5 Questions to Ask Your Interviewer For Success
Many of us obsess over how to come up with the perfect answers to the most common questions asked during job interviews. We spend many sleepless nights researching what we may be asked and planning our responses. What is less talked about, however, is what questions to ask your interviewer.
A job interview is your chance to represent yourself as the best candidate for the job and this involves being grilled by the hiring manager. That being said, there's another opportunity here: the opportunity for you to uncover whether or not a job is a right fit for you. This means that you'll need to go into a job interview with a few questions of your own. What do you want to know about the position? The company? The team? The department?
To help you formulate the best questions to ask your interviewer, we've come up with our top picks for some of the most helpful questions to ask. While we don't necessarily suggest firing them all off at once, working each of these questions into your conversation organically will pay off. When the inevitable "do you have any questions for us?" part of the interview arises, you'll feel more prepared after reading this.
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1. What Do You Expect From Team Members in This Position?
The first question you should make it a point to ask your job interviewer is what the expect from team members in the position. Oftentimes, job descriptions offer little more than marketing jargon designed to pique the interest in a position. What's more, sometimes the more intricate requirements are neglected. When asking this question, you'll have an easier time determining what you're going to be doing if hired and what will be expected of you.
Hiring managers not only expect this question but respect it. This is because asking your interviewer to explain the job requirements in detail shows them that you really care about the position. It also represents that you like to have all of the facts before making a major decision, that you have the courage to ask difficult questions, and that you want to know how to exceed their expectations. Don't forget to ask this all-important question of your interviewer!
2. What is a Typical Day Like at [Company Name]?
You should always make it a point to ask about day-to-day operations during a job interview. By asking this necessary question and learning "the lay of the land", you put your dedication to not only the company but attention to detail on full display.
When this question is posed, hiring managers will typically start by explaining basic schedules, projects, and events. You shouldn't expect (or push for) detailed explanations about clients or projects- that will come with time. After all, they still have a responsibility to protect intellectual property. Instead, use this time to learn more about the company's overall atmosphere and its people.
To make an even better first impression when asking your interviewer this question, ask about events like company picnics, newsletters, and other initiatives designed to bring staff together. Your interviewer will likely beam when asked this type of question as executives love to brag about their connection with their team.
3. Will Expectations Change Over Time?
Remember when we said that you should ask about the expectations associated with the position you're applying for? It's best not to leave things at that. Instead, pose another important question to your interviewer: will those expectations change over time?
This question follows similar thinking to the aforementioned question about expectations. It's a great follow-up question because it helps you make sure that you understand what you're getting yourself into, along with future potentials for growth. Always listen attentively when posing this question as it can tell you a lot about what you should expect.
When asked this question, many hiring managers will repeat previous answers or give otherwise bland statements. This isn't because they don't want to answer your question but, rather, that they probably don't want to give you an upper hand when it comes to negotiating your salary. If they approach this question with observable reluctance, make a mental note of this and readdress this fact when it comes to salary negotiations.
4. Where Do You See the Company in Five Years?
There are few things that can make you a more serious candidate in the eyes of an interviewer than expressing genuine interest in the longevity of the company. When asking an interviewer where they see the company in the next five years, you're serving two purposes.
Firstly, this question gives you the opportunity to identify how stable the company you're applying to is. After all, nobody wants to work for an organization that is in the habit of laying off its employees in the near future. This makes this question to ask your interviewer one that works largely to your benefit.
Secondly, asking this question also tells the hiring manager that you genuinely care about the company and want to build a long-lasting relationship. Hiring managers always aim to hire long-term employees that will work tirelessly to propel the company forward for years.
5. What Are the Next Steps in the Interview Process?
Once you've worked all of the previous questions on this list into your job interview in a natural way, you'll want to pose one final question to your job interviewer: what are the next steps?
Asking about the next steps in the job interview process shows the hiring manager that you are confident in yourself, optimistic about your qualifications, and enthusiastic about working for the company. Hiring managers always appreciate the display of good self-esteem in a job candidate and this is your chance to impress. That being said, be sure not to come off as too eager. Overconfidence can sometimes be misinterpreted as arrogance.
Asking about the next steps in the interview process also helps you determine proper follow-up etiquette, such as when the right time to send your thank you email after the interview is. It will also grant you a lot of peace of mind in that you won't have to sit around worrying about when the right time to check back in is. You can do yourself a lot of good by asking this simple question at the end of your job interview!
These Questions to Ask Your Interviewer Can Ensure Career Success!
We hope that you have found our list of the top five most important questions to ask your interviewer helpful. By planning ahead and knowing what you want to ask you can not only increase your chances of being hired, but also ensure that this is the job you want. This is a crucial part of preparing for any job interview so make sure you keep these all-important questions in mind. You won't regret it when you make a great first impression!
