“Do you have any questions for me?”. When you hear this question from an interviewer, don’t even think of going with a “no” for an answer – it is a part of your evaluation. Recruiters often raise a red flag for candidates who have no or few questions to ask. And why blame them? Imagine you are on a date with someone you are interested in, but this person asks nothing in return while you ask questions. Feel weird, yet?
As we mentioned above, asking questions is part of your evaluation, but it is also a great way to inquire more details about the job. Apart from that, it is an excellent opportunity to showcase your genuine interest in the company and connect with the interviewer. In this blog post, we will introduce you to some questions you can add to your agenda and really stand out!
When interviewing for a position, you have to know certain things about the role per se, but that’s not enough. Seek information about the career path that follows, what you could do to add value to the company, and if you could add to this role your own interests. Try these questions:
a) What is the designed career path for this role?
This is a great question. Apart from inquiring more about your future growth within the company, it shows a lot about your personality. You are a person who aspires to evolve and constantly seeks new challenges. Wouldn’t you want to hire you?
b) If I started tomorrow, what would be the first thing I could do to add value?
The side effects of this question are threefold. First of all, you present yourself as a person willing to contribute to the company. Secondly, you get answers on tasks and goals that you will have to focus on. And lastly, you make the interviewer visualize you within the company as a valuable asset. Great, right?
c) I feel that I would like to gain more experience in that field. Would that be possible?
We bet you have a certain plan for your career. With this question, you will get your answer on whether this position will help you achieve your greater goals. In addition to expressing your own interests, you also state yourself as someone who wants to add a personal touch to the job and therefore, to the company which is a plus.
2. Company-based questions
Apart from being evaluated for your answers, do not forget that you also evaluate the company, or at least should be. Company-based questions will help you learn more about the company and whether it is the right place for you. Here are some suggestions to add to your agenda:
a) How has the company helped you evolve?
Even though you are the one asking this question, the answer you will get says a lot about your future within the company. Will the company help you evolve? How is that? It is important to be in a supportive environment that helps you evolve not only professionally, but also personally.
b) Could you tell me something you like about the company and something that you would change?
Interviewers tend to present their company as flawless and the perfect place to be – it is called employer branding. However, you could try to ingest some information about the company’s imperfections. Ask for an honest opinion and be aware cause nothing is perfect.
c) What challenges do you think the business will go through within the next 3-5 years?
Now this one is quite interesting because showing your interest in the company and the challenges ahead is great, but what follows next is better. The only thing you should do, once you ask this question, is grab your pen and start writing down the key points of the answer. Why is that so? Well, this will serve you once you get back home and start writing your interview follow-up email. Do a quick audit, recruit your experience, and present some ideas in the email of how the company could overcome those challenges, and if possible, with you on board.
3. Interviewer-centric questions
Remember what we said earlier about dating someone who is not interested in you? Making personalized questions to the hiring manager is a must not only for your interview performance but also for connecting with a new person both professionally and personally. Let’s see some questions we suggest:
a) What are the challenges you are facing in your current role?
Nothing is neat and tidy; everyone has struggles in their professional life. Grab the opportunity to ask about the interviewer’s pain points and show genuine interest in them. Besides, you will get a glimpse of your future challenges if you take over the hiring manager’s position one day. So why not take the chance?
b) What is your management style?
This question is basically all about you. With this question, you get an idea of how you would be managed, and at the same time, you set expectations from the hiring manager. You can also provide a brief description of how you like to be managed and ask if your styles are compatible. It is better to know now, if you can collaborate with someone, than later.
c) Do you feel happy with your current job?
Be aware. Nobody will answer a direct “No” to this one, but in any case, you can get a feeling of whether this is true or not and this is crucial for your professional happiness too. You could also complement this question by asking the interviewer’s favorite thing about the job.
d) What motivates you daily on the job?
Is the hiring manager engaged and motivated on the job? This question will help you find out and forecast whether you will have a motivation for your role. One of the most important things in a workplace is the people surrounding you. If they have passion and are eager to evolve and do their best, you will follow up or even add extra energy to that. Your dream job should not only be all about the role, but also the people around it.
The questions you ask matter just the same as their answers do. Now, this is the time for you to shine and get the job you have been dreaming about. Do your best to prepare and remember that we are by your side to help you make the most out of your upcoming interview.
