What Questions Should I Ask During An Interview

‘have I Answered All Your Questions’

Before you begin asking your questions, find out if there’s anything they’d like you to elaborate on. You can do this by saying something like: “Yes, I do have a few questions for you but before I get into those, I am wondering if I’ve sufficiently answered all of your questions. Would you like me to explain anything further or give any examples?”

Not only will they appreciate the offer, but it may be a good chance for you to gauge how well you’re doing, says Bill York, an executive recruiter with over 30 years of experience and the founder of the executive search firm Tudor Lewis.

If they say, “No, you answered all of my questions very well,” then this may tell you you’re in good shape. If they respond with, “Actually, could you tell me more about X?” or “Would you be able to clarify what you meant when you said Y?” this is your chance for a redo.

What Are Your Career Goals

Another version of this question is What types of problems do you see yourself solving in the future?

This question is almost never asked and when it is asked, most questions are geared towards knowing how long the employees intends to stay in the company.

Instead of asking leading questions that would steer employees into declaring undying loyalty for the organization, ask what types of problems they hope to solve in the future.

With this, youre able to trend this data to improve how you market your job opening. And if employee retention is pertinent to you, you can use this information to improve the job function so that future employees can see their future selves in this role.

How To Structure Your Interviews

Structured interviews are effective methods of predicting job performance. Their three main characteristics are:

• You ask all candidates the same questions.
• You ask questions in the same order.
• You evaluate answers based on standardized rating scales.

The first two characteristics are easy, yet critical for success. If you ask different questions of each candidate, its impossible to objectively compare their answers. This will result in you trying to make a hiring decision on your gut feeling which potentially leads to harmful biases and discrimination.

So, when you decide which interview questions to ask, spend some time putting them in order. To do this, use the format of an interview scorecard its possible your applicant tracking system has a function to help you build scorecards and share them with your team.

The third characteristic of a structured interview the rating scales is immensely helpful in ensuring youll hire objectively. You create a scale and then you evaluate candidates answers with that scale. To do this right, define what exactly each item on the scale means.

Alternatively, you could use a simpler scale, such as Yes, No and Definitely

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Questions Shops Should Ask Technicians During An Interview

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Finding technicians is hard enough. Theres no need to make it more difficult with a cumbersome interview process.

But what does a successful interview process look like? Where do you start? What questions do you ask? We polled our network to find out what questions they ask technicians during the interview process.

We talked to our network and came up with some interviewing tips and questions for shops to use to help them find the best technicians for their shop.

B Teamwork Interview Questions

• Describe a group project you worked on. What was your role and what did you achieve?
• Has your team ever failed to reach a goal? If so, what went wrong and what did you learn from that experience?
• Tell me about a time you had to work with a colleague you didnt get along with.

• Imagine you have submitted a piece of work that you thought was finished, but a colleague returns it to you with multiple corrections and comments that would take you hours to address. What would you do?
• Your manager hates your latest work. What do you do?
• Describe a time you were assigned new tasks How did you adapt?

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Now Consider These Factors To Help You Evaluate Candidates:

Now that you have a complete overview of the best interview questions to ask, theres one last thing to do: be prepared to answer common questions from candidates. Theyre interviewing you too, after all. That way, candidates can also get useful insight on whether your company is a good fit for their skillset and motivations and hopefully, youll get to convince the best among them to join your team. Happy interviewing!

+ Questions To Ask In An Informational Interview

Informational interviews are the key to expanding your network and opening yourself up to unexpected career opportunities. Here are 40+ questions you need to ask in your next informational interview.

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• How to Wind Down + Next Steps

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Why You Must Ask Questions After An Interview

Nearly every interview ends with the same exact question. And yet many candidates make the same mistake when answering it.

So, what is this frequently mis-answered query?

Do you have any questions for me?

This may be the most important interview question you answer. And youd be surprised at the number of people who reply, Nope!

Thats a huge missed opportunity. You should never reply no to this question. Its your last chance to make a good impression, and its the interviewers way of gauging your level of interest in the job. If you dont have any good questions, it shows a lack of curiosity and engagement. After all, theres no way you could know everything there is to know about a new company and job opportunity after only one interview.

On the other hand, if you do have a few well-thought-out queries, you end the interview looking great. It lets them know youve done your research. Additionally, it gives the interviewer a chance to get to know you because the types of questions you ask can reveal a lot.

So, dont disappoint them. Its time to get asking.

Personality Questions To Ask Job Candidates:

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are three character traits that your friends would use to describe you?
• What are three positive character traits you dont have?
• What do you like to do?
• What are your lifelong dreams?
• What do you ultimately want to become?
• What is your personal mission statement?
• Tell me about your proudest achievement outside of work.
• Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?
• What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
• If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
• What is the last book you read? What did you think of it?
• What magazines do you subscribe to?
• Whats the best movie youve seen in the last year?
• What would you do if you won the lottery?
• Who are your heroes?
• What do you like to do for fun?
• What do you do in your spare time?
• What is your favorite memory from childhood?
• What is one thing youd like to achieve in life?

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Putting It All Together

So there you have itnot only do you now know why you should have good questions to ask during an interview, you also know how to ask them and what to ask them.

Make sure you take the same amount of time to prep these as you spend on the rest of your interview prep and above all, be yourself, be genuine, be the PERFECT CANDIDATE

Good luck!

Will I Have The Opportunity And Be Expected To Publish Papers

In the UK there is no requirement for you to have published any journal papers before you are awarded a PhD. Doing so however can go some way towards making your final viva that much easier, and also giving you a head-start on your publication track record if you continue on into academia after your PhD.

You should get a sense of if your potential supervisor sees an opportunity for you to publish your research, if this is something that you want to do. Equally you should be aware of the supervisors expectations about publishing to avoid any potential conflict between your supervisor wanting you to publish work during your PhD and you wanting to wait until youre in the post-doc stage before writing papers.

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Best Interview Questions For Employers

REVIEWED BY:Charlette Beasley

Charlette has over 10 years of experience in accounting and finance and 2 years of partnering with HR leaders on freelance projects. She uses this extensive experience to answer your questions about payroll.

Jennifer Hartman is an HR Specialist and staff writer for Fit Small Business, with over 15 years of experience in accounting, payroll, and human resources.

This article is part of a larger series on Hiring.

When it comes to interviewing candidates for your open positions, the best interview questions are those that are direct and job-specific. You will also want to learn more about the candidates skills and education, as well as what they bring to the position. Below, we cover some of the best interview questions to ask, broken down by hiring stage.

Questions To Ask When The Interview Is Being Set Up

Usually the first person you speak with is the recruiter or a member of the Human Resources staff. In some typically small organizations, the hiring manager will be the first person who interviews you.

The best question to ask is Who will be interviewing me, and how does your hiring process work?

Ask for the names and job titles of the people who are interviewing you so that you can do some research about them before the interview. Hopefully they will have LinkedIn Profiles you can review to see if you find any common ground among them or with you to help you understand more about the organization.

Research the interviewers to help you find ways to build rapport with the interviewers during the interview same school or degree, same professional organization, etc.

Dont be surprised if the first interview is a remote interview. The first interview in many organizations is often a phone interview, a Video interview, or a one-way video interview.

During this initial screening interview, employers ask questions to determine if you are a qualified candidate who should be invited to a face-to-face interview. You may not have an opportunity to ask many questions, but do have questions ready to demonstrate your interest in the organization and the job.

Regardless of who that first person is, ask these questions of both the HR/recruiting staff member and the hiring manager to learn important details about the job and to compare the facts presented.

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How Long Has The Position Been Open

Has the position been open for a few days, weeks, months, or a year? The longer the position has been open the more difficult it may be to get an offer.

An open position that has been available for a year is usually a big red flag. The company most likely is being unrealistic in their expectations. They maybe looking for the perfect candidate that costs the least amount of money and can walk on water.

Why Is This Position Available

Why ask it: The answer from this question can tell you a few helpful things including whether this is a new position , or whether someone left the position because they were promoted, moved laterally at the company, quit, or were fired. Whatever the answer, you will learn something valuable about the job and team you might join.

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Prepare Your Questions To Ask During An Interview In Advance

Read through the list below to get ideas about questions that are typically asked and choose the ones that seem to be most important to you. Choose at least 10 good questions that are the most important to you and relevant to the opportunity. Write your questions on a list you take with you to the interview.

You will likely not ask even half of the questions listed below, but they are a good starting point for developing your own, depending on what is most important to you.

The best way to avoid taking a job you will hate is to learn as much as you can about the job, the organization, your boss, your coworkers, and the environment before you accept the job offer.

‘if You Were To Hire Me What Might I Expect In A Typical Day’

Obviously this shows your eagerness about the position, Harrison said, but it also gives you a better idea about what the job will be like on a daily basis so you can decide whether you really want to pursue it. “A frank conversation about position expectations and responsibilities will ensure not only that this is a job you want, but also one that you have the skills to be successful in,” he said.

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How Many Other Students Do You Supervise

You ideally dont want your supervisor to have too many other PhD students under his or her supervision at any one time, simply because of the dilution of their time that will naturally occur. Being part of an active research lab is a big advantage however, so you dont necessarily want to be the only student under their supervision either. Remember that the professor may also be responsible for several Masters and undergraduate students too so you just need to know what to realistically expect from him in terms of available time to meet with you regularly.

How To Answer What Are Your Salary Expectations

Experts generally say to avoid stating your salary expectations first. State a number too low and you could shortchange yourself in the future. State one too high without additional interviews to back up that number and HR might move on to another candidate expecting lower pay.

Instead, you can respond to the question by kicking it back to HR, Lares says. Be kind and curious: “I appreciate that compensation is an important aspect to the job, and it has to work for the both of us. Given you’re the hiring manager in this role, and you’re the expert on what the company can offer, I’d like to hear what you have in mind for the salary range of this position.”

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Why Is Culture Fit Important In The Workplace

Culture fit plays a big role in employee satisfaction and an important role in job seeking. A 2018 survey by Jobvite found that 88% of respondents reported company culture as at least of relative importance in applying to a company, with 46% saying it is very important and 32% saying they would be willing to take a pay cut for a job they are more passionate about.

For employees who are already employed, a Columbia University study shows that the likelihood of job turnover at an organization with a strong company culture is 13.9%, whereas the probability of job turnover at businesses with weak company cultures is 48.4%. The Department of Economics at the University of Warwick found that happy workers are 12% more productive than the average worker, and unhappy workers are 10% less productive.

There are, however, some critics of the current focus on culture fit in hiring. Patty McCord, Netflixs chief talent officer from 1998 to 2012, wrote in the Harvard Business Review that culture fit is just code for liking someone socially. McCord went on to say the focus on culture fit in hiring can lead to a lack of diversity in the workplace. She writes that hiring should be about finding the right people for jobs, not social environments.

Job-hopping is a growing trend among young professionals, and for many good reasons. Download our free eBook, The Career-Switching Handbook for 30Somethings, for the latest career-switching tips, strategies, and data.

Whats The Companys Approach To Supporting Work

Why ask it: The answers received from this question will help you determine if the company really does support work-life balance and in what ways. Asking about any new things theyve done as a result of the pandemic will tell you if the company is responsive to the ever-changing needs of its workforce.

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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.

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Questions to ask in an interview: