5 Interview questions to ask

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

There are so many questions you can ask during an interview that sometimes people ask the wrong ones, or don't ask any at all. Thanking the interviewer and leaving without asking anything questions is a missed opportunity to further impress the interviewer and find out what you need to know to decide if this is the job for you.

When thinking about what you're going to ask, give some thought to the way you will ask it. Open ended questions that can't be answered with just a yes or no, get you better answers with more useful information than a simple yes or no. If you ask, will you contact me once you've made your decision; the answer you'll get is yes. This doesn't tell you anything though. When are they going to contact you, and how? If you ask, when should I be expecting to hear from you regarding your decision, you get much more information.

You'd hate to start a job only to find out things aren't as they seemed in the interview. So start preparing a list of questions for the things you'd like to know. Here are some examples to help get you started.

Why is this position available?

Whether the previous employee was promoted, left to find something else, or was fired, you gain clues about what the position is like. It's good to know before you accept the job if there are chances for advancement, or if people are leaving because of problems with the role.

Can you tell me what a typical day in this role would be like?

A job description gives you an overview of the responsibilities of the role but a standard day may involve activities that aren't listed on the job ad. It's good to know what you're going to be faced with on your first day, instead of being put on the spot.

What results are expected from someone in this position?

It's better to find out early what the employer will expect from you, instead of finding out when you're called into the boss's office to discuss your poor performance. Establishing this early on lets you to make a good first impression and set a good work ethic.

Do you provide training to your employees and if so how is it provided?

You may not think your skills are up to the task, but a little bit of training could be all you need to be brought up to speed. Whether this is a one on one tutorial, a training video you watch, or just a document going over the process; Knowing if there's training provided by the employer and what form that training will take, can make a difference to how you judge your suitability for the job.

What is the next step in the interview process?

It's important to know how the interview process is going to proceed. Will there be a second round of interviews, or are they ready to make their decision. Too often you never hear from the interviewer again after an interview, even when they say they'll be in touch. So don't leave everything up to the interviewer. Find out when they think they'll have made their decision and follow up with them if you don't hear from them after this date.

Final thought

There's no limit to the amount questions you can ask, but during an interview you may not get time to ask them all. It's a good idea to prioritise your list so you get answers to the questions that are most important to you. Always go into an interview with several questions ready to ask. If you only walk in with one, it may get answered during the course of the interview. You'll be left with nothing to ask, and a wasted opportunity to learn everything you wanted to know about the job.

Finally asking questions about things the interviewer mentions that interest you are a great way to show you've been paying attention and that you're interested in the job.

If you have any questions, comments, or would like to request a topic let me know.

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