25 best questions
January 15th, 2009
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- How did you find me? Headhunters hate this question, but ask it anyway, because the answer will tell you which resources (job sites, networking, placement services) are producing results for you in your search for a more rewarding opportunity.
- Is this a retainer or contingency assignment? This will give you a clue about the relationship between the recruiter and the principal. Generally, agencies on retainer have a closer relationship with the principal, and their endorsement carries a lot more clout.
- Are you dealing with the client’s HR people, or do you have direct contact with the hiring manager? Don’t be afraid to ask. You want to know how much influence the recruiter will have with this client. A search engagement that puts the recruiter in direct contact with the hiring manager will offer a significantly stronger opportunity for you to be placed in the position.
- How long has the client been with you? This gives you insight into how well the recruiter knows the company. Look for a long-term association.
- How many candidates have you personally placed with this client? Look for a recruiter that has a successful history with the client, better yet, with the hiring manager. The recruiter should have a solid understanding of the client’s needs in order to determine if you will fit into the position, the work team, and the corporate culture. If the recruiter has not placed any candidates with the company, there is a chance that he or she really does not have a specific assignment or position in mind for you. What the recruiter is doing is trolling for candidates to add to his or her database for future engagements.
- Tell me about your career choice. How did you get into recruiting? Just as the recruiter is screening you, let the recruiter know you are screening him or her. Learn more about his or her skill level and experience as a recruiter. If the recruiter has less than two years of experience, he or she is still in the process of learning the trade.
- When will I find out the name of the principal or client company? A relationship between a recruiter and a candidate should be built on a foundation of trust, honesty, and respect. Most recruiters will provide client information to you right after they have presented your résumé to the client. If the recruiter will not agree to these terms, you should question the recruiter’s reasons for withholding the information and decide if you want this person to represent you.
- May I have a written job description? It probably doesn’t exist, and if it does, you probably won’t get it; but it pays to ask. If you get something, it will have important information about required skills, responsibilities, and perhaps even the compensation package. At the minimum, you need to know the title and level of the position.
- Where is the position located? You want to determine if this opportunity matches your geographic requirements.
- Where is the company headquartered? You want to know if you will be working at headquarters or at a regional branch. If the latter, you will want to know if working at a remote location represents a liability to your visibility and prospects for advancement.
- To whom does the position report? You want to know the name or at least the title of the person you will be working for.
- Can you tell me about this executive’s management style? You want to get as much information about the supervisor as possible.
- Why is the position open? You want to know the circumstances of the position. Is it a new position? If not, what happened to the last person in the job? Did he or she quit, and if so, why? Was he or she promoted?
- What happened to the person who previously held this position? Look for indications that the incumbent was promoted within the organization.
- Is this a new position? A new position indicates the company is growing.
- How long has the position been open? This gives you a clue about your chances and the desirability of the position. If the position has been open more than three months, something is not right. You need to find out what it is about the position or company that makes the position hard to fill.
- How long have you been working on the assignment? Again, if the recruiter has been trying to fill the position for three months or more, something is suspicious. You need to find out what.
- What does the position pay? While bringing up pay and compensation before the interviewer does is a no-no when you are interviewing with human resources or the hiring manager, here it is perfectly acceptable. There is no point in wasting each other’s time if your requirements and the position’s pay structure are wildly divergent.
- Are there any pay or compensation constraints that I should take into consideration? This question allows the recruiter to talk about any ceilings or limits on salary that the position imposes. Some recruiters are instructed not to present candidates who demand more than the preset salary. If that’s the case, you want to know it.
- What can you tell me about the person who will be interviewing me? If the recruiter recommends you, you want to know something about the person you will interview with next.
- What is his or her position, title, management style? You want to know if the next person to interview you will be a gatekeeper or a person with actual hiring authority.
- Who will make the final hiring decision? If the answer to the question above does not give you the critical information you need, ask for it directly.
- After you present my résumé, when can I expect to hear from you regarding the status of this position? Set expectations with the recruiter about the frequency of updates regarding your candidacy. You should also insist that the recruiter inform you about other opportunities and ask for your permission before presenting you to any other clients. This tells the recruiter you are a professional.
- Can you describe, specifically, how the company navigates/balances work–personal life issues? This question will help you get some insight into what level of workaholism runs in the company.
- What might I do that would violate the culture of the company during my interview? Corporate culture is tricky to describe but putting it this way makes it easier to understand the culture and to avoid doing something to violate it.