What Are Some Reasons That Other Candidates Havent Been Selected
This is an essential question to ask recruiters because the hiring manager might not tell you this information later in the process.
This can help identify some potential mistakes that candidates have exhibited, whether its on a resume or during an interview.
Note: The next five questions are designed to find out how good they are at their job, and if you should trust them and work with them.
These questions are especially important when working with an agency recruiter .
What Are Some Of The Challenges Or Roadblocks I Might Come Up Against In This Role
A question like this indicates that you’re already envisioning yourself in the role and thinking through a plan of attack, should you land the gig.
It’s also a sign that you’re well aware that no job comes free of roadblocks. It signals that not only are you not afraid to deal with those challenges, but you’re also prepared for them.
How It Helps You
The response you receive should help you better understand some of the less-than-ideal aspects of the job bureaucratic processes, internal politics, and so on.
You can use that information to decide if you’re up for the challenge.
Key Questions To Ask A Recruiter During A Phone Screen Interview
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Question : What Are The Day
Asking a recruiter or hiring manager about the day-to-day responsibilities of the job is essential for job seekers because it allows them to understand better what the job entails. This information can help the job seeker determine if the job is a good fit for them and their skills and interests.
It can also help the job seeker prepare for the interview by giving them a better idea of what to expect in the role. Additionally, asking about the day-to-day responsibilities can help the job seeker determine if they have the necessary skills and experience to perform the tasks required successfully.
Questions About The Culture
Lees warns that you should take answers to questions about the company culture with a grain of salt. Its highly unlikely that the interviewer is going to come out and tell you that the culture is unwelcoming, or even toxic. Thats why questions like #22 below can be helpful. They get at company culture without explicitly asking about it and can help you uncover any unexpected elements about your potential new workplace, Markman says.
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How Quickly Do You Need To Fill The Open Position
Through this question, you will know how soon the company needs an employee. You can learn whether the recruitment process takes days, weeks, or months.
By considering the new information, you may prioritize the interviews. And ensure to not miss the interviews that offer the jobs immediately while trying to attend the interviews that are casual and may take months for the recruitment process to complete.
Even after knowing the timeline, sometimes you might get anxious while waiting for the interview results. In those times, just remember that employers dont always give responses right away. If you want to why, just click on the provided link.
Why Are You Looking For A New Position
This is an important question that you need to ask every candidate that you speak with.
Do they hate their job? Is the drive too far? Is the work unfulfilling? Do they want more money or room for growth? Is the company in a bad financial place? You will want to get to the true answer.
You may have to ask several different ways to find out the candidates true motivations for leaving their current company.
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Always Be Ready To Talk To A Recruiter
Even if you never seek out help from a recruiter, you might still find yourself interacting with them if they contact you, and thats where knowing the best questions to ask recruiters can come in handy.
If you ask recruiters these 9 questions, youll seem highly-prepared, youll learn information that you can use to give great interview answers when you talk to the hiring manager, and youll make sure the recruiter is someone you want to work with!
What Do You Know About Our Company Example Answer:
If you were applying to The Muse, you could say:
Ive been reading your advice articles for years, and I love your mission of helping people build careers theyre passionate about. I spent the past 10 years in roles I didnt love before finally finding my niche in sales, and think it would be an amazing experience to help others avoid the path I took and find a job where they can thrive earlier in their careers.
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What Interests You Most About This Position
If a person took the time to apply for a role, you can assume theyre interested. But, use your phone screening to delve deeper into why this position interests them more than the others theyve encountered during their job search.
For example, say youre interviewing for a marketing copywriter position. A strong candidate might say theyre excited to work in a position where they can leverage their writing skills and passion for creating content while also learning new marketing tactics, including SEO and social media. Conversely, a less qualified candidate might simply say they enjoy writing without providing any additional details.
Tip: A strong candidate wont just perform well in a position, but will feel happy and fulfilled doing so. Identify candidates who discuss a personal passion or interest that aligns with the requirements of the role theyre interviewing for. Using the above example, youd want to find a candidate that loves writing, rather than one who says they can write.
Putting It All Together
Ultimately, recruiters tend to have a bit of a leg up with it comes to interviewing, as they usually have a decent amount of experience with it. However, that doesnt mean going the extra mile isnt important. Use the tips above to your advantage. That way, when it comes time to tackle recruiter interview questions, youll be ready to stand out from the competition.
Good luck!
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What Is Your Company’s Customer Or Client Service Philosophy
This is an impressive question because it shows that you can make the connection between how the company thinks about its customers and the end result.
In other words, how the customer is treated on a day-to-day basis, and in turn, how that shows up in the product.
How It Helps You
While you might be able to find a canned response to this question on the company’s website, it’ll be useful and possibly eye-opening for you to hear it more candidly from an employee.
Show Sincere Interest And Strong Cultural Fit
Recruiters and interviewers love it when a candidate’s skill set is a strong match for the job opening. However, having good technical expertise alone isn’t enough for you to land the job. Recruiters want to hire candidates who are enthusiastic about the job and excited to learn new things. Instead of making the interview all about your skill set, also talk about your genuine interest in the particular field and why you think you can contribute to the company. Make it clear that you are serious about landing this job and not just so-so interested. If something excites you, share the excitement! You’ll be sure to stand out for your honesty.
Additionally, keep in mind that companies want to hire candidates that can fit well with their working company culture and team. If you don’t know much about the company to begin with, be sure to go through their social media platforms, such as their Facebook page and Twitter feed. Scrolling through the company’s social media posts will give you a better idea of its brand personality and tone. During the phone call, make it clear that you can fit in well in the company with your personality and adaptability.
Using these tips, you put yourself in a good position to get called in for a face-to-face interview and one step closer to landing the job!
Are your phone interviews turning into missed opportunities? Don’t fret! Our professional interview coaches and career experts can help.
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Walk Me Through Your Resume
Recruiters perspective: This is a simple way for the recruiter to learn more about you and to see what you think is most important about your experience.
How to answer: You should use this time to explain your relevant experience and the skills that make you qualified for this role. Id recommend structuring your answer in three parts. The first part is a summary of your experience: Im an account manager with 10 years of experience in the software industry. Then give them a brief overview of how your career developed so you can talk them through your resume. I wouldnt repeat line by line whats on there, but Id focus on what youve learned and achieved in past roles. At the end, tell them why youre interested in that position.
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Question : How Would You Describe The Companys Culture
When asking a recruiter or hiring manager, How would you describe the companys culture? the job seeker is looking for information about the values, norms, and expectations that shape the work environment at the company.
This information can be helpful for the job seeker to determine if the company is a good fit for them and their personal and professional goals. For example, a company with a collaborative and inclusive culture may be a good fit for a job seeker who values teamwork and diversity.
A company with a competitive and individualistic culture may be a better fit for a job seeker who is motivated by achieving personal success and advancement. Asking about the companys culture can also provide insight into the companys expectations for its employees and how they are supported and recognized for their contributions.
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Whats Your Timeline For Moving On
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Aside from your qualifications, recruiters want to understand when you would be available to start in a new role to determine whether you could fill a role within a hiring managers desired timeline.
According to Britton, candidates who are clear about their timing allow her to put out feelers for relevant opportunities that match that timing. It can be challenging if someones wishy-washy about dates because many clients have urgent needs, and it may make me question how serious they are about the job search.
Tip: Be ready to share your ideal timing for a career move including your notice period and earliest potential start date.
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Do You Have The Tools And Resources To Do Your Job Well
Asking this question at the end of an interview can give you insight into the challenges the hiring manager has in doing his or her job. Resources trickle down, so if the hiring manager is pressed for time, dealing with an unusually tight budget, or is short on human capital, you will be affected as well.
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What Are You Passionate About
Understanding what you are passionate about or what motivates you might help employers decide whether you might be a good fit for the position. If you are passionate about helping people, for example, and are interviewing for a largely independent role with little interaction with others, the position might not be a good fit for you. To answer this question, think of broad ways you are motivated both in and out of work. Consider how your passions might align with the role.
Example answer:Im driven every day by the ability to create beautiful, innovative experiences for users all over the world. There is so much helpful, valuable digital information on the web. Designing it in a way that is easy for people to consume makes me feel like Im truly making a difference for people to access whatever it is that helps them live to their true potentialeven if only in a small way.
How Does This Role Fit Into Your Long
One of the most common interview questions is Where do you see yourself in five years? But, the generality of that question often leads to general answers. Youll get more useful responses by putting the candidates long-term goals in the context of the job theyre interviewing for.
Tip: Try to identify whether the candidate wants to grow and progress within your company, or just looking for to achieve the next step in their career. If its clear that the candidate views this opportunity as a stepping stone, you should probe a little deeper into the issue before hiring them in an important position.
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Smart Questions To Ask In A Job Interview
The opportunity to ask questions at the end of a job interview is one you dont want to waste. Its both a chance to continue to prove yourself and to find out whether a position is the right fit for you. In this piece, the author lists sample questions recommended by two career experts and divides them up by category: from how to learn more about your potential boss to how to learn more about a companys culture. Choose the ones that are more relevant to you, your interests, and the specific job ahead of time. Then write them down either on a piece of paper or on your phone and glance at them right before your interview so that theyre fresh in your mind. And, of course, be mindful of the interviewers time. If you were scheduled to talk for an hour and they turn to you with five minutes left, choose two or three questions that are most important to you. You will always have more time to ask questions once you have the job offer in hand.
So, do you have any questions for me?
When you reach this point in a job interview where the interviewer is done with their questions and opens up the floor you dont want to be caught off guard. Its important to have a plan for how youll respond, and a list of questions specific to that opportunity.
If A Company Is Looking For A Specialized Skill Set Where Do You Look For Candidates
Recruiters usually have a surprising number of potential sources at their disposal. However, not all recruiters tap anything beyond the traditional options theyve used for years.
Hiring managers ask this question to see if youre willing and able to think outside of the box. They want to know that youll head out into uncharted or, at least, lesser-used territory to find the job seekers they need.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
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Why Prepare Questions For The Hiring Manager
As an interviewee, asking the right questions can help you stand out in a sea of applicants. It also shows the hiring manager that youre fully engaged in the conversation and job opportunity. Lastly, this extra preparation can ease some nerves since you already have an idea of what youll say when asked, do you have any questions?
Lets explore some questions to ask a hiring manager the next time youre in a job interview.
Do You Have Any Reservations About My Qualifications
Many candidates wouldnt think to ask such a bold question, but the answer can give you a tremendous advantage before you go into later stages of the interview processand make you stand out to the recruiter.
If theres anything the recruiter initially spots that would hold you back from receiving an offer, chances are a hiring manager would have similar thoughts.
Use your recruiters advice to correct any potential flagsor prepare to address them in your interviewbefore you reach your first round of interviews with decision makers at the company.
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