Asking the right questions during an interview can help increase your chances at landing the job. Have you ever found yourself lost for words and your mind blanks out when the interviews asks you, “Now, do you have any questions for us?”
Most of the time people are unprepared and find themselves saying something along the lines of, “No, I think you’ve covered everything and I’ll let email you later if I think of something.” In the eyes of the interviewer, this means that you didn’t prepare any questions for them. An interview may last anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour, and there’s definitely a lot more information that simply couldn’t have been covered during the allotted time.
The interviewers have prepared on their end everything that they would like to cover during an interview. You should do the same as this is the only remaining opportunity to cover topic that has not yet been discussed and express any concerns you may have with the role. You must ensure that should an offer come your way, you have all the information that you will need in order to make an informed decision as to whether it is the right fit for you.
Here are a few simple but effective questions that any Job Seeker should ask in an interview to ensure it is the right opportunity for you and to show your interviewers that you have come to the table prepared.
Question #1: What growth potential or future opportunities does this job offer?
This will not only expresses your interest in the position with the company, but also shows that you would like to see future plans to stay with the company. Asking about future opportunities shows ambition on your end and the vision that you have for yourself and the company.
Questions #2: What do you enjoy most about working for your company?
This is more on the personal side and you will most likely get a genuine answer from your interviewer. What want to learn about is the overall company culture, work environment, the team, and the core values. You may also learn about added benefits, perks and incentives that they would like to showcase about the company without having to ask directly. Things like extra incentive programs, bonus, work-life balance, company events, continued educational assistance, etc.
Question #3: How has the company changed since you started?
Depending on how long the interviewer has been with the company, they will be able to share with you long-term and short-term changes that the company has gone through. Something as simple as the changes to the day-to-day operations, the working culture, whether they have long tenure staff or a revolving door of new employees, all of which can provide you with valuable information on how they treat long term/short term employees. It also gives you a glimpse of how the company has been growing and what to expect for the future.
Question #4: What are the expectations to start for this role?
This will give you insight as to what type of candidate their team is looking for. What the initial expectations of the job are should tell you whether you have the qualifications and skills to be success in this position. It also lets you know what kind of pressure you will be put under if you were to selected for this position.
If they answer, “You need to be up to speed right away as we’re very busy with our work and we need you to fill a big void in the company.”, this is an indication that the position is highly demanding and not a position where you will be given a lot of time to learn and ease into the role (it may not be the most ideal learning environment for more junior and entry level job candidates).
On the other hand, if the answer is, We want to train and help you along the way and we have tons of resources for you to learn from, a training program for all new staff, and every member of the team will be able to answer any questions, etc.”, then you know they don’t expect a lot from day one and they are looking for someone they can help grow with the company.
Question #5: What is the timeline for this position and what are the next steps?
It is always important to know when the company needs someone to fill the position and understand what their interview process looks like. If they are not looking to hire someone immediately or if there will be a second, third or fourth interview, you at least want to know how long this process will be. You may have other opportunities that you’re also considering and you may also need to take more time off from work in order to attend the additional interviews.
Furthermore, you also need to consider how much notice you have to give you current employer and whether that can work with the company’s timeline.
The more you can find out about the interview process, the better you can prepare for the next rounds of interviews. Know who you’ll be meeting with next, what information the company may need from you, and don’t be afraid to let them know that you may have other opportunities with a more pressing timeline to get the company to not drag their feet in their selection process.
With anything in life, the formula for success is in the preparation. The next time an interviewer asks you if you have any questions at the end of an interview, you will be be able to ask these questions with confidence and it may a lot uncover more information that adds more to your interest level to the opportunity.
Contact us today to speak with one of our Recruitment Specialists and let us help you find new opportunities for the next step in your career!
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