What Are Your Salary Expectations
You can use this question to learn the salary range the candidate expects based on the role, their qualifications, expertise, skills, and the industry. It also allows negotiating the candidate’s remuneration to reach an agreement that satisfies both parties. Suppose you discussed salary expectations in the previous interview. In that case, you could consider using a variation of this question, such as, “We discussed your salary expectations in the previous interview. Are you still comfortable with the agreement?”
Example: “For this position, I expect an annual salary between $50,000 and $65,000. While I think this is appropriate for my skill set and experience level, I have no problem discussing the figures in detail. I also expect some performance bonus as I progress in the company.”
Interview Questions For It And Tech
Hiring for IT and tech roles is unique because the roles are so reliant on hard skills and experience. Being proficient is often critical to the functionality of the businessits rarely a role where you can successfully fake it til you make it.
Although a formal education is valuable, hands-on experience and a genuine interest in the field is often even more important since technology changes so rapidly. Strong candidates should have a desire to learn and an interest in acquiring new knowledge.
Top 3 IT and Tech interview questions
Here are the most common interview questions for IT and tech positions:
- How would you spend your first week on the job?
- You have an idea you want to try out quickly enough. What tools would you use to prototype it?
- Describe a commercially successful product that you like. What makes it so successful?
Other interview questions for IT and Tech positions
What Would You Do If You Won $100 Million Dollar In The Lottery
This question will show you which candidates are here for the paycheck and those that are passionate about their careers. If a candidate says, Id quit working and move to Antigua! that tells you theyre here because they have to be. On the other hand, if a candidate says, Id travel and pay off debt but still work because I love what I do! you can see they truly want to work for you and your company.
Example:If I won the lottery, I would pay off my debt, buy my family a new house, get a brand new red Corvette and travel more but continue to work. I love the career Ive chosen and find fulfillment and joy in what I do. Having millions of dollars wouldnt change who I am.
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What Motivates You To Work
It is a simple question but requires the interviewee to exhibit a great amount of thought and often unlocks valuable discussions from a candidate looking internally for what truly motivates them.
If they only answer at the surface level with something like I relish a challenge, this can convey that they are a less-than exceptional candidate.
You may need to probe further do extract a deeper understanding of their motivations.
Can You Describe A Time You Acted As A Leader In A Past Position
This question allows you to give candidates an opportunity to discuss a time when they acted as a leader at work, either naturally or as part of their job description. You can gain insight into how they lead and motivate others, which can be helpful traits for individuals who may be working with others to accomplish shared goals. This question can also help you determine whether a candidate has the capabilities or desire to continue advancing in their career, which may help you decide whether they’d be a good fit for the company.
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How Do You Influence Others To Work With You
In this behavioral question, the hiring manager wants to know how collaborative you are and how you influence people to work with you to accomplish common goals. Give examples of what youve done and how you were able to get others to go along with your leadership. If youve never been a lead on a project, discuss specific team activities or examples from leaders youve followed that you would emulate given a chance to lead a team.
Tom McGee Tom McGee, GM/VP Sales & Marketing Division for executive search firm Lucas Group
If You Could Write Your Own Job Description What Would It Say
After six years of recruiting, Ive realized that the best interview questions are not the initial question posed but the follow-up questions after you receive an initial response from the interviewee. Why, you may ask? The follow-up questions allow me to peel the layers back and see the persons true colors. This is where youre able to genuinely identify the interviewees skill alignment and culture alignment.
One of my favorite questions is, If you could write your own job description, what would itsay?
As the interviewee responds, I make sure to follow up and ask:
- Why does that matter to you?
- Tell me more about your interest in contributing to those functions?
- What makes you feel confident that you would be an asset in the way you just outlined your ideal job?
I have found that these questions get the interviewee out of interview mode and lend them to honestly reflect on their skills and desires. It is important to consider what their responses mean about them as an individual: work ethic, core motivating factors, where they get their satisfaction, natural leadership tendencies, and many more hard skills and soft skills.
Ashley Irvin is the Growth Talent Manager of Remedy Review
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How Do You Deal With Tight Deadlines
For interviewees, their most ideal answer should be a version of this: I review a list of tasks and analyze what are the most urgent and critical matters. I put the most urgent ones on top of the list.
Next, I focus on each task with complete concentration until I finish it before moving on to the next urgent task.
Why Are You Interested In This Position
A hiring manager may ask this question to learn if a candidate is truly passionate about the position. This question can help them tell whether a candidate researched the company and spent time thinking about the role. A quality answer may include specific details about the company, what qualifications a candidate has for this role and personal interests this job could fulfill for the candidate.
Example:”I am interested in this position because I have always wanted to work for a company that gives back to its community. Upon researching your company, I quickly discovered how much you do for your local food pantry. In college, I actually became a head volunteer for my town’s food pantry, so I have a lot of experience working in this kind of setting. I could add value to this volunteering initiative by conducting community outreach and helping coordinate food drives during holiday seasons.”
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Willow Is An Abomination
3. What Gets You Excited About Coming To Work?
One of the best questions I’m asked is, “What gets you excited about coming to work?” The question speaks directly to an organization’s culture, which is so critical to finding a good fit, from both sides of the table. As a candidate, culture is something I would want to know upfront. – Chad Brown, Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation
Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
4. What Are Your Diversity And Inclusion Policies?
Many companies have yet to implement diversity, equity and inclusion policies. They make public statements on doing better but their processes don’t reflect that. You should ask who exactly you’ll be interviewed by. Companies should strive for diverse interview panels, so if yours consists of all cis white men or women, DEI is clearly not top of mind. If DEI is important to you, this question can highlight their priorities. – Faith Kibria, Milk
5. What Is Your Commitment To Employee Learning?
A question that will get to the heart of career growth and culture is, âWhat is your commitment to employee learning and career development, and how do you help make it happen?â More than ever, learning at work helps keep people engaged and is a way for employers to ensure their staff has the skills needed to meet todayâs unique market needs. Watch for real-life examples and anecdotes. – Jeff Weber, Instructure
What Do You Do When A Decision Is Being Made That You Disagree With
Its impossible to please everybody all of the time, at work and in life. Conflict comes in many forms, and knowing how a candidate reacts when they disagree with a decision can reveal whether or not theyd be a good culture fit for the role or team theyll be working on.
Respectfully voicing a conflicting opinion can also demonstrate a level of interest and a sense of ownership in an outcome, which is a trait that can have many different advantages for your company.
Answer example:
I think its important to try to figure out why the other side thinks the way they do. Even if I dont agree with their perspective, trying to understand the reasoning behind it can be helpful. I also make an effort to communicate my why calmly and clearly and, when possible, suggest alternate solutions that might meet everyones needs. Ultimately, I listen and respond thoughtfully, accept the prevailing outcome, and move on.
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Tell Me About Yourself
As a former hiring manager at two different Fortune ranked companies before entering academia and eventually becoming a tenured management professor, I regularly used open-ended questions of this sort at the beginning of an interview. And since theres really no right answer, its generally a low-stress way to relax applicants and get them talking.
But while there may not be any right answers, there are definitely subjects that wise candidates would avoid during an initial interview. For example, if an applicant is recently divorced and is now the primary caregiver for an elderly parent with Alzheimers disease or has two pre-school toddlers at home, those would generally be topics to avoid during that first interview. So given that caveat, what is a potential employer really looking for? In a single phrase, hiring managers are searching for organizational fit.
As a general proposition, organizations seek people who can help them grow stronger. Thus, they want folks who will solve problems, not create them.
So as much as possible, I looked for applicants who discussed the relevant transferable skills and related work experience that they could bring to a particular job, a work team, and the overall organization. Further, answering while weaving in the notion of enjoying challenging work and the sense of accomplishment gained for a job well done also earned high marks during my evaluations.
How Would Your Past Coworkers Describe Your Interactions With Them Why Would They Describe Them This Way
Understanding a candidates personality and work style is important to how well theyll do in the role theyre applying for, as well as how theyll fit into their team and into company culture. Its easier to hire a good fit than it is to adjust someones general disposition.
While its obvious that a candidate is unlikely to reveal negative traits, what they choose to highlight can be a good indicator of their self-awareness and if theyd be a team player or not.
Answer example:
The coworkers at my current company would describe my interactions with them as helpful and friendly. Im a problem-solver by nature I really enjoy the challenge of identifying an issue and brainstorming a solution. So, if someone was working on a project or had a difficult client, theyd often come to me for advice and I was always happy to throw out some ideas or ask questions that would help them land on a solution.
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How Would You Bring Value To Our Team
This question gives candidates the chance to explain specific actions they will take in their role. Hiring managers ask this question to determine if a candidate plans to make positive changes for the company. A quality answer includes examples of what the candidate plans to do in their role. Candidates can share short-term and long-term goals.
Example:”Although this company already has an established social media presence, as the social media manager, my first goal would be to make the branding more cohesive. I would make sure both the visuals and copy on all platforms fit the brand’s style guide. Later on, I would work toward creating more interactive media for our accounts. I want to experiment with live video, real-time customer support chat features and a brand ambassador program.”
What Strengths Can You Bring To This Position
You can ask this question to understand what differentiates a candidate from others and learn their relevant strengths related to the position. A good answer may include examples from previous roles that demonstrate their expertise. Some candidates may also provide applicable data and directly connect it to their desired position. This data can help you learn what qualities and direct value to expect from the candidate.
Example:”My experience with international marketing aligns with the organization’s goal to expand its market into other countries. In my last role, I implemented marketing strategies that increased international sales by over 30% in six months. These strategies included using unique marketing techniques for different locations and creating a personalized approach to various customers. I look forward to bringing these skills to this role and contributing to the organization’s goals.”
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What To Do After Your Informational Interview
Your interview is doneand it was great! You got a ton of information and advice as well as a list of other individuals your interviewee thought might be able to help you out.
Now what?
First things firstsend your thank you note!
Immediately fire off a short and sweet thank you email letting them know how much you appreciated them taking the time to meet with you.
Follow this up with a longer, hand written letter highlighting several moments from your meeting. Be sure to specifically reference any advice or suggestions they gave you and let them know how you plan to follow through with that information.
Its also a good idea to continue to follow up periodically with them and let them know how your career is progressing and how their advice and knowledge has helped and or guided you. The more personal you can make your connection, the more invested in your success they will become.
Just be careful not to overdo it.
If they gave you a list of additional individuals, make sure you contact them and let them know how you are connected. Continue to branch out and network through more informational interviews.
What’s The Most Tedious Task You’ve Ever Had To Complete At Work/university
In this case, you’re not especially interested in the task itself, but in the answers to your follow up questions. If they explain that they didn’t enjoy the task but they recognised its importance and found ways to cope with the tedium, you’ve got a candidate who won’t complain if you have to assign them such a task.
Turn this question into a conversation and it’ll be extremely insightful.
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How Do You Manage Deadline Pressure
Technology projects often have very tight deadlines. So, it can be worthwhile asking your potential hire how well they perform under pressure. Try to dig a little deeper, too, by encouraging the candidate to offer an example of what they have done in the past to ensure a project stayed on deadline when it looked like it might miss the mark. Or, if the candidate could not meet a critical deadline despite their best efforts, how did they handle it?
Why Are You Leaving Your Current Employer
When you ask this question, pay close attention to how the candidate talks about their former job. Are they focusing on the negative aspects, or do they err more on the positive side by addressing their hopes for the future? The interviewees ability to show respect for their previous employer and workplace demonstrates their civility and professionalism, which are two essential attributes in any role.
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What Made You Want To Apply For This Position
This is one of the best interview questions to ask because it delves into specifics about the job role. It shows how carefully the candidate read the job description, and also gives them the chance to share why they feel theyd be a good addition to your team. A well-crafted answer will touch on skills the applicant has as well as skills they want to develop or improve.
Do You Think You Can Get Along With Our Employees
I have never had a problem blending in when working in team settings. I believe that I have excellent interpersonal and communication skills that help me get through to a new team. I also work hard to meet my deadlines after task delegation, ensuring that the team does not carry my weight when they also have work to do. I also know how not to overstep boundaries. I will take time to learn about your employees, which will help me understand how to work with them.
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