Plan To Ask No More Than Five Questions During The Interview
Depending on the amount of time the potential employer reserves for the second interview, you may not have a chance to ask more than five questions. Prepare to ask up to 10 questions so that you have more than enough in mind during the interview. Listen for questions from your interviewers that may cover some of your prepared questions. Ask only the most important questions from the 10 youâve prepared.
Whats The Biggest Existential Threat To This Business What Are The Things That Keep You Up At Night
This straight-shooting question comes courtesy of Shreyas Subramaniam, Director of Product Management at Airbase, and should be near the top of the list for any job seeker. Regardless of your role or main priorities for your next gig, sketching out a more nuanced understanding of the business is key to grasping what lies ahead if you join. A variation of this question popped up numerous times in our conversations , so well also share a few alternative ways to approach it:
Kevin Caldwell, Co-founder and CEO of Ossium Health, likes to bifurcate the question this way: What’s the biggest external risk to the company? What is the biggest Internal risk? Which worries you more?
Jake Fuentes, Co-founder and CEO at Cascade, approaches it a bit differently: If the company failed in 18 months, whats the likely reason why? Now lets say its a breakout success, what was the critical thing it did right? I find this two-pronged approach reveals the real risk factors and opportunities for the business and perhaps more importantly how clear leadership is on those areas, he says.
Can You Tell Me More About A Typical Workday In This Position
Interviewers can offer you details about the duties and responsibilities for a typical workday. They might let you know about what time you may start your day, when to take your lunch, what time you can take a break, how much work employees produce in a typical day and what time your workday ends. This gives you an idea of what your workflow could be like.
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How To Assess A Second Interview
- Ask more in-depth second round interview questions to discover your candidates strengths and weaknesses. Include:
Second Interview Questions To Ask
Here are examples of questions you can ask during a second job interview:
- What can I tell you about my qualifications for the position?
- What are the top three qualities are you looking for in the person you will hire?
- What is the most challenging part of this job?
- How would you describe the culture here?
- How many people are in this department, and what’s its organizational structure?
- What is the biggest challenge someone will face in this job in the first six months?
- If I were to be hired for the job, how would you complete this sentence: “Whatever you do, ______________”
- How do you think an employee in this position could best impact the company?
- What sort of management style would you say you have?
- What do you like most about working for the company?
- Can I provide you with additional references?
- What is the next step in the hiring process?
- When can I expect your hiring decision?
- If I were to be offered the job, when would you like me to start?
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What Do You Most Dislike About Front Desk Work
Important Points to Address: Whenever asked about what you dislike in a role, it is best to pick something that is only a surface observation and isnt a real objection.
Example Answer:The only thing I dislike is dealing with angry customers. However, most people are reasonable. When dealing with upset customers, I make it my duty to give them a great interaction remembering theyre not usually angry at us. Theyve just had a bad day.
Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years
While it is definitely a common interview question, a candidate’s answer will let you see whether their goals are in line with those of your company. If you have not asked this question in a first interview, using it as a second interview question can give you a sense of whether an interviewee sees themselves in the industry for the long term. Candidates who are genuinely interested in your company and the position are more likely to have advancement goals, while those who are less invested may answer more vaguely.
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Can You Type And Talk At The Same Time
Important Points to Address: Talk about controlling the speed and flow of conversation and good note-taking practice.
Example Answer:Yes, I have a lot of experience answering queries and taking notes while on the phone. I can touch type at near dictation speeds, and I am also experienced with controlling the speed and flow of conversation so that I can type what I need to as I go without the conversation getting away from me.
Interview Questions For Administration
Administrative positions cover a broad range of important operational duties. Work history requirements will vary depending on the available position, but the best candidates for administration-related roles are diligent, organized, and have strong verbal and written communication skills.
Combine operational, role-specific, and behavioral questions to get a better understanding of what attributes each candidate may bring to the position.
Top 3 Administration interview questions
Here are the most common interview questions for admin positions:
- In what ways have you improved efficiency at work?
- What does managing up mean to you? In what ways have you done that?
- How would you prioritize your work if different managers assigned you tasks due at the same time?
Other interview questions for Administration positions
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How Do You Personally Learn How To Be More Inclusive What’s An Example Of A Situation In Which These Learnings Have Changed The Way You Do Your Job
Aubrey Blanche, Director of Equitable Design and Impact at Culture Amp, and a self-described Mathpath is laser focused on building a more equitable future. This interview question for candidates goes beyond the birds eye view of the companys diversity and inclusion efforts as a whole, and zooms in on the individual commitment to moving the needle on these goals.
She also dives into how the team is folding DEI principles into everyday work with this follow-up question: How do you ensure that your team isnt just building for themselves and their needs?
Tell Me About A Few Of The First Things You Would Do In This Role
Employers ask this question to gain insight into your ideas and how you might apply them. Your answer should align with the companys goals in some way. Discuss specific things that you’d want to accomplish early on to make a positive impact. When planning your answer, spend time researching the company by exploring their company website and reading recent press releases and other news articles. Here is an example:
Example answer:Because I understand your groups biggest pain point to be inefficiencies and lack of organization, my first priority would be to streamline office processes. Part of this would be implementing an online appointment booking system that would reduce errors and optimize the efforts of the sales team. I would also comb through the current office budget to ensure that the company is getting the best deals on supplies and working with reliable vendors.
Why this is a good answer: It draws on information the candidate has received about pain points for the company and explains exactly how they will address them in the short-term. It also shows they were actively listening and interested in addressing the issues of the company instead of creating their own priorities.
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How You Run Meetings
How you run meetings? Has it changed in recent years?
A great candidate will have a basket of tools and tricks that they have developed over time to help accomplish the work at hand. No one tool is right for every purpose or need, so the candidate should show that they are open to experiment over time and seek to learn from others what works best to achieve desired outcomes.
, CEO at Ladders, a leading job search site.
What Challenges Do You Lack At Your Current Job
This question taps into candidates professional self-awareness, too, while focusing on their perceived career journey. Some candidates will tell you about how your client portfolio is appealing to them or how they could learn new skills while working for you.
Underneath the surface, we are asking them the same things: why do you want to leave your current job and what do you think makes you a good addition to our company.
However, not many hiring managers or CEOs ask this question, unfortunately. Most of them stop when the candidate answers, I want more professional challenges this is why I want to leave my former employer. But what challenges may those be?
Again, you should expect a speech focused on professional growth, but dont dismiss candidates who tell you they want to learn how to work better in larger teams, for instance.
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Common Second Interview Questions
Related: Top 6 Common Interview Questions and Answers
Jenn, an Indeed Career Coach, breaks down the intentions behind employer’s questions and shares strategies for crafting strong responses.
Let’s take a closer look at some frequently asked second interview questions with example answers so you can feel prepared and confident for the next step:
What strengths will you bring to this position?
Tell me about a few of the first things you would do in this role.
What type of work environment do you prefer?
What are your career goals in the short and long term?
What salary would you expect for this role?
Why are you the best fit for this role?
What management style do you find works best for you?
Is there anything youd like to discuss from your initial interviews?
Where do you see yourself in the next five years? 10 years?
Tell me about a time you experienced conflict with a colleague.
Were experiencing challenges with ____ right now. How would you approach this?
How are you motivated?
Whats missing in your current job?
Do you have any questions for us?
How To Prepare For A Second Job Interview
The good news is that you made it through the first round of job interviews congratulations! You obviously impressed and are a serious contender for the job.
But now you face the hurdle of the second job interview. Its time to seal the deal you need to know what youre in for and go armed with a strategy for success.
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Whats Different About A Second Interview
A first stage interview is generally used to test your basic competencies, discuss your career history and to generally get a feel as to whether your personality would be a good fit. The line of questioning will commonly be aligned to your CV and to the job description. You will likely have been asked to share a bit about yourself and your motivations and will have had the chance to ask questions of your own. Having been invited back for a second interview you can safely assume that you answered these questions satisfactorily and that you impressed the interview panel. They are already picturing you in the role but have some further questions to challenge whether they are ready to offer you the role.
The second interview is designed to ascertain what separates you from the other candidates they are considering. Theyll look to work out what your working style is, what specific abilities and experience you have that will allow you to succeed, and will most likely address any question marks they had about you from the first interview. You may also meet with other members of the organisation, those who you will potentially be working closely with. Furthermore, many second stage interviews require you to prepare a presentation, a report or something which challenges you to showcase your capabilities and suitability for the position.
What Would : 1’s Be Like With My Direct Manager What Types Of Topics Would We Discuss
While on its face, this might not seem to be a question specifically about DEI, Howard Ekundayo, Engineering Manager at Netflix, finds it can reveal how much leadership makes the effort to include every voice and show up for employees especially when folks on their team cant set aside external stressors when they sit down at their desks in the morning. This question can provide insight into the degree to which a manager is inclusive, empathetic and transparent, he says. Our manager’s style of leadership can significantly impact our overall success and growth in a specific role. Given the impact of COVID-19, the heightened coverage of systemic injustices, and anxiety stemming from the political climate , it’s important now more than ever that we can depend on the necessary level of support from leadership.
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How Do You Stay Focused And Motivated During A Long Shift
Important Points to Address: Talk about being motivated by work as it is always viewed well by employers.
Example Answer:Staying focused is easy for me. There is always something to be done, so theres no reason to lose focus. If I do notice I am losing my edge, I will get a coffee and have a snack, or if someone can cover for me, Ill take a 5-minute walk and have a glass of water. I find this is a natural and effective way to re-energize.
How Would Your Past Coworkers Describe You
This is another second interview question designed to dig deeper into your personality and work style.
To prepare, think about some positive things that coworkers would say about you, and why.
The why is important, because the hiring manager is very likely to follow up and ask this!
So whatever you choose to say, make sure you have reasons to back it up.
Heres a good example answer:
My coworkers would describe me as someone whos strong at problem solving and who stays calm under pressure. In my last job, our team leader was out with a serious illness for a week, and we ran into a couple of last-minute issues during a big product launch. I stayed late every night, delegated tasks to the other team members, and made sure the launch went smoothly.
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Interview Questions For Accounting And Finance
When interviewing for accounting and finance positions, youre searching for a motivated, detail-oriented individual with work experience thats relevant to your companys specific needs. Situational and process-based questions can provide insight into the kind of work they did in prior positions.
Accounting-related tasks are often routine and repetitive. Hiring a candidate with critical thinking or problem-solving skills is more likely to lead to improved systems and an increase in productivity.
Top 3 Accounting and Finance interview questions
Here are the most common interview questions for accounting and finance positions:
- Describe an accounting process that you developed or improved.
- Describe a time you helped your company reduce costs.
- How would you set up an internal control system for processing invoices?
Other interview questions for Accounting and Finance positions
Why Are You The Best Choice For This Position
Most of the questions asked at a second interview offer the candidate a chance to prove why they’re a good choice for the position. However, this question also allows candidates to effectively and succinctly pitch themselves â something disinterested candidates may not be able to do.
This question is also indirectly asking candidates about their greatest strengths, and a good answer will cover both job-specific skills and how the candidate fits into the company culture. An answer that focuses only on job skills may mean the candidate has not looked into company culture . On the other hand, a candidate who only or primarily discusses culture fit and soft skills may not believe that they are fully qualified.
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If After 12 Months Ive Failed Where Did We Go Wrong
Nikhyl Singhal, VP of Product at , most often finds this question phrased as What does success look like in the first year? But in his experience, he gets much clearer answers by eyeing failure instead. The top reason why a new hire is a poor fit in a company is kind of obvious they fail to meet the bar set for them. This angle allows me to tie together expectations, past failures for new hires, and the greatest strengths and weaknesses they see within my background so far, he says. Singhals got an eye for long-term thinking his Review article on crafting your product team at every stage of the company journey remains a gold standard for product leaders, and hes even got his own newsletter dedicated to doling out top-notch career advice.
