Ask These Questions To Learn About Co
If the person would be a co-worker, learn more about how things look from this persons level by asking questions like these:
- How often is this job filled?
- How long have you worked for this employer?
- How long have you been in this job?
- Are you glad you took this job? Are you happy to be working here? Why?
- What makes someone successful in this job?
- Have you received any training here or taken any classes this employer paid for?
- Have long do people typically stay in this job? How many coworkers have left? Where did they go?
Understanding more about the person will help you choose the next questions to ask, and also help you keep their responses in perspective.
What Do You Like To Do Outside Of Work
Many companies feel cultural fit is extremely important, and they use outside interests as a way to determine how you will fit into a team.
Even so, don’t be tempted to fib and claim to enjoy hobbies you don’t. Focus on activities that indicate some sort of growth: skills you’re trying to learn, goals you’re trying to accomplish. Weave those in with personal details. For example, “I’m raising a family, so a lot of my time is focused on that, but I’m using my commute time to learn Spanish.”
Do I Need To Ask My Interviewer Questions
Its highly recommended to ask your interviewer relevant, thoughtful questions. Doing so will give you a better understanding of whether the position is the right fit for you. It also shows the interviewer that you have a genuine interest in the position. If the time for you to ask questions comes and you let the interviewer know that you dont have any, it may come across as a sign that you did not prepare or that youre not taking the position seriously.
Consider preparing a list of 5-10 questions to ask ahead of time. Having a written list of pre-prepared questions will help in the instance that you get nervous and dont remember what you wanted to ask, or questions dont arise organically during the interview. With the right questions, youll be able to illustrate your knowledge of the company and industry, along with your drive to excel in the new position.
Questions to ask in an interview:1. Can you elaborate on the day-to-day responsibilities this job entails?2. What are the characteristics of someone who would succeed in this role?3. What’s the most important thing I could do within the first 90 days?4. What are some of the challenges people in this role encounter?5. How would my performance be measured?6. What does the career path for someone in this role look like?7. What other functions or departments does this team work with most often?8. What does your job look like day-to-day?9. What do you like best about working here?
Recommended Reading: How To Crack Apple Interview
What Is Your Leadership Style
This is a tough question to answer without dipping into platitudes. Try sharing leadership examples instead. Say, “The best way for me to answer that is to give you a few examples of leadership challenges I’ve faced,” and then share situations where you dealt with a problem, motivated a team, worked through a crisis. Explain what you did and that will give the interviewer a great sense of how you lead.
And, of course, it lets you highlight a few of your successes.
What Interview Questions Should I Ask Candidates
The interview questions you should ask candidates depend on the role and the type of candidate you hope to attract. At minimum, you should ask the most standard interview questions such as:
- Tell me about yourself
- Why do you want to work for this company?
- What are your greatest strengths?
- What is your biggest weakness?
- Why should we hire you?
Additional questions should evaluate whether the candidate is a good skill and culture fit for the position. Feel free to tailor questions to suit your organization and industry.
Also Check: How To Ace An Online Job Interview
‘what Are The Biggest Challenges I’ll Face In The First 90 Days And How Will Success Be Measured’
If you’re interviewing for a high-level position, this is a question that you might get asked. But if not, then you need to bring it up.
Ninety days is the typical probationary period when a company determines whether hiring you was the right decision. So it’s good to be prepared and have a strong understanding of what the expectations are and whether your experience and skills indicate you’re right for the role.
Don’t be overwhelmed if the challenges sound daunting, because as a new hire , you won’t necessarily be judged on your knowledge. If you really want the job, you must be willing to learn and do what it takes to get on track and excel.
Have Questions Ready To Ask During An Interview
Asking questions is a great way to dig into the company culture and the specific day-to-day responsibilities of the job so that, should you be hired, your first week or so in the position won’t be accompanied by any major surprises.
Asking questions can also give you the opportunity to further highlight some of your qualities, skills, and experience, and show the employer why you’re a terrific match for the job.
Melissa Ling / The Balance
Recommended Reading: Where To Watch Interview With A Vampire
Make Their Questions Your Questions
A good rule of thumb to remember in a job interview is that anything they ask you, you can ask them. Now you have to reword the question so as to not sound like a parrot, but later in the conversation you can use their question to you as a question to them. Here are some examples.
If theyve asked, Tell me about yourself, later on in the conversation you can ask, Ive read about your company, talked with people, and know you have a great reputationbut youre on the inside, tell me about the company from your experience?
If theyve asked, What are your strengths and weaknesses, later on you can ask, What are you proudest of in the organization now.and what are the biggest areas you want to see change in?
If theyve asked, What do you see yourself doing two-three years from now, later on you can ask, Where do you see the company in two to three years?
The thing to remember is that whatever they asked you about, they are interested in. You should be interested in the same about them to better understand what situation you are getting into.
Why Did You Leave Your Last Job
The best practice here is to be honest, but dont go into all the gruesome details . You should never sound like youre complaining, whining, or bad-mouthing your former boss or peers, regardless of how miserable they made you feel. Even if you were fired, theres a better way to approach the topic.
The most important thing for the interviewer to know is that no matter what happened, you learned and grew from it and are actively working to improve moving forward. Try to frame the real reason for leaving within positive statements, explaining what you learned and how you plan to use that information in the future. And never lie about your experiencesfor the hiring manager, the truth is just one phone call away.
Recommended Reading: What Is Coding Test In Interview
What Are The Next Steps In Your Recruitment Process Before You Can Make An Offer
This is a good next steps question great for a candidate to ask last as it closes up the interview, Brady says.
Finally, theres the question of how many of these questions to ask. Dont ask them all!
Theres no perfect number of questions you should ask, but more than one is usually good. Aoife Brady says candidates should always ask at least two or three questions.
And if thats not enough to really find out all that you want to know, just check with the interviewer and they should be happy to tell you how many questions they have time to answer.
What Was Your Salary In Your Last Job
This is a tough one. You want to be open and honest, but frankly, some companies ask the question as the opening move in salary negotiations.
Try an approach recommended by Liz Ryan. When asked, say, “I’m focusing on jobs in the $50K range. Is this position in that range?”
Maybe the interviewer will answer maybe she won’t. If she presses you for an answer, you’ll have to decide whether you want to share or demur. Ultimately your answer won’t matter too much, because you’ll either accept the salary offered or you won’t, depending on what you think is fair.
Read Also: What Questions Should I Ask For An Interview
‘what’s One Of The Most Interesting Projects Or Opportunities That You’ve Worked On’
“I like this question because it gets me thinking about my own experiences, and my response changes depending on what I was or am working on and in theory, should always be changing if I’m challenging myself and advancing,” Brown previously told Business Insider.
Brown said that by asking for a specific example, candidates can get a better picture of what the job entails and how people function in certain roles.
“I always liked getting this question because it would make me reflect on what experiences I was excited about or proud of at the time, and it would make me want to create more of these types of opportunities and experiences,” she said.
Make Sure You Look Through The Section Above Called Opinion
Here, youll find opinion-based questions which are GREAT because you can ask the same questions to multiple people.
Heres why this is great
If you interview with three or four people in a day, that final person is still going to expect you to ask good questions. And they will NOT be happy if you say, Sorry, the first three people answered all my questions.
So opinion-based questions are the best solution to making sure you never run out of questions to ask in an interview.
There are other opinion-based interview questions to ask mixed into the list above too, for example:
- What do you think are the most rewarding or gratifying aspects of working in this position?
- What excites you the most about the companys future?
- If you could change one thing about the company, what would it be?
You May Like: How To Send Thank You After Interview
Questions About The Company
7. How would you describe the culture here? What type of people tend to really thrive here, and what type dont do as well?
Sometimes hiring managers are pretty bad at accurately describing the culture on their teams in part because they have a vested interest in seeing it a certain way and in part because they have an inherently different vantage point than their staff members do. For example, Ive heard incorrigible micromanagers tell candidates that they like to give people a lot of independence and autonomy and they probably really believed that about themselves. So take managers descriptions of culture with a heavy grain of salt , but theres still value in hearing what they do and dont emphasize.
But asking about what types of people tend to thrive versus those who tend to struggle can get you more revealing information. Youll often learn what that manager really cares about in their employees, or which traits will set you up to clash with them, or whos likely to bristle at their management style.
8. What do you like about working here?
You can learn a lot by the way interviewers respond to this question. People who genuinely enjoy their jobs and the company will usually have several things they can tell you that they like about working there and will usually sound sincere. But if you get a blank stare or a long silence before your interviewer answers, or the answer is something like the paycheck, consider that a red flag.
Questions About The Team/people
If you apply for a job in a company, most probably you wont be working alone, but in a team. Of course, each company has its own culture and values, but it is especially your team and your closest colleagues who will create your work environment. It can be friendly, empowering, trustworthy, competitive, etc. Many companies dont let the candidates meet the team before the job contract is signed so take an opportunity during an interview to learn more about the people you will be working with.
You May Like: How To Interview For An Executive Assistant Position
Whats Your Biggest Strength
When talking about strengths, try not to give generic answerseveryone will say theyre a hard worker. Instead, find personal traits and skills earned from experience that set you apart and make you a valuable asset to the company. Keep the job description in mind for this answer and try to highlight the strengths you have that match what theyre looking for.
Rather than simply naming the strength, consider giving an example of a time when youve used it in action or a person has pointed out that strength in you. That way you come across as humble and confident!
‘is There Anything About My Background That Makes You Hesitant To Move Me Forward In The Interview Process’
Hiring managers love when candidates ask this question because it shows a sense of self-awareness.
The response you get may be hard to digest, but it’s better to know now, during the early stages of the interview, so you have a chance to address the employer’s perceptions and change the narrative.
Let’s say you’re told: “I’m worried you might not be happy in this job because it’s not a client-facing position.” You can course-correct by saying, “I understand your concern. But that’s exactly why I’m pursuing this job. I’ve been in client-facing positions for most of my career, and I’m interested in doing something different.”
Recommended Reading: What Should You Say In An Interview
What Are The Company’s Values
Knowing the values of the company and individuals who work there can help you make a decision when the job offer comes through.
You don’t want to work for someone or something you don’t believe in.
Prior research and this simple question can help get the information you need to make a great decision.
Do You Have Any Questions For Me
If you pose this question to interviewees, the more interesting and more passionate ones will most likely have a wide variety of questions they wish to ask.
The ones who are more thoughtful and are interested in the job will be the most likely ones to ask intelligent, informative questions which will enrich the interview process.
Interested in additional interview questions? Check our post link for a list of behavioral interview questions.
If you are about to have a second interview with a candidate, we list some significant questions you can ask during a second interview here
Strategic interview questions are also important when speaking with potential candidates.
As one of the leading engineering staffing agencies, we help employers recruit engineering, design, and IT Talent. Contact us about our Engineering recruiting services or IT staffing services
Recommended Reading: Where Can I Watch Interview With God
What Has Been The Company’s Most Significant Innovation This Year
You have already familiarized yourself with the company’s basics, but have you performed a deep dive into its recent accomplishments? It’s a great idea to know a bit about the organizations’ innovations and awards before going into your interview. An interviewer is almost always thrilled to talk about the company’s happenings and achievements. Show the interviewer that you are aware of what their company has been doing in the past 12-18 months, then ask a follow-up question to gain ‘insider information.’For instance, you could say: “I see that your company was recently nominated for the ‘Top 100 Companies to Work for in Denver.’ Could you share with me another significant moment in your company’s history this past year?”
Rachelle’s Answer
“I see that your company was recently nominated for the ‘Top 100 Companies to Work for in Denver.’ Could you share with me another significant moment in your company’s history this past year?”
How Many Questions Should You Ask In An Interview
You should ask four to six questions in your job interview. Ask a mix of questions about the position, the team and company, and the interview process and next steps.
As you move through your job interviews, think about each person youre speaking to and try to ask questions that theyre best-suited to answer, too.
Dont worry if youre not sure about this, but as an example, youd want to ask a CEO higher-level questions about the companys direction, strategy, growth.
Youd want to ask a recruiter about the basic duties of the job, the companys story, etc. And for the hiring manager who would be your future boss, youd want to ask about career path, training, what type of person they feel is the best fit for this role, etc.
Thats just a rough example, so dont stress too much over which questions to ask which person in your interview. Almost any interviewer can answer basic questions about role, team, career path, and hiring process, and if not, the interviewer can go ask and find out for you.
You May Like: What To Expect In 2nd Interview
