Seven Great Questions to Ask at a Job Interview
If you are going for an interview as a prospective employee then you should do some research. Read the job description and requirements carefully. Browse the web site to see how the organization presents itself. Search for news items and comments about the company on news sites and blogs.
For the interview itself you should dress smartly and appropriately. It is important to have some questions prepared and here are a few that could really help:
1. What exactly would my day-to-day responsibilities be? It is essential that you clearly understand your role and the tasks that you would be expected to undertake. It is easy to make assumptions and get the wrong impression of what the work would be so it is vital for both sides that there is clarity in what is expected of you. If the interviewer cannot give a clear answer then this is a worrying sign, so politely follow up with more questions. Some people even ask to see exactly where they will sit.
2. What are the opportunities for training and career advancement? This question serves two purposes. It helps you to understand where the job might lead and what skills you might acquire. It also signals that you are ambitious and thinking ahead.
3. What is the biggest challenge facing the organization today? This sort of question takes the interview away from the detail and towards strategic issues. It allows to you see and discuss the bigger picture. It proves that you are interested in more than just the 9 to 5 aspects of the job. It can lead to interesting discussions that can show you in a good light – especially if you have done some intelligent preparation. If appropriate you can follow up this question with some questions about the objectives of the department and the manager who is interviewing you.
4. When did you join? After the interviewer has asked a number of questions about you it can make a good change to ask a gentle question about them. People often like talking about themselves and if you can get them talking about their progress in the company you can learn useful and interesting things.
5. What are the criteria that you are looking for in the successful candidate for this position? The job advertisement may have listed what was wanted in a candidate but it is very useful to hear the criteria directly from the interviewer. The more that you can discover about what they want and how they will make the decision the better placed you are to influence that decision.
6. How do you feel that I measure up to your requirements for this position? This follows on naturally from the previous questions. It may seem a little pushy but it is a perfectly fair thing to ask. In sales parlance this is a ‘trial close’. If they say that you are a good fit then you can ask whether there is any reason you might not be offered the job. If they say that you are lacking in some key skill or attribute then you can move into objection handling mode and point out some relevant experience or a countervailing strength.
7. Would you like to hear what I could do to really help your department? If you want the job then this is a great question to ask at the end of the interview. Most interviewers will reply, ‘Yes.’ Drawing on what you have learnt in the conversation, you can give a short sales pitch on why you fit the criteria and why your strengths and ideas will siginficantly assist the boss to meet their objectives. Make it short, direct and clear with the emphasis on the benefits for them of having you in the team. At the end ask something like, ‘how does that sound?’
Many candidates take a passive role at the interview. They competently answer the questions that are put to them but they never take the initiative by asking intelligent questions that steer the interview in a helpful direction. If you are a proactive candidate who asks the sorts of questions given above then you will be seen as more dynamic and you will significantly increase your chances of being offered the job.
WRITER'S BIOGRAPHY
Paul Sloane
Paul Sloane is an author and speaker on leadership, innovation and lateral thinking. His most recent book is The Innovative Leader. He helps organizations improve innovation, creativity and leadership. He is the founder of Destination Innovation. He has written 15 books of lateral thinking puzzles and hosts the lateral puzzles forum.Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/PaulSloane.
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Comments
TD says on June 30th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Harry Brown’s book on selling goes into this topic, covering job interviews. According to Harry, the secret is “find the hiring manager’s motivation and appeal to it.” This relates to Question #3 above. You can read more about Harry’s method at http://www.marketingbullets.com/bullet29.htm
alex says on June 30th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
One thing I’ve learned is to ask “Where will I be sitting?” After an internship in a temporary workspace out in the hall, across from the bathrooms, I’ll never not ask that question again. I don’t care how good the job sounds, if they’re going to toss you in a closet or somewhere equally as bad, it’s not worth it.
Sondra says on June 30th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
This is so true. I asked a question similiar to #5, and I believe it made all the difference in how my interview went (I got the job). My interviewer actually looked really surprised I had asked anything, and said “wow, what a great question!”
Steve says on June 30th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
“Have you stopped beating your wife?”
David Locke says on June 30th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
How recently has your HR department measured management egos to ensure legal requirements?
When were you last cited for fire code violations?
Why did the last person quit? In alternative, why was the last guy fired? No, not the cover story, the truth?
pbrannigan says on July 1st, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Tell me about the financial stability of the company?
If I talked to your customers what would they like about the company?
Tell me about the most successful person you have worked with that has had my position? What were the attributes that made them win?
As a manager, tell me about your style please? What drives you nuts? (better to find out now)
Describe the corporate culture?
My advice is always do your homework.
1. Download the white papers and read them and take notes. Bring them with you to the interview for reference and for reading material while you wait even if you have read them.
2. Google your interviewer
3. Look up other people in the company on linkedin with similar titles or in the same department. Look at their background and tenure. Did they stay? Did they get promoted? What types of colleges did they go to and where! Very important especially in large metro areas where many people are transplants.
Rich says on July 1st, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I also ask:
What the employee turnover is?
Is this a new position? if not..
How much time did the person who left give the organization?
Do people not care about the organization and want to get away? Or do people care and care about their work and stay as long as needed until they get hired.
Dan says on July 2nd, 2009 at 12:54 am
“Would you like to hear what I could do to really help your department?” What a condescending, cliched, circle jerk of a thing to say. If at the END of the interview you haven’t been asked or indirectly answered this question, something is grossly wrong. How you can help IS the job, telling them such is the JOB INTERVIEW.
Tuplad says on July 3rd, 2009 at 4:51 am
This is great!
James says on July 3rd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Great questions; however, I already ask them. And the interesting part of it is is that THEY feel threatened when I ask them as opposed to being positive. However, I will agree on the questions being asked as it will separate the wheat from the chaff.
Jake Rhodes says on July 5th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
It’s very important to ask questions such as these at a job interview. The one I’ve always found to impress the interviewer the most is to ask about training and advancement opportunities. It lets them know you’re serious about bettering yourself and the company.
Rick says on July 9th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Question 2 is best saved for a later interview. It may be information you want to have for evaluating the job and the company but it is similar to asking a question about benefits, vacation and holidays. The interviewer is most likely interested in filling a job opening not in furthering your career. “Ambitious” and “thinking ahead” are qualites you need to get your next job but not this one.
Paul says on July 10th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
No. 6 has seriously backfired on me before. I asked it, almost exactly like it’s phrased here, and the interviewer sat there dumbfounded for a moment. Then she responded: “Never, never ask that question again. If you don’t know how you measure up, and if you can’t tell me that yourself, then you have no business being here.”
Jeff says on July 10th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Thanks Paul and commenters! I have an interview Monday, you are all on my weekend reading list.
jeremiah says on July 10th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
I always ask if they press charges. That’s important to me.
Tom says on July 11th, 2009 at 12:40 am
Ask them if they test for drugs. If they say yes, ask them if they test for PCP. If they say yes, roll your eyes and sigh dramatically.
Greg says on July 11th, 2009 at 4:11 am
I personally like “Where’s the bathroom?” It shows your human side.
omgavon says on July 11th, 2009 at 7:42 am
I’m thrilled to see that someone else interviews the interviewer. As an employee, it has always been important for me to make sure that I was as much of a fit for me as it is for them. I’ve walked on several job offers because I didn’t care for the answers I received.
I’ve learned to ask, “To whom will I report?”. It is shocking how many times I am interviewed by someone other than the direct manager. Since that relationship is important for me, I want to make sure that I can get along and trust that person during the interview process.
I also have learned to say at the end of the interview, “Great. Now, what are the next steps?”. It’s a bit of a Jedi-mind trick that secures your place in the role. An interview on his/her toes will respond, “You’ll come back for a second interview” (and then I’ll ask for a date and time as I take out a pen and datebook), or “we would like to see you present”, or “I would like to see you start this Monday at 10am.”.
Whether I’m doing corporate training, a public speaking gig, or selling Avon – these tricks work for me.
Ashish Thakur says on July 11th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Paul – Excellent article that even I learnt from and had some additional comments on some of the questions. I have excerpted your article onto my blog (mentioned above) with some inline comments. Hope you will have a chance to go through and provide feedback
PD says on July 12th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Spell check please.
Jobs in the Philippines says on July 12th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Always prepare questions, but those that are not answered in the company’s website or those you have not discussed. Asking questions shows you are interested to know more about the company or the job.
Twin XL says on July 16th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
This is a tremendous help to me for future interviews! Thank you so much for the post and the following comments!!
Used Trucks says on July 21st, 2009 at 9:34 am
this is really useful, i can never think of anything to ask in interviews
daniel says on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:53 am
It helps you to understand where the job might lead and what skills you might acquire.
medical jobs says on November 20th, 2009 at 3:42 am
This list of the questions you should think over is not that original but still these questions are really nice to bear in them in mind when your job search is almost over and you are going yo the interview!
Beth Figuls says on November 30th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
That is the ugliest stock photo of hands I have ever seen!!!