers to “What did you like least about your last job?”:

1. What Did You Like Least About Your Last Job Lack of Communication Example Answer:

   “I feel like I learned a lot during my time with the company. Unfortunately, because the company was growing so quickly, there was a lot of disorganization that resulted in frequent managerial changes and different people giving different sets of instructions.

   “While the inconsistencies were frustrating, I better appreciate the importance of clear communication and feel that I am better prepared for fast-paced and rapidly changing environments.”

   Why it works: This is a well-rounded response that focuses on how the company’s weaknesses made the employee recognize the importance of team communication and develop additional skills to adapt in a disorganized environment.

   This would be a great lead-in to another common interview question: “Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work.”

2. What Did You Like Least About Your Last Job No Growth Opportunities Example Answer:

   “I work with a great team of people, but there isn’t room to grow within the company. The only way I can be promoted above my current level is if someone retires or leaves. I’m looking for an opportunity that would allow me to keep developing my skills and work my way up to positions of leadership.”

   Why it works: Stressing the importance of flourishing within a company and taking on additional responsibilities over time is a good strategy. It shows that you are ready to thrive in the right environment.

3. What Did You Like Least About Your Last Job Excessive Busy Work Example Answer:

   “I had some excellent opportunities to work with big clients. My least favorite part of the job was the excessive amount of paperwork that prevented me from spending more time doing what I’m good at, which is talking to people and forming connections with potential new clients.”

   Why it works: The word “excessive” is key in this reply because it indicates that the employee doesn’t necessarily hate paperwork in general, but rather, an unreasonable amount of paperwork that detracts from the employee’s passions and strengths.

Bad example answers and how to fix them:

1. Unreasonable Boss Bad Example Answer:

   “My boss was overbearing and unreasonable.”

   Why it doesn’t work: Criticizing your former boss isn’t going to reassure a new employer that you’ll be able to follow instructions and work well under the leadership of a supervisor. Are you going to have that same attitude if a new boss critiques your work?

   Unreasonable Boss Better Example Answer:

   “When I accepted this job, I was told that I would be expected to work 45-50 hours a week, on average. I was fine with that, but I quickly learned that the expectation is actually to work closer to 60 hours a week every week, which I can’t do regularly.”

2. Looking for a Challenge Bad Example Answer:

   “The repetitive work became tedious. I need a challenge.”

   Why it doesn’t work: While it’s good that you like to be challenged, most jobs have a repetitive routine. The hiring manager would have good reason to be worried that you will leave if you aren’t adequately challenged. This kind of response also calls into question your attention span and ability to focus.

   Looking for a Challenge Better Example Answer:

   “I got some great experience in this role, but the nature of the company doesn’t have a lot of room to try new strategies and ideas. I’m always drawn to trying new things and learning new skills, so I was intrigued when I saw that the job description for this position listed innovation as a key component.”

3. Not Enough Flexibility Bad Example Answer:

   “I didn’t have enough flexibility with my schedule.”

   Why it doesn’t work: Employers want stability and dependability. This type of response indicates that you’re likely to abuse sick days and exhaust your requests for time off, or show up late and leave early.

   Even if you justify your response by trying to work around schedules for dependents, it still leaves a bad impression for a boss who would rather hire a reliable employee who’s able to work a full shift.

   Not Enough Flexibility Better Example Answer:

   “I love my job, but I had some unexpected personal responsibilities arise, and I realized that I wouldn’t be able to fulfill those and my responsibilities with my job. So, I decided to look for a part-time role like this one that I know I can fully keep my commitments to.”

4. Company Stability Bad Example Answer:

   “The company has a high turnover rate, and I had four bosses in two years. I need more stability.”

   Why it doesn’t work: Even if the company you are applying to is currently in a stable position right now, it may not be in the future, especially in a tumultuous economy. A hiring manager may be concerned that you wouldn’t be able to withstand company transitions or growth challenges.

   Company Stability Better Example Answer:

   “I’ve had several different managers while working in this role, and I’ve really enjoyed working with all of them. Each transition in leadership brought temporary disorganization and confusion to our department, though, and having so many transitions in such a short time really hurt our productivity and minimized our opportunity to develop our skills.

   “I learned how to adapt to change and new leadership well, but I’m looking forward to working in a role where I can have the opportunity to develop my skills and learn from more experienced coworkers and leaders.”

5. Not Getting Along With Coworkers Bad Example Answer:

   “I wasn’t getting along with my coworkers.”

   Why it doesn’t work: Immediate red flag. Employers want team players. If you were having so many issues with your colleagues, you aren’t likely to fit in with a new team, either.

   Not Getting Along With Coworkers Better Example Answer:

   “I’ve really enjoyed getting to work with a wide variety of people in this role, but I’ve found that it’s important to me that I’m around people who care about their work and the company’s mission. Unfortunately, that isn’t the culture that my current team cultivates, so I was excited to see how much your company values respect and passion for your work.”

Why do interviewers ask, “What do you like least about your job?”

Interviewers ask what you didn’t like about your current or most recent job to find out what you’re looking for in a job and how you respond to negative or unpleasant circumstances.

• Interviewers want to see if the job fits what you’re looking for. New hires who sign on for jobs that aren’t a good fit aren’t likely to stick around long. This is expensive for companies, so interviewers work hard to make sure the candidate’s expectations and the job’s requirements are aligned.

  If you say you didn’t like how fast-paced your last role was and you’re interviewing for an equally fast-paced position, interviewers will see that you probably won’t thrive in this position.

  Similarly, if you’re complaining about growing bored with repetitive tasks, a hiring manager may believe you’ll become bored at their company as well if the position you’re applying for has some repetitive tasks (and most do).

• Employers are judging your character to see if you’re the type of person who focuses on the negative or finds opportunities to stay positive. An optimistic personality is a better asset to a team than a downer who doesn’t seem to get along with anyone, and this personality trait is often revealed in your answer to the question, “What did you like least about your last job?”

  If you’re being interviewed for an internal position within the same company, a positive answer is even more important. Trashing another department or supervisor isn’t just likely to prevent you from getting that promotion; you might find your existing job in jeopardy as well.

Being expected to answer, “What did you like least about your job?” is about as predictable as being asked, “Why are you looking for a new job?”

Potential new hires don’t hesitate to rattle off a list of accomplishments and strengths in an interview, but by seeking a negative response, employers have the opportunity to get a glimpse at your flaws, even if you don’t realize you’re revealing them. This is why it’s so important to craft a tactful, positive answer to this question.

Common mistakes to avoid when answering, “What was least satisfying about your job?”

Avoid speaking resentfully about your former employer and coworkers, sharing too many details about what you disliked, or making it sound like you don’t have any perseverence or adaptability.

• Don’t bash your former company, boss, and/or coworkers. Even though they may have been the sorriest, most incompetent bunch of morons you’ve ever had the displeasure of working with, you aren’t going to score any points by complaining to your potential new boss.

  Whatever you tell the interviewer is just hearsay, and keep in mind there’s a chance he or she might know someone who works at the company you’re leaving.

• Don’t drone on and on about every single bad thing that happened at your old job. Yes, the interviewer opened the door, but no, you’re not supposed to waltz right through it. That’s part of the trap; it’s a test to see how you respond.

  Are you the type of person to whine and complain about everything and make excuses, or the type to stay focused and remain positive? That is what the employer is deciding about you when they ask this question.

• Don’t say you left because you were bored. This immediately raises a red flag about your perseverance. A reasonable employer would have to wonder if you’re flaky and likely to quit as soon as you get bored at this new job, too.

Negativity will have to be part of the answer based on the nature of the question, but the best responses are the ones that take a negative and turn it into a positive that shows off your strengths.

Because of the artful complexity of formulating a strong answer, “just winging it” is not a good strategy to take. Expect this question to arise and properly prepare for it, especially if you’ve made it to the final interview stage where you’re being closely critiqued on every answer.

“What did you like least about your last job?” FAQ

1. How do you explain why you left a job you didn’t like?

   Explain why you left a job you didn’t like by framing your reason as positively as possible, focusing on your skills rather than your complaints. In other words, don’t rant about your terrible boss, boring work, or low pay. Express your gratitude for that position and then focus on your desire for a new challenge, a chance to develop your skills, or even a collaborative work culture.

2. How do you answer, “What did you like least about this company?” in an exit interview?

   Answer, “What did you like least about this company?” in an exit interview by saying something positive and then being truthful without complaining or pointing fingers.

   For example, if you felt like you weren’t being challenged, you could say, “Overall, I really enjoyed my time here. If I had to name an area of improvement, it would be encouraging employees to expand their skillsets and take on new responsibilities. I think there are a lot of really talented people here who could contribute a lot more to the company if this was a focus.”

Final thoughts

When a hiring manager inevitably asks what you liked least about your job, it’s tempting to seize the opportunity to bad-mouth your former company and coworkers. But by falling into that trap, you’re drastically reducing the chances of being hired.

The most important takeaways are:

• Turn the negative into a positive.

• Focus on a negative element of the job instead of the company or the people.

• Redirect to highlight your strengths.

By putting some serious thought into your answer, you will not only stand apart from less-prepared candidates but also drastically increase your chances to make a good first impression on an interviewer.

Planning for the most commonly asked questions in a job interview will give you an edge over the competition.

The strongest candidates are ready for anything, from the beginning of the interview when asked, “How did you hear about this position?” to the end when an employer finishes with, “Do you have any questions for me?”

References

1. Oregon Health and Science University – How to Answer the 64 Toughest Interview Questions

3. Clarkson University – Common and Difficult Interview Questions

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.