Why does a potential employer ask the question what turns you off?

There are several reasons:

A good interviewer often doesn't care HOW you answer a question - they are more interested in seeing how you respond to the stress of being caught off guard. Do you sweat? Do you stammer and stutter? Do you get all shaken up under pressure? This may be a test to see how you would perform on the job.

The interviewer could also be setting you up to see if you will start venting about your old boss or your former colleagues. Are you the type of person to point the finger or to complain openly about other people's work habits? If so, this may suggest to the interviewer that you are not a team player?

The interviewer may be trying to determine if you are focused on the JOB interview. If you start talking about things that turn you off OUTSIDE the work environment, then he/she may think you are not focused on the job at hand.

The important thing to keep in mind during an interview is that the company is basically trying to find out WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM. You need to practice rehearsing your answers so that you can turn your replies into a positive answer that offers a benefit to the company. So, for example, if an interviewer asks you "What turns you off?" you might reply:

"Well, I pride myself in always wanting to learn as much as I can about my job or the career I am involved with. So, I don't always feel challenged by jobs that are routine or mundane. I enjoy the challenge of facing something new every day, and I believe that when a person is motivated by their job, they are better, happier employees."

See? That's an example of how to turn something negative into something positive.

As a final thought, there are a lot sites on the internet that offer good interview questions. Find them. Practice them. Learn what to expect and how to handle "hard" questions."

Good luck with your interviewing.

He's testing you to see if you'd be a complainer or not. If you answer the question with a positive response, like "trying to work with someone that's not a team player or someone that can't see the bigger picture" you are going to score more points than if you said rainy days and wet dogs.

Maybe to see how you handle the question?

Can you give us an example of the question?