What Questions Will They Ask In An Interview

Will Those Expectations Change Over Time

This follows similar thinking in the previous question. This is a good follow-up question because it helps make sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into and the future potentials. Keep your ears open. Many hiring managers will hedge the question, repeat previous answers, or give bland, generalized statements. It’s not that they don’t want to answer your questions they probably don’t want to give you the upper hand during salary negotiations. If they are reluctant to answer truthfully, make a mental note to revisit during salary discussions.

Bonus: Questions You Should Never Ask During An Interview

• Information that can be found through a simple Google search. Interview questions such as, What does your company do? or Who is your competition? make you look like you did not do your research and are not serious about your candidacy.
• Gossip. If you have heard something through the grapevine that makes you doubt the companys financial strength, ask your question in a non-confrontational way. Instead of, Why are you about to lay off 1,000 employees next month?, ask the hiring manager for his or her opinion about how well positioned the company is for the future.
• Pay, raises, and promotions. All of that will be discussed as part of the offer and salary negotiations during the interview process. Its best to avoid questions that make you look too cocky, or paint the picture of someone who makes the decision based primarily on money.
• Background checks. Assume that the company will run a background check as part of the pre-offer due diligence. Asking this question makes you look like you have something to hide.
• Email or social media monitoring. Assume that the company monitors network usage in some way. The internet has a long memory and written comments have a way of getting around. Play it safe and dont use the companys network in ways that can make you look unprofessional.
• Deeply personal or invasive questions. You dont want to make the interviewer feel uncomfortable or defensive.

By Mike Simpson

Did you know a job interview is a lot like a date?

What Attracted You To Our Company

This is your opportunity to show youve done your research.

Before the interview, read up on everything you can about the company: their values, their mission, their latest results and news releases, who their executive staff are, their origin story, as well as their products and/or services.

Then, identify what stands out about the companys mission and values, and how that resonates with you and your own career path. If youre a fan of their products or services, bring that up too.

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What Are The Next Steps In The Job Process

Asking about the next steps shows you are optimistic and want the job. Hiring managers appreciate a good sense of self-esteem. Just don’t seem too eager, as over-confidence may translate as arrogance. Asking about the next steps also helps with determining the follow-up protocols and prevents you from worrying whether it’s too soon to check back in.

What Does The Training Or Onboarding Process Include

Ask this question to learn more about what you might expect when you begin working for this company. This may help you find out if the company provides you with formal training or a mentor when you start your position or if they will expect you to begin working independently immediately. The answer may help you better prepare for your potential first day or allow you to share the relevant experience you have that makes you qualified for the position.

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What Should I Be Prepared To Speak To In The Interview

Its unlikely that the scheduler will have an answer for this, so dont be surprised if the answer is vague and non-committal. However, on the off chance that you do get an answer, listen closely to what the scheduler says.

The answer will likely give you insight into the companys most pressing issues. What are the problems the company is trying to solve? More importantly, how will you solve those problems? The answer can help you understand what the employer most wants from potential candidates, and having this information can help you structure your answers accordingly.

Do You Have Any Questions

This might be one of the most important questions asked during the interview process because it allows you to explore any topics that havent been addressed and shows the interviewer youre serious about the role. Remember that you are interviewing the company too. Take time to ask the interviewer questions about their own experiences with the company, gain tips on how you can succeed if hired and address any lingering questions you have. Some examples include:

• What do you love most about working for this company?

• What would success look like in this role?

• What are some of the challenges people typically face in this position?

• How important is it that you hire someone with XYZ qualities?

• Do you have any hesitations about hiring me?

Read more: Interview Question: Do You Have Any Questions?

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Interview Questions About The Team:

• Can you tell me a bit about the team I would be working with?
• What are the key positions and groups that I would be working with? What are the leadership or personality types of those people and groups?
• What are the three biggest challenges your team faces when working with other groups within the organization? What do you do to minimize the challenges?
• What is the single largest problem facing your team today?
• What is the approval process for projects and tasks within the group?

Job Interview Questions Answers And Tips To Prepare

Theresa Chiechi / The Balance

Do you have a job interview coming up? Are you prepared? The best way to get ready for an interview is to take the time to review the most common interview questions you will most likely be asked, along with examples of the best answers. Knowing what you’re going to say can eliminate a lot of interview stress.

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Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job

Let’s start with what you shouldn’t say .

Don’t talk about how your boss is difficult. Don’t talk about how you can’t get along with other employees. Don’t bad-mouth your company.

Instead, focus on the positives a move will bring. Talk about what you want to achieve. Talk about what you want to learn. Talk about ways you want to grow, about things you want to accomplish explain how a move will be great for you and for your new company.

Complaining about your current employer is a little like people who gossip: If you’re willing to speak badly of someone else, you’ll probably do the same to me.

Career Goal Interview Questions

Finally, get a sense of where your job candidate sees him or herself going in life. What is their required salary for the current position, and tentative career trajectory? What are their big-picture dreams?

Answers to these questions will reveal a lot about your interviewees longevity as an employee, and their long-range goals. If they mention that theyd like to move up within the company, that could signify that theyre ready to work hard and could potentially be built into your business as an integral, foundational memberbut what if you dont have a vacancy for them to grow into?

Again, the right answers will depend on your business and the role you are hiring for, so keep that in mind and have a sense beforehand of what the deal breakers arefor example, if you know youd rather hire someone for the long haul, and they tell you that their five-year plan involves starting up their own company within the next few years.

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Does The Company Have Product

This is the single most important thing a company can do to survive and grow.

• “Do you ever question if you have product-market fit?”
• “When did you reach product-market fit? How did you know?”
• “What do you need to do to get to product-market fit?”
• “What’s your revenue? What was it a year ago?”
• “How many daily active users do you have?”

It’s ok if these answers show you the founder doesn’t have product market fit. In this case, figure out if they will get to a yes. Unless you want to join a sinking ship, of course!

Early stage founders are super-mega-extra-desperately keen to have product-market fit it’s all that really matters. The ones that will succeed are those that are honest about this and are prioritizing it. Many will think or say that they have it when they don’t.

Low user or revenue numbers and vague answers to the example questions above are a sign that it isn’t there. Product-market fit is very obvious.

Avoid:

• Founders who aren’t spending a ton of time talking and selling to users pre-product-market fit it’s a flag to attempt to outsource/delegate this

• Companies where you don’t understand the product or its benefits if it can’t be explained to you, others will struggle

• Solutions looking for a problem

If there is no product-market fit, but you think the team could find it, it’s very important the company has lots of runway , doesn’t have a huge team , and moves fast .

How Do You Deal With Pressure Or Stressful Situations

The employer wants to know: Do you hold down the fort or crumble under pressure? They want to make sure that you wont have a meltdown when the pressure becomes intense and deadlines are looming. The ability to stay calm under pressure is a highly prized talent.

Example: I realize stressful situation are always going to come up, and I definitely have had to learn how to navigate them throughout my career. I think I get better at it with every new experience. While working on a new product launch at my last company, for example, things were not going according to plan with my team. Instead of pointing fingers, my first reaction was to take a step back and figure out some strategies around how we could we solve the problem at hand. Previously, I may have defaulted to panicking in that situation, so being calm and collected was definitely a step forward and helped me approach the situation with more clarity.

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Tell Me About Your Weaknesses

While its advisable to ensure your strengths align with the job description, we advise discussing a weakness that will not stop you from doing the job youve applied for.

The key to answering this question well is to show that you are self-aware enough and honest enough to admit your shortcomings, but also to demonstrate your interest and ability to work on yourself.

For example, When I get really busy and stressed, I tend to get disorganised and my workspace becomes messy. The problem with this is its easy to lose track of the little details or misplace things. To combat this, Ive taken a course on productivity and organisation, and Ive learned that when I start to feel that stress coming on, I need to take a step back and dedicate a little bit of time at the end of every day to gather thoughts and tidy my desk. I also keep a work diary and to-do list so I dont lose track of the big picture.

What Do You Expect From Team Members In This Position

Job descriptions often are nothing more than marketing jargon used to peak interest in a position, and sometimes the intricate requirements are neglected. Asking this question in an interview helps you determine what you’re going to be doing and what is expected of you. Hiring managers expect and respect these questions. Asking them to explain the job requirements in detail shows you care about the position, like to know all the facts before making a decision, and have the courage to ask the difficult questions.

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What Do You Consider To Be Your Weaknesses

What your interviewer is really trying to do with this questionbeyond identifying any major red flagsis to gauge your self-awareness and honesty. So, I cant meet a deadline to save my life is not an optionbut neither is Nothing! Im perfect! Strike a balance by thinking of something that you struggle with but that youre working to improve. For example, maybe youve never been strong at public speaking, but youve recently volunteered to run meetings to help you get more comfortable when addressing a crowd.

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How Did You Hear About This Job

When asked this during an interview, donât just say you heard about the job on a website. This is your opportunity to go into more detail about why you love this company and what motivates you to want to work there. Moreover, if you have a personal connection at the company, this would be a good time to mention their name!

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Get A View Of The Future

Asking questions about the growth of the company and its employees is a good idea for two reasons. I always ask what a company’s goals are for the next five to ten years. It gives a good perspective on what their values are and how I may or may not fit with a company, says Diane Kulseth, another young professional. Plus, asking about the future of the company and opportunities for your own growth shows that youre committed and eager to learn. You can ask:

• Where do you see this company in the next few years?
• What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth?
• What training programs are available to your employees?
• Are there opportunities for advancement or professional development?

How Do You Evaluate Success

What They Want to Know: Your answer to this question will give the interviewer a sense of your work ethic, your career goals, and your life goals. Tailor your response to fit what you expect to achieve if you were to be hired by this employer.

When I wake up each morning enthusiastic about going to work, then lock the clinic at night knowing that weve made a difference in peoples lives, I figure the day has been a success.

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What Do You Expect Me To Accomplish In The First 90 Days

If you weren’t asked this question, ask it yourself. Why? Great candidates want to hit the ground running. They don’t want to spend weeks or months “getting to know the organization.” They don’t want to spend huge chunks of time in orientation, in training, or in the futile pursuit of getting their feet wet.

They want to make a difference — and they want to make that difference right now.

What Is The Team That I Would Be Working With Like

This question is essential to get a feel for who you will be working with if you get the job. You can learn more about their personalities, work styles, and how they operate. Moreover, it is an easy way to find out a bit about the kind of relationship you could potentially have with them at work.

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Tell Me About Yourself

What They Want to Know: Asking about you is a way to break the ice at an interview and make you feel more comfortable. It’s also a way for the interviewer to determine if you’re a good fit for the job.

Before you go on an interview, consider what you want to say when you’re describing yourself to potential employers. Creating an elevator speech, which is a quick synopsis of your background, is a good way to prepare a response.

Im an electrician with ten years of experience in residential construction. After earning my electricians certificate at ABC Tech, I apprenticed with Jones Brothers, and then they hired me as a journeyman electrician. Four years later I earned my certification as a master electrician.

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How Do You Define Success

Employers ask this to help them understand how your definition of success influences your goals and how you measure them. A good answer will show that you know how to define and measure goals and youre willing to challenge yourself and work hard to meet them.

Consider your proudest achievements, your long and short-term successes and how the company youre interviewing with views success. Give specific examples of how youve succeeded in the past.

Example answer:I define success as fulfilling my role in my team and in the company. I work toward completing my individual duties as effectively as possible, balancing that with professional growth and contributing to larger organizational goals. In my previous role, success meant exceeding weekly metrics, implementing processes that supported the companys KPIs and meeting quarterly professional development goals.

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Are You Planning On Having Children

Questions about your family status, gender , nationality , religion, or age are illegalbut they still get asked . Of course, not always with ill intentthe interviewer might just be trying to make conversation and might not realize these are off-limitsbut you should definitely tie any questions about your personal life back to the job at hand. For this question, think: You know, Im not quite there yet. But I am very interested in the career paths at your company. Can you tell me more about that?