Job Interview Questions

A company’s Web site also gives you good clues about whether the organization is growing or struggling.

The Web site addresses of most companies are obvious. At the place in the browser where it says “address,” just type in “www” (for World Wide Web), the name of the company, and the extension “.com.” Most Web addresses are obvious. For example, Cisco Systems is www.cisco.com. General Motors is www.gm.com. General Electric is www.ge.com.

Another way to find a Web site is to use a search engine. I prefer Google, although there are dozens of general and specialized search engines that will do the job. Simply type in www.google.com and the lean page of the Google Web site will appear. In the blank box, type in the name of the company you want to research and click on “I’m feeling lucky.” Google will almost always take you straight to the Web site you want. It’s unlikely that Google will fail you, but if it does, click “Back” and then click on the “Search Google” button. Now you will get a list of possible destinations. The company you want to research will usually be near the top of the list. Click on that item and you will go straight to the Web site you want.

And if a company does not have a Web site, that tells you that the company prefers to be invisible. Why would you want to work for an invisible company? If you still want to be interviewed, a question like this probably needs to be at the top of your list:

In my research on the company, I tried to find a Web site. I did not see any reference to a Web site on the company materials, nor could I find one using any of the search engines I tried. Is this intentional, and what is the logic behind not having exposure on the Web?

Every company’s Web site is different, but they are all organized in standard ways. The first thing is to look for a tab or button that says “About.” Most companies put basic background information about themselves in this area. Another area to look for is the “pressroom” or “newsroom.” Many companies collect news releases and articles about themselves under this designation.

Some corporate Web sites are pretty complicated affairs, with literally tens of thousands of places to hide information. So if you are lost, most Web sites have a feature called “Site Map.” This feature gives Web site visitors a high-level look at where information may be found on the site. It’s like the store directory you find in a shopping mall. Finally, most Web sites have a search function. Click on the search function and type in a term such as “about” or “news releases” and let the search engine take you where you need to go.

For public companies, the annual report is almost always available at the Web site. This document is an invaluable source of information about the company and its challenges. Pay careful attention to the letter from the management. In that letter, the organization’s CEO lays out the company’s accomplishments and challenges. It will give you important clues for questions you can ask. In some cases, there is a Q&A format, so many of the questions you might want to ask in your interview are already there.

“The best questions to ask interviewers are those that demonstrate a knowledge of the company and its market,” says Incentive Systems’ Bob Conlin. “I’m always impressed by good questions about specific competitors, where the market is going in terms of trends, and how the company is adapting to those trends.”

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If the candidate hedges, Parker questions whether she should invite the candidate in for a job interview. If the candidate answers yes, Parker asks:

What is your impression of what we do?

“I want to see if the candidate can articulate the information about our company and the job,” she says. Her reasons for asking are twofold. First, she wants some feedback on how effectively the company’s recruiting materials are working. But even more importantly, she believes that a candidate who has taken the time to thoroughly study the recruiting materials demonstrates real interest in the job, while one who has not is a poor risk.

“If you want to work at Integrated Design, I insist that you demonstrate at least a basic understanding of what the company does,” she says. The best way to demonstrate that is to ask Parker informed ques tions, such as:

I’ve scanned your Web site and the materials you sent me. I understand that Integrated Design specializes in employee data integration.As a service business, has the recent economic downturn changed the weight of the build-versus-buy calculation that every customer must evaluate?

Such a question tells Parker that the candidate not only researched the company’s mission but has a mature understanding of the challenges of a service company. On the other hand, Parker experiences a visceral turn-off for applicants who show no evidence they looked at the recruitment information packet she sent about the company. She also has no use for applicants who expect her to repeat all the information contained in the information packet. Such applicants-they hardly rise to the status of candidates-are too unmotivated to get Parker’s attention.

“If candidates ask no questions at all, especially after I sent them an information packet of recruitment materials, I know they are cruising,” agrees Bob Conlin, VP of marketing at Incentive Systems in Bedford, Massachusetts. “If a candidate tells me she is considering committing the next phase of her career to Incentive Systems, I want to know she is thinking hard about the opportunity. I expect to hear some very probing questions.”

One of the strongest candidates in Conlin’s experience was prepared not only with great questions, but with a portfolio of materials the candidate could point to during the interview. The candidate for a senior marketing position had copies of Incentive Systems’ company’s data sheets and full-page ads and those of its competitors. Using these materials, the candidate asked informed questions about the merits of specific marketing campaigns on behalf of specific products. “As soon as he pulled out the portfolio, I said to myself, ‘This is my guy!’” Conlin recalls.

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