Tips For Preparing Your Questions And Common Mistakes To Avoid
When preparing your questions for the panel, remember that the interview is a two-way process. Its a chance for a prospective employer to assess your suitability for a role as well as an opportunity for you to find out if the position is a good fit for you.
However, candidates should always be looking for ways to make a good impression, which makes it important to phrase your questions in a way that shows what you can offer to an employer. Always be aware of this when planning your questions and think carefully about the most appropriate way to word them. As a general rule, do not ask about the rate of pay or package at an interview, unless the employer asks you specifically about your expectations.
What Challenges And Opportunities Do You See Facing The Company Or Department
No matter the job youre interviewing for, there will be certain challenges and opportunities facing you, your team and the company as a whole.
Understanding whether these challenges are something you can manage before getting involved can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed or unhappy with the career choice youve made.
But simply showing youre ready to help the company become its best can leave the impression that hiring you would be a good investment.
What Other Information Can I Provide You To Help Make Your Decision
Offering additional information such as professional references or a portfolio shows the interviewer your interest in securing the position. It also provides them with an opportunity to ask any last-minute questions they may have forgotten. Their response gives you insight into possible next steps and timelines for a decision to be made.
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‘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.
Is This A New Position If Not Why Did The Person Before Me Leave This Role
This might be uncomfortable to ask, but Harrison says it’s not uncommon to ask and that it shows you are being smart and analytical by wanting to know why someone may have been unhappy in this role previously.
If you found out they left the role because they were promoted, that’s also useful information.
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Show Off Your Industry Knowledge
During your interview preparation, you will have read a lot of information about your client and the wider industry as a whole thanks Google. Show your knowledge by dropping in a question about current events, for example:
- How do you think the recent merger between your two main competitors will affect the future of the industry?
- What impact do you think the new regulations coming into force next year will have on the company?
- I heard you were recently acquired by a large international company how likely is it that this role could be relocated in the next five years?
What Type Of Employee Tends To Succeed Here And What Qualities Are The Most Important For Succeeding Here
This question sheds light on whether the organisation has a clear idea of who they want to employ in the role. Hopefully, the ideal candidate looks a lot like you and if you feel like youve missed something they mention in response, you can always email the interviewer later to reiterate how well you think youll fit in.
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What Can You Tell Me About The Company Culture
Company culture is extremely important for happiness in the workplace. If the culture of the company doesnt fit your needs, or you dont feel comfortable in the environment, you arent going to be happy with the job.
Ask the hiring manager to briefly describe what the culture is like. This includes everything from how the office is laid out, to how employees interact with one another, to dress code.
Because youre going to be spending a lot of time in the office if youre hired, you want to make sure the culture fits your needs.
What Type Of Employee Tends To Succeed Here What Qualities Are The Most Important For Doing Well And Advancing At The Firm
This question shows the interviewer that you care about your future at the company, and it will also help you decide if you’re a good fit for the position, Oliver writes. “Once the interviewer tells you what she’s looking for in a candidate, picture that person in your mind’s eye,” she says. “She or he should look a lot like you.”
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Questions To Ask The Interviewer About Current Events
This section allows you to demonstrate youre on top of whats going on and have done your research.
- How are recent political decisions impacting the company?
- How is regulation impacting your business?
- What are the biggest political, economic, social, or technological forces impacting the company?
- How has the recent New York Times article on your company impacted business?
You Know The Previous Incumbent
Its highly likely that knowing the position has become available has something to do with the fact that you knew who was previously in it. If you had a relationship with the person who is leaving, you might have an idea of their strengths, weaknesses, and reasons for leaving. This can give you an edge in the hiring process as you can use their weaknesses as your strengths. For example, if they left because the role got too stressful for them, you can explain during your interview how good you are at working under pressure
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What About This Position Is Most Important How Does It Support Management And Serve Direct Reports
This is an important and good question to ask in an interview because it can help you get insight into the position and how it fits into the network of the company. Who will you support? Who will you supervise and guide? What is their management style or working style? What skills are critical for success?
Are There Any Shortcomings In My Application Or Interview That I Could Address Now
This is a bold question, but it shows you welcome critical feedback, says Grunwerg. By giving them an opportunity to raise any concerns that might stand in the way of hiring you, you can address any weaknesses in your application that you were not aware of, increasing your chance of closing the deal and landing the job.
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Preparing Good Questions To Ask The Interviewer
You can learn a lot about an open position through the basic application process, but to really get the down and dirty about what will be expected of you, you need to make sure you prepare good questions to ask the interviewer as well.
Isnt that awkward? I mean, are hiring managers okay with me asking for more details?
Are you kidding?!?
Asking the hiring manager questions is like bringing flowers and chocolates with you. Not only are you getting more information about the job, youre showing the interviewer that you genuinely care about the position, the company, and your role should you get hired.
Imagine thisyoure a hiring manager and youve just had a potential candidate interview with you. Their answers to your questions are pretty solid and youre wrapping up the interview.
So, you say, giving the eager young candidate a smile. Any questions for me?
The candidate clears their throat, nervous. You can tell by the look in their eye all they want to do is get out of there. No, they stammer. Im good. Thank you!
You shake hands and they leave. You sigh in disappointment. Such a missed opportunity. Maybe the next one will have some questions for you.
In fact, according to a Glassdoor Survey of 750 hiring managers, nine in ten hiring decision makers agree that an informed candidate is a quality candidate. and that an informed candidate is prepared for interview and asks pertinent questions.
Questions To Ask In An Interview
Interviews are a two-way process, and the questions you ask should demonstrate this â while some might be more focused on one of these aims, combined they can highlight your interest in and suitability for the role and allow you to get a feel for whether the job is right for you. So, what questions could help you to do this?
How can I make a good impression during the first few months of working for you?
This question shows youâre really thinking about how you can benefit the employer and that you are prepared to work hard from the get-go. The answer should also give you an insight into what will be expected of you from the beginning, and so â if youâre successful â it might help you to feel more informed when you start working for the company.
What do other graduates/new starters enjoy when they start working here and what do they find most challenging?
A question like this can demonstrate to recruiters that you are seriously considering accepting an offer, as you are considering how you will find starting out. It also relays the message that you’re aware that there will be challenges when you begin your job and, by thinking about them now, you’re more likely to be able and willing to work to overcome them.
How have other students/graduates found juggling study with work?
Can you tell me a bit more about the team I will be working with?
Can you tell me a bit more about the working environment?
Has the pandemic influenced your future plans for the company?
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‘what Are Some Of The Problems Your Company Faces Right Now And What Is Your Department Doing To Solve Them’
Asking about problems within a company gets the “conversation ball” rolling, and your interviewer will surely have an opinion, Vicky Oliver wrote in her book, “301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions.” Further, she says their answers will give you insights into their personality and ambitions and will likely lead to other questions.
What Are The Day
While youve probably already familiarized yourself with the job description, it probably didnt get specific about what the day-to-day responsibilities will be for the position. There are likely to be smaller tasks involved in your workday that wont be listed in the job description.
Asking about day-to-day expectations for the job can give you a better idea of if youll truly enjoy the work.
While the job description in the listing may seem like a great match for your skill set, you may actually end up spending a lot of your time talking on the phone or answering emails, rather than doing work that challenges you. If this isnt something youre interested in, youll want to know before you accept the position.
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How To Deal With Unexpected Interview Questions
You can’t prep an answer for every question, and there are bound to be a few surprises on the big day. The best way to deal with them is to have a good knowledge base to draw from.
Memorise the job description. Every question will have something to do with the role, and knowing what it involves makes it easier to connect the question back to it. Bring along a printed copy to glance at if you lose your train of thought.
Know what they want to hear. The five essential points to get across in an interview should make their way into your answers. You don’t have to cover all of them every time, but try to relate each question back to one or two of them and it’ll give your statements more focus.
Understand your own motives. Have a good think before the interview about why you really want the job. Maybe it’s because you’re looking forward to more responsibility, or because the company ethos resonates with you. If they ask, you’ll be able to tell them.
Read through your CV. Check your CV for any inconsistencies or employment gaps that a recruiter might spot. This way you won’t be caught off guard if they ask you about them.
Keep calm. Take a deep breath and a moment to think before every answer, and talk in a calm and measured way. There’s no rush slower speech is a sign of confidence and helps the interviewer follow your train of thought.
Learn More About The Role
Just like how your CV can’t capture your personality, the job description can’t cover the day-to-day reality of the job. Now is the perfect time to clarify any points you’re not sure about. Pay attention during the interview so you’re not asking questions that have already been answered.
It’s a good idea to bring a pen and paper with you to jot down questions as and when you think of them. That way you can concentrate on answering the interviewer without worrying you’ll forget what you want to ask by the end.
Some good questions to ask are:
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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!
Who Do You Think Would Be The Ideal Candidate For This Position And How Do I Compare
Amy Hoover, the former executive vice president of Talent Zoo, recommends this question because it’s a quick way to figure out whether your skills align with what the company is currently looking for. If they don’t match up, then you know to walk away instead of wasting time pursuing the wrong position, she says.
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What Are Good Questions To Ask The Interviewer
In an interview, its important to be able to ask good questions in addition to providing good answers. Typically, at the end of an interview, the interviewer will ask the candidate if they have any questions for them. Its important to capitalize on this opportunity and demonstrate that youre well prepared, curious, and can engage in a good dialogueNegotiation TacticsNegotiation is a dialogue between two or more people with the aim of reaching a consensus over an issue or issues where conflict exists. Good negotiation tactics are important for negotiating parties to know in order for their side to win or to create a win-win situation for both parties.. This guide will look at examples of good questions to ask the interviewer.
Questions About The Position
1. How will you measure the success of the person in this position?
This gets right to the crux of what you need to know about the job: What does it mean to do well, and what will you need to achieve in order for the manager to be happy with your performance?
You might figure that the job description already laid this out, but its not uncommon for a job description to be the same one an employer has been using for the last ten years, even if the job changed significantly during that time. Companies often post job descriptions that primarily use boilerplate language from HR, while the actual manager has very different ideas about whats most important in the role. Also, frankly, most employers just suck at writing job descriptions , so its useful to have a conversation about what the role is really about. You might find out that while the job posting listed 12 different responsibilities, your success in fact just hinges on 2 of them, or that the posting dramatically understated the importance of 1 of them, or that the hiring manager is battling with her own boss about expectations for the role, or even that the manager has no idea what success would look like in the job .
2. What are some of the challenges you expect the person in this position to face?
3. Can you describe a typical day or week in the job?
4. How long did the previous person in the role hold the position? What has turnover in the role generally been like?
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What Do You Enjoy Most About Working For The Company
Asking this question shows the interviewer you’re interested in the company culture and that the right team fit is important. The response you receive will give you insight into the benefits and culture of the company, including the style of management and teamwork. The interviewer’s answer also can provide information about the values the company focuses on.
Can You Walk Me Through A Typical Day Here At Company X
Having the day laid out for you from beginning to end is a smart way to get a quick overview of what is expected of you outside the job description. I was hired for a job once where all the employees were expected to participate in a group physical activity before starting our day.
Had I not asked about a typical day I would have been completely unprepared for my first day and unable to participate. Not a great way to start out a new job!
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