Job Interview Questions

1. If I were a spectacular success in this position after six months, what would I have accomplished? This is a very bold way to understand the “dream list” of accomplishments you will, on some level, be expected to fulfill.
2. Do you foresee this job involving significant amounts of overtime or work on weekends? It’s a fair question, so ask it straight.
3. I understand the company has experienced layoffs within the last two years. Can you review the reasons why they were necessary? It will make the interviewer uncomfortable, but the interviewer expects questions about layoffs.
4. How were the layoffs handled in terms of notification, severance, outplacement services, etc.? You want to know how your termination, should you be downsized, will likely be handled.
5. Are there formal metrics in place for measuring and rewarding performance over time? The impression you want to leave is that you are good and you want the metrics to recognize it.
6. How effectively has the company communicated its top three business goals? If the interviewer cannot articulate them, you have your answer.
7. I am a hard worker. I expect to be around other hard-working people.Am I going to be comfortable with the level of effort I find here? You are asking the interviewer if you will find the kind of hard-working environment in which you thrive at this position. If the interviewer hedges at all, you have your answer.
8. Is the company’s training strategy linked to the company’s core business objectives? The most sophisticated companies do link their training and education investments to core business objectives.
9. How does your firm handle recognition for a job well done? The way an organization rewards achievement tells you a lot about its culture.
10. When was the last time you rewarded a subordinate for his or her efforts? What token of appreciation did you offer? This question goes from the general to the specific. You are now asking about the manager’s practices in rewarding subordinates.
11. How does the firm recognize and learn from a brave attempt that didn’t turn out quite as expected? Many companies say they have a nonpunitive attitude toward managers who make mistakes, but few live up to the attitude. Ask about a time when the lessons from a mistake were widely disseminated across the organization.
12. How much freedom would I have in determining my objectives and deadlines? This question goes to how much authority you will have to do your job in the manner you see fit versus working to someone else’s preferences.
13. How long has this position existed in the organization? Has its scope changed recently? Information about the history of the position and its recent evolution can influence your decision.
14. What are the greatest challenges I will face in this position in furthering the agenda of the organization? The question asks the interviewer to identify the obstacles, impediments, and other land mines that people occupying every position in an organization must confront. If the interviewer suggests there are no such obstacles, you know it’s a lie.
15. Are my tasks limited to my job description, or will l be performing duties outside the described job scope? If there is a job description, it is frequently ignored. If you’re going to be doing your job as well as someone else’s, you should know now, before you accept the job.

Even if you are unemployed, resist the temptation to take the job just because it is offered. You may be in the frying pan now, but the fire is surely hotter if you accept a job you don’t fully understand. So ask away.

While you never want to ask questions that spoil your rapport with the interviewer, make it clear that you expect candid answers to your queries. Actually, there is an advantage to being real at this point. Most interviewers expect you to look out for your interests. If you can’t speak up for your own interests, they will figure, how can you be expected to speak out for the best interests of the organization?

Here is where your research protects your interests. You need to know why the company is losing money, why the prior incumbent quit, and what are the relocation plans for the department. It is perfectly appropriate to ask to speak with potential subordinates and colleagues. They are excellent sources of information; they know what is going on and are most likely going to be straight with you. You may ask these people about the informal power structure, the unwritten priorities, what it really takes to be successful, and what they most want to change.