In a Job Interview, Don’t Forget to Ask These Questions
July 15, 2014 | Career Blog
When it comes to a job interview, most job-seekers focus on preparing answers for the questions they expect to get from a hiring manager:
- Tell us about your strengths and weaknesses.
- What value would you bring to our organization?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
Yes, it’s important to be prepared for any and every question that might come up in a job interview, but it’s equally important to have a few questions of your own. Just about every interviewer will give the candidate a chance to ask questions and those should go beyond asking about the salary and benefits.
You might be tempted to use the opportunity simply to show off as you attempt to ask thought-provoking questions that may or may not reveal much about the company and whether you would be a good fit. Instead, why not use the job interview to learn as much as you can about this perspective employer, the company and whether you would actually enjoy working there.
This LinkedIn article by Jeff Haden outlines the five best questions as job candidate can ask – and none of them has to do with salary or vacation time.
One of the questions is “How do you plan to deal with …?” This question is important on two levels. One, it demonstrates you’ve done your homework. You know if the industry or individual business is facing challenges from rising costs, competition or industry regulations. It also lets you know if the business does indeed have a plan to deal with impending challenges and how you, as an employee, will be part of that solution or shift.
Another great question recommended in the article is “What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 to 90 days?” This inquiry shows you’re ready to get to work and you’re interested in results. It also gives you a sense of what’s expected of a new employee and how quickly he or she will be able to dive into the tasks at hand.
Also, check out this article, “Ten Questions to Ask Your Next Boss” on the Human Workplace blog. It suggests asking the interviewer about how he or she landed at the company and also inquiring about the company’s goals for the coming year.