6 More Questions You Should Have For Your Interviews
As someone who has interviewed many people over the course of my career, I can confidently say that the time at the end of the interview where the candidate is asked “Do you have any questions for me?” is one of the most important parts of the entire interview process. I’ve discussed the importance of having questions prepared for this scenario in a previous blog, and provided some examples there. Even if you can only ask 2-3 questions, it’s important to have a pool of questions that you can ask to address different concerns you may have. Today, I’m going to share with you 6 more questions you can ask and why you should ask them.
What Does a Typical Day Look Like in This Position?
This is a question I get asked frequently, especially for positions that are more entry level where the candidate does not have experience in a similar role. You should ask this question with the goal of understanding not only the job duties on a daily basis (because those are sometimes not apparent from the job description), but also how the role interacts with others in the organization. As you climb the corporate ladder, more of your day will be taken up by meetings and administrative duties, and understanding how those responsibilities interact with the role can be a very valuable insight.
How Does the Company Train Its Employees?
This is one of my personal favorite questions to ask in an interview, but you need to be very careful with it. When asked in the right context, it will give great insight as to how the Company develops its staff. But when asked in the wrong context, it may give the interviewer the impression that you aren’t qualified for the position. Training and development are very important ways to grow an organization, and understanding how the Company intends to support its employees and future growth can be a key differentiating factor for accepting a role or not.
What Is the Process for Performance Evaluations? Is There an Atmosphere That Supports Timely Feedback?
You should want to work for a Company that supports timely feedback and actively aims to solve problems, instead of brushing them under the rug for HR to deal with. Especially when starting in a new role, understanding the culture around feedback and performance evaluations can be huge in determining whether a company is a right fit. I would feel much more comfortable at a Company that dedicated the time to having regular check-ins and an open environment as opposed to a company with a single, larger evaluation.
What Makes This Company Different from Its Competitors?
The context in which you ask this question can vary a lot, but it could be a critical question to ask in many circumstances. By asking this question, you can get valuable insight not only into the Company that you are interviewing for currently, but also companies you may interview with in the future. You may learn about:
Team Size & Responsibilities
Leadership Philosophy
Company Goals
Company Culture + Smaller Perks
Client Specializations
These differentiating factors can completely change your outlook on the Company, especially if you are interviewing with other similar companies.
What Opportunities for Growth Are There for Someone in This Position?
Understanding growth opportunities is hugely important when interviewing for any position because those opportunities dictate how long you may want to stay at the Company. If you are early in your career, you will want to pursue positions that allow you to grow your responsibilities, salary, and knowledge. Conversely, you could find a point in your career where growth is less important because you don’t see yourself taking on the next role. Usually this happens once you reach a certain salary or have other priorities to meet outside your job.
How Do You See This Position Changing in the Future with New Technology and Company Growth?
You should not only be concerned about the role you could take on tomorrow, because in a year or two, the job could look completely different. I’ve seen companies grow from a simple operation on QuickBooks to buying multiple companies over the course of a couple of years. You don’t want to be in a position where you thought you were going to manage a small shop and suddenly be required to do more than you originally bargained for. Similarly, new technologies can drastically change job responsibilities over a short period of time. For some positions, this could mean having to go from doing the job yourself to managing the new technology tool that does the job. Understanding and anticipating these changes will help you evaluate whether your current skill set matches the company you are interviewing with.
Remember, you don’t need to ask every question listed above. It’s important to only focus on the areas that are important to you, and that have not been answered at other points during the interview. Adding these questions to your pool will allow you to be ready to address a wider range of areas when the time does come and the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for me?”