What To Ask In An Interview As An Employer

Do You Work Best Alone Or On A Team

What kind of work will the candidate be performing if theyre selected for the position? This question helps determine if theyre suited to the types of assignments theyll receive. Regardless if they’ll work remotely or in the office, someone who enjoys solitary work and long stretches of uninterrupted time may not thrive in a position that requires collaboration or multitasking.

What Relative Weight Do You Put On The Way People Conduct Their Work Versus The Work Product They Generate

Matthew Metz, hammers home the emphasis on soft skills from a different angle. While plenty of cultures and teams talk about their no brilliant jerks policy, how is that grounded in reality? Look for tangible examples here, and use follow-up questions to prompt stories of when creating a psychologically safe environment was more important than hitting a deadline.

How Might Your Expectations For This Role Change Over Time

The purpose of this question is to assess what the company’s expectations are for the role throughout the length of the position. The job description can give you a good idea of the day-to-day responsibilities, but it’s helpful to be able to hone in on specific time frames for different stages of the position. For example, you may ask how long the training will take in addition to how long it’ll take for the position to start to call for potential cross-training.

One of the best ways to coax the necessary information from the interviewer is by framing this question in specific periods of time. For example, you can ask what the expectations will be after 30 days, 60 days, and a year.

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What Traits Do I Need To Succeed In This Position

There are certain traits that most employers want in their employees. Examples include teamwork, good communication, critical thinking and strategic planning. However, some companies value these traits more than others. There might also be specific soft skills that they want. Learning about the traits will help you prepare for your future role.

Culture Fit Questions To Ask Job Candidates:

• What does your ideal company look like?
• What attracted you to this company?
• What do you know about this industry?
• What do you know about our company?
• What is your ideal working environment?
• What kind of personalities do you work best with and why?
• What do you look for in terms of culture?
• What do you think of your previous boss?
• What will you miss about your present/last job?
• What are five things you disliked most about your last job?
• What are you ideal top qualities in a co-worker?
• If you could open a business, what would it be and why?
• What personality traits do you butt heads with?
• Describe your ideal company culture. What five characteristics does it have?
• Why do you want to work at this company and what are your expectations?
• Who inspires you and why?
• Whats your superpower?
• What motivates you to come into work every day?
• How do you rely on others to make you better?
• Do you have any questions for me?

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What Do You Enjoy About Your Job

Everybody loves to talk about themselves and this question enables you to build up a sense of camaraderie with your interviewer. This question requires a personal response, so you could learn a lot from their answer.

You’ll get an insider’s view of the company culture and working environment and you may even get to discover how your interviewer got their start in the business and how they progressed.

What Challenges Did My Predecessor Face

This question can be scary, but beneficial the answer is vital. Straight, direct, and positive with an explanation is a good sign, while hesitation is a red flag. This is about you assessing the company as much as it is about the interviewer assessing you smart interviewees want to know the challenges of the job.

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What To Ask: How Would You Describe The Companys Culture What Kinds Of People Fit Best With That Culture If I Asked An Employee What Their Favorite Thing About Working Here Is What Would They Say

Why ask: When youre looking for work, youre usually hoping for more than just a paycheck. These questions can give some insight into the company culture and values, says Frana.

Even if the role seems to be a perfect match to your skills, you could end up miserable if the company doesnt offer the flexibility you desire, encourages micromanagement by its supervisors, or otherwise creates a dreary and unwelcoming work environment. Its important to find a good cultural fit, so dont forget to ask about it.

What Changes Or Innovations In The Industry Are You Most Excited About

This is a unique question that demonstrates your keen interest in the industry. It shows that you’re informed of the latest updates and advancements, highlighting your knowledge. This question also allows you to see how the company responds to these industry changes, which is essential for business longevity.

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Whats Something That Would Only Happen Here But Wouldnt At Other Organizations

This one comes from Adam Grant, bestselling author, podcast host and professor at The Wharton School. In fact, this question of his is such a hit that we got multiple submissions of it from folks other than Grant, citing him as the inspiration likely due to the opinion piece he penned it for The New York Times: The culture of a workplace an organizations values, norms and practices has a huge impact on our happiness and success, he says. Values are the principles people say are important and, more crucially, the principles people show are important through their actions.

Liz Fosslien, Head of Content at Humu, is also a big fan of this question: Grant says its the best way to instantly learn about the companys culture. In my experience, hes absolutely right,” she says. “Ive found people tend to either get an Oh no look on their face, or they light up at the memory that pops into their head. Both reactions are strong signals about what it might be like to work there.

Work Experience Questions To Ask Job Candidates:

• What types of jobs have you held in the past?
• What was your title at your current/previous/last job?
• What were your duties in that position?
• What did you like most/least about the position?
• Why are you leaving your present employer?
• Whats the most important thing you learned in school and/or at your last job?
• Why did you choose your major?
• If selected for this position, can you describe your strategy for the first 90 days?
• What is your understanding of the skills necessary to perform this job?
• What special training have you completed that qualifies you for this job?
• What certifications do you hold?
• Can you describe how to _____________ ?
• This job requires the ability to _____________ . Can you give me an example of a time that you have had to _____________ ?

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How Would You Describe The Company Culture

Similar to question one, this question focuses on the company’s unique culture. Knowing the values and policies associated with the company culture can help you to understand whether this is the right position for you. You can also ask this same question to multiple employees to gather a holistic overview of what the company is like.

Company Questions To Ask In An Interview

The company being a good fit is just as important as liking the daily responsibilities of your job. Will you feel supported? Do your values align? Do you agree with their policies and treatment of employees? These are all important things to discover when you are thinking through questions to ask in an interview.

7. Describe the culture of the company.

Are you a good fit for this particular organization? Make sure you are comfortable with the culture and the dynamic of the company.

8. Where do you think the company is headed in the next 5 years?

If you plan to be in this role for several years, make sure the company is growing so you can grow with the company.

9. Who do you consider your top competitor, and why?

You should already have an idea of the companys major competitors, but it can be useful to ask your interviewer for their thoughts. Naturally, they will be able to give you the insight you cant find anywhere else.

10. What are the biggest opportunities facing the company/department right now?

This question shows your drive to seize the opportunity and may help you learn more about where the company will be focusing over the next several months.

11. What are the biggest challenges facing the company/department right now?

On the flip side, you may want to ask about challenges. This question can help you uncover trends and issues in the industry and perhaps identify areas where your skills could save the day.

12. What do you like best about working for this company?

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Interviews Aren’t Just About Giving The Right Answersthey’re About Asking The Right Questions

Ask insightful, thorough questions to your potential employer.

The landscape for job seekers today can be difficult. In other words, if you want a job today, the hard work starts when you prepare for the interview. That means not just nailing the interview questions you are asked, but actually knowing which questions to ask in an interview so that you leave a strong impression on hiring managers. After all, youre reviewing them as much as theyre reviewing you. The right questions to ask during an interview are the ones that will not only elicit important information, but will also reflect positively on you as a candidate.

Heres the thing: Rattling off a list of haphazard queries wont get you much attention. You need to come up with good questions to ask in an interview, ones that make the people in the room sit up and take notice. Your questions must demonstrate that you did your homework on the job itself, have a set of values that are shared with the company, and understand where the industry is headed. Bonus: These questions could also help you avoid a bad boss before it’s too late.

Your goal is to make a statement in the form of a question. The statement is designed to:

• Highlight your qualifications.
• Understand the employers challenges.
• Make yourself accountable.
• Advance your candidacy.

Whats The Biggest Existential Threat To This Business What Are The Things That Keep You Up At Night

This straight-shooting question comes courtesy of Shreyas Subramaniam, Director of Product Management at Airbase, and should be near the top of the list for any job seeker. Regardless of your role or main priorities for your next gig, sketching out a more nuanced understanding of the business is key to grasping what lies ahead if you join. A variation of this question popped up numerous times in our conversations , so well also share a few alternative ways to approach it:

Kevin Caldwell, Co-founder and CEO of Ossium Health, likes to bifurcate the question this way: What’s the biggest external risk to the company? What is the biggest Internal risk? Which worries you more?

Jake Fuentes, Co-founder and CEO at Cascade, approaches it a bit differently: If the company failed in 18 months, whats the likely reason why? Now lets say its a breakout success, what was the critical thing it did right? I find this two-pronged approach reveals the real risk factors and opportunities for the business and perhaps more importantly how clear leadership is on those areas, he says.

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Where Do You Think The Company Is Headed In The Next Five Years

The response you receive will give you an insight into the company’s progression plans and its place in the market, while giving you a general idea about job security. You may also get a heads-up on any major upcoming projects.

Asking about future plans shows a real interest in the organisation and reiterates your commitment to the company.

Unique Interview Questions To Ask A Future Employer

When youre going in for an interview, you may only be prepared to answer questions. However, asking good questions can also help employers know how you think and understand your professional and personal values. Read on to learn some unique questions you can ask when interviewing for technical roles.

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How Does The Team Deal With Two Urgent Projects With Conflicting Deadlines

This is especially important for candidates interviewing for leadership roles, because resource and time constraints are common in startups, says Todd Sundsted, CTO of Odeko. The answers, and how the interviewer backs it up with experience, help me understand their tactics for balancing conflicting demands. I want to understand how they weigh these priorities or when they push back. It’s almost always an equal-parts entertaining and valuable conversation.

How Often Do You Promote People Internally

The first recruiting agency I joined ONLY promoted from within the company. That meant that if you wanted to be a Manager, you HAD to start as an entry-level Recruiter. Everyone began this way.

This gave me fantastic opportunities as an entry-level job seeker myself .

So this is something I like to see in an organization and something you should ask questions to find out about.

Most companies wont only promote from within, but you should look for some balance at least.

You can also follow this up by asking the interviewer, How would you describe the companys internal promotion process? What does an employee do if theyd like to apply for a higher role in the company, and how are employees able to hear about these internal opportunities?

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Learn More About The Role

These questions are good to ask the hiring manager.

• Can you describe a typical day for the person in this role?
• What are some of the first projects the person in this role will work on?
• What skills or qualities do you think are most important to succeed in this role? At this company?
• What do you think are some challenges that the person in this role will face?

Summary Video For Employer Interview Questions To Ask Candidates

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You’ll have in your hand what the candidate can do on paper, but preparing job interview questions to ask candidates can help you make those key decisions on suitability.

When interviewing a candidate, you will be looking to find out:

• Whether or not the candidate meets the requirements of the job
• How the candidate reacts under pressure
• How well the candidate would fit in to your team
• How the candidate explains and builds upon their CV

Examine the candidate’s graduate CV, including their education, previous work experience and skills they have listed – as well as enquiring about employment gaps, and questions you have.

Once you know the basics of what they can offer, move onto more investigative job interview questions to ask the candidate to help decide whether the person is right for your role.

Here are the top interview questions for employers in every industry.

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Alternatives To Classic Interview Questions

‘What are your weaknesses?, What motivates you to succeed?, Where do you see yourself in five years time? are the standard tried-and-tested questions that crop up in nearly every job interview.

The problem with these questions is that your candidates will have likely heard them a hundred times.

Resulting in the same tired answers that have either been rehearsed meticulously or copied from the internet.

The catch 22 is that these questions are classics for good reason.

As an employer, you need to know the info that these questions should illicit e.g. where your potential employee sees themselves in five years, and whether their weaknesses are likely to affect their performance in your job etc.

We have some examples of good job interview questions to ask candidates below.

What Motivates You To Work

It is a simple question but requires the interviewee to exhibit a great amount of thought and often unlocks valuable discussions from a candidate looking internally for what truly motivates them.

If they only answer at the surface level with something like I relish a challenge, this can convey that they are a less-than exceptional candidate.

You may need to probe further do extract a deeper understanding of their motivations.

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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?