6 Questions to Ask in an Interview
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04/06/2019
For most of us, being interviewed is a daunting process. You spend time researching the company, preparing to answer questions about your resume, planning how to get to the interview on time and of course, deciding what to wear. When searching for your next role you may go through this process multiple times and each interview can be even more nerve wracking, as you can never anticipate every question you will be asked.
However, most can agree that preparation is they key!
When you have prepared for an interview it shows and most interviewers can see past a candidate’s initial nerves. Interviewers want to get an understanding of your skills and experience plus they are working out if you would be a good fit for their team. Interestingly, one of the main things that candidates often forget is that they are also there to make a decision on whether this is the right role for them, it is a two-way street and the fit has to be right from both sides. Asking questions is not only a great way for you to decide if this is the right role for you, it also shows the interviewer that you are serious about the role and are interested in learning more about the organisation. During the natural flow of conversation within an interview you may have already asked a question, or the interviewer may have answered a question that you would of asked, with this in mind, you should still try to ask 3 questions at the end of your interview.
When preparing for an interview, always prepare a list of questions for you to ask the interviewer!
Write your questions down before hand, take a notepad with you and write down up to 6 questions you have for the interviewer. Ensure to ask one question at a time and let them answer you before you ask another. If they have already answered a question within the interview you can still point it out by referring to the question “I was going to ask what you like about working here but the way you described the company culture and your team earlier you may have answered that one, is there anything else that you love about your role?” This not only asks an important question but shows that you where listening to the interviewer. KLC’s top 6 potential questions to ask in an interview are as follows;
1. What are the next steps for the company, do they have any exiting plans or growth outlined over the next year?
This shows your genuine interest in the company and most interviewers would be happy to share the company goals with you, it also allows you to assess where the company is headed, perhaps they are not looking to grow but they have a goal to say increase customer satisfaction. This is you chance to check that their goals and yours are aligned.
2. What is it like working here, how would you describe your experience as a long-term employee?
Again, you are showing that you are genuinely interested in what it would be like to work at this company and you are also asking the interviewer about their personal experience. This a great way to build rapport with them as well helping you to decide if the team culture sounds like the right fit for you.
3. What are the current or common challenges that other people in this role or immediate team face?
This is a direct question about what challenges you could face in this role and it is a great way to see if you think the interviewer is giving you an honest answer. We all know that no workplace is perfect, and every role or team would have obstacles to face. Ideally you want them to state the challenge and then go on to tell you about a solution they are planning on putting in place but if not you should feel confident to ask a follow up question on if this is an ongoing issue indefinitely or if there is a plan to change the process.
4. What are the working hours / is there onsite parking / what is the dress code?
These are what I call the logistic questions. You need to know the answers to these questions if you are successful in the role and there is no harm in asking prior to an offer it shows confidence and that you are a planner!
5. What would be the typical career path for somebody in this role within the company?
We all want to know if the job we are applying for has potential for growth and it’s a great question to ask to see how the company supports its employees with their career goals and it also shows you are looking to build a career within the company.
Finally, the last question that you shouldn’t leave without asking,
6. What are the next steps in your process and when should I expect to hear from you?
This is so important for you to know as we all know during a job search you can come up against a lot of dead ends, applications sent with no response, calls that sound promising and never hearing from them again so this should be different. When you have spent time being interviewed face to face you should always be called with an outcome and by getting an indication of the date from the interviewer you know if that date passes that you can follow them up with out putting too much pressure on.
Of course if you have specific questions about the job description, the role and responsibilities or anything about the company you should always ask in the interview but for good measure head in there with the aim to not only showcase your skills and personality but to come away with the answers to the above 6 questions! If you want more information on how to best perform in an interview and you would like some skills and interview training, get in contact with KLC today and book in your session.