Job Interview Questions

1. Is there anything personally or professionally that you believe would prevent my being a solid contributor in this role? If not, you can assume that the next step is working out the hiring details. If yes, then you are positioned to address the objection.
2. Mr. Employer, your search is over.You will not find anyone else more qualified to do this job than I. If I were you, I’d cancel all the other interviews and make me an offer. This approach can be considered either confident or cheeky. But in the right tone of voice, it can be effective.
3. Mr. Employer, I’m not going to keep it a secret. I really want this job, and I know I will be fantastic in it. Now shut up and listen. Resist the temptation to justify this bold statement. If you are in a dead heat with two other candidates, all other things being equal, you can bet that the most enthusiastic job seeker will get the nod.
4. Until I hear from you again, what particular aspects of the job and this interview should I be considering? Notice how confident the question is. It’s not “if” but “when.” The question deftly reminds the interviewer that just as the company is considering you, you are considering the company.
5. I know I can meet the demands of the position and would make an outstanding contribution. Can I have the offer? Confronted so directly, the interviewer must make a statement about your chances of being hired. If the interviewer doesn’t, he or she isn’t interested in you at all.
6. What will be your recommendation to the hiring committee? Phrased like this, you are flattering the interviewer that his or her recommendation is valuable.
7. I’m ready to make a decision based on the information I have. Is there anything else you need to make me an offer? An effective one-two punch of a question that combines an expression of interest with a subtle invitation to see an offer.
8. I am very interested in this job, and I know your endorsement is key to my receiving an offer. May I have your endorsement? Phrased this way, the question does not request that the interviewer offer a job, but merely the endorsement. It also flatters the interviewer by making it clear that his or her recommendation carries considerable weight, whether it does or not.
9. It sounds to me as if we have a great fit here.What do you think? Note that this is very aggressive phrasing, perhaps best suited for a sales position.
10. It has been an interesting and fruitful discussion. I would very much like to take it to the next step. This is a statement rather than a question, but it closes the interview very effectively by not only requesting a next step, but assuming that there will be one.

Bid-for-Action Questions committee, hiring details, interviewer, job, questions

1. Corporate culture is very important, but it’s usually hard to define until one violates it.What is one thing an employee might do here that would be perceived as a violation of the company’s culture? This question reveals a sophisticated understanding of corporate culture as a force most easily observed in its violation. Typical responses are lying and other ethical breaches, but listen for other clues.
2. How would you characterize the organization?What are its principal values?What are its greatest challenges? This profound question demonstrates your deep interest in the organization’s makeup.
3. How would you describe the experience of working here? Here’s a question that goes to the interviewer’s experience of corporate culture.
4. If I were to be employed here, what one piece of wisdom would you want me to incorporate into my work life? This is a strong question that not only asks the hiring manager what he or she considers most important but also assumes that you are already on board.
5. What are a couple of misconceptions people have about the company? Every manager is frustrated by the way he or she thinks the world sees the company. Here is your chance get two pieces of critical information: how the hiring manager thinks the world perceives the company and what he or she believes to be the truth.
6. Work-life balance is an issue of retention as well as productivity. Can you talk about your own view of how to navigate the tensions between getting the work done and encouraging healthy lives outside the office? On one level, you want to find out how workaholic your prospective manager and the company are. On another, you want a clue about how the company handles the important issue of work-life balance.
7. How does the company support and promote personal and professional growth? This is another way to ask how the company culture promotes a healthy work-life balance.
8. What types of people seem to excel here? This will engender more conversation about personality styles and attitudes that mesh well with the culture and those that don’t. You bluff your way through this question at your own risk. Why would you want to go to work where you would be at war with the prevailing culture?
9. Every company contends with office politics. It’s a fact of life because politics is about people working together. Can you give me some examples of how politics plays out in this company? It’s a slightly risky question because “politics” has such a negative connotation. But the reality is that every organization is a political organization. The politics at family-owned companies is much different than the politics of large multinational companies. The issue is, with which are you more comfortable?
10. What have I yet to learn about this company and opportunity that I still need to know? A great open-ended question for the interviewer to elaborate on an important point you might not have considered.

Questions for Hiring Managers, Questions for human resources, You Got an Offer. Congratulations! corporate culture, interview questions, questions

1. What specific skills from the person you hire would make your life easier? This question focuses the conversation squarely on the proposition that the employer has a problem. As the potential new hire, you want the employer to tell you that you can make his or her life easier because your skills are just the ticket.
2. What are some of the problems that keep you up at night? This is another way to uncover the employer’s hot buttons, subtly suggesting that hiring you will bring immediate relief to the interviewer’s insomnia.
3. What would be a surprising but positive thing the new person could do in the first 90 days? The wording here is designed to reveal the interviewer’s “wish list” for what the new hire can offer.
4. How does upper management perceive this part of the organization? The response to this question will give the job seeker a feel for how valuable the department is to upper management, because if and when the organization goes through a financial crisis, you want to know that your department will not be the first department cut.
5. What do you see as the most important opportunities for improvement in the area I hope to join? This is another way to get some clues about what specific improvements the hiring manager desires.
6. What are the organization’s three most important goals? This answer will provide an important clue for you if you take the job, because you’ll be evaluated on your contribution to those three goals.
7. How do you see this position impacting on the achievement of those goals? This answer will give an important clue about whether the job is important. If the answer is essentially “not much,” you are being considered for a nonessential position.
8. What attracted you to working for this organization? Get the hiring manager to tell you a story. Listen carefully for clues about what makes for success.
9. What have you liked most about working here? Shared stories are what create community. Here’s another way to bond with the interviewer around a story.
10. In what ways has the experience surprised or disappointed you? Follow-up is good. If the interviewer feels safe, he or she may actually share a disappointment.
11. What are the day-to-day responsibilities I’ll be assigned? No better way to know what you’ll be doing. Notice how the question gently assumes you are already on the team.
12. Could you explain the company’s organizational structure? Ask this question if there is something you don’t understand about the organization.
13. What is the organization’s plan for the next five years, and how does this department or division fit in? Any question that implies you have the long term in mind is great. The hiring manager is thinking, “This guy aims to stick around for the long term.”
14. Will we be expanding or bringing on new products or new services that I should be aware of? Notice the use of the word “we.” This is another question that allows the hiring manager to discuss future plans and prospects.
15. What are some of the skills and abilities you see as necessary for someone to succeed in this job? This is another way to uncover possible objections or conflicts. Again, you can’t address an objection unless it’s articulated.
16. What challenges might I encounter if I take on this position? Listen carefully. The hiring manager is telling you where you are expected to fail. Is this a challenge you can take on and at which you can reasonably hope to succeed? If Superman couldn’t hack it, watch out! You’re being set up for failure.
17. What are your major concerns that need to be immediately addressed in this job? Note the emphasis on the word “your.” This is less about the organization’s agenda than the hiring manager’s concerns. They may or may not be different. It won’t serve you well to meet the organization’s goals but not your manager’s.
18. What are the attributes of the job that you’d like to see improved? This is another way of asking the hiring manager for the conditions of success.
19. What is your company’s policy on attending seminars, workshops, and other training opportunities? You want to be seen as interested in learning and gaining new skill sets. You want your organization to support those goals.
20. What is the budget this department operates with? You may or may not get a straight answer to this straight question, but asking shows you understand the power of budgets to control outcomes.
21. What committees and task forces will I be expected to participate in? Whether you like committee work or not, you should get this information to make an informed decision.
22. How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? By whom? Here’s another general question that goes to how your efforts will be evaluated. It’s likely you will start a conversation about metrics such as management by objective.
23. Are there any weaknesses in the department that you are particularly looking to improve? This will provide an indication of what your first assignment will be.
24. What are the department’s goals, and how do they align with the company’s mission? This is another way to get a picture of how the department fits into the enterprise.
25. What are the company’s strengths and weaknesses compared with the competition (name one or two companies)? This question shows that you have done your research and that you are rightfully aware that success means outperforming the competition.
26. How does the reporting structure work here? What are the preferred means of communication? This set of questions goes to the heart of the corporate culture. Are reporting structures formal or informal? You will not be happy if you prefer an informal, open-door company environment and this company prefers a more rigid structure.
27. What goals or objectives need to be achieved in the next six months? Here is another question to let the hiring manager know that you want to do one thing at a time starting with the most important thing.
28. Can you give me an idea of the typical day and workload and the special demands the job has? This is a good question to get a sense of the job on a day-to-day basis.
29. This is a new position.What are the forces that suggested the need for this position? As the holder of a brand-new position, you will have a lot of freedom to shape the job. But the first thing to understand is why it was created and what problem it is designed to solve.
30. What areas of the job would you like to see improvement in with regard to the person who was most recently performing these duties? This should give you a clue about why the incumbent failed. Yes it’s true that people can learn only from mistakes, but that doesn’t mean it has to be their own mistakes. The downside is that if the incumbent left on bad terms, you risk associating yourself with some negative vibes.
31. From all I can see, I’d really like to work here, and I believe I can add considerable value to the company.What’s the next step in the selection process? Express continued interest, ask for the job, and establish a time frame for the next step.
32. How does this position contribute to the company’s goals, productivity, or profits? This question demonstrates your acknowledgment that every position must make a direct contribution to the company’s bottom line. Follow up with a commitment to doing just that.
33. What is currently the most pressing business issue or problem for the company or department? This is an opportunity to get into a very useful conversation about the challenges you will be expected to face.
34. Would you describe for me the actions of a person who previously achieved success in this position? This question gives the hiring manager an opportunity to reflect on his or her criteria for success.
35. Would you describe for me the action of a person who previously performed poorly in this position? This question gives the hiring manager an opportunity to reflect on his or her criteria for failure.

Questions for Hiring Managers 35 questions, interview skills, questions

Here are some suggested wordings for getting permission:

Do you mind if I take notes? I want to keep the details of this discussion very clear in my mind because the more I learn about this opportunity, the more confident I am that I can make an important contribution.

Notice how the applicant embeds a selling message in her request.

Also ask permission before you look at your notes when you ask your questions:

While we were talking, I jotted down a few points I wanted to ask about. May I have a minute to consult my notes?

Or: Thanks for the detailed description of the opportunity and the company.

I know you answered most of my questions in the course of our conversation. Before I came here, I jotted down a few questions I didn’t want to forget. May I consult my notes?

Do You Mind If I Take Notes? questions

“I’m hugely okay with note takers as long as it doesn’t delay our process,” says Seattlejobs.org’s president Janice Brookshier. “After all, I’m going to be taking notes.” A job interview is not a social occasion. It is a business meeting. And in American business culture, taking notes in support of a business meeting is considered not only appropriate, but often a sign of professionalism.

Far from a sign of disorganization or weakness, taking notes is a mark of a well-organized professional. The cultures of companies such as IBM, Cisco Systems, and Computer Associates International actually encourage note taking at all meetings. Employees are issued notebooks, and they are expected to use them as part of a culture that insists that people stay accountable for the goals and objectives they take on.

Melanie Mays, a recruiter with Empyrean Consulting, Inc., in Dallas, Texas, supports note taking because it encourages candidates to listen rather than talk. “I coach candidates to apply the 80-20 rule in job interviews: You should be listening 80 percent of the time and talking only 20 percent of the time. If taking notes helps, I’m all for it.”

These recruiters believe that taking notes actually keeps the attention on the speaker by minimizing interruptions as the applicant makes a list of insights and responses that can be referred to when it’s the listener’s turn to speak. Note taking does not have to be distracting. The point of notes is not to take down a conversation verbatim, which would be intrusive. The purpose is to remind yourself of important points that are being made and questions or comments you don’t want to forget when it’s your turn to talk.

The most important thing is to ask permission. “I never have a problem with people who ask permission to take notes during an interview,” says Sandra Grabczynski, director of employer development at CareerSite.com, an online recruiting service in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “It generally impresses me that the applicant is taking the opportunity seriously.” Whipping out a notebook without asking permission may strike some interviewers as presumptuous.

Candidates are not the only ones taking notes. Rich Franklin, HR director at KnowledgePoint, a software maker in Petaluma, California, prefaces most interviews by saying that he will be making a few notes during the course of the interview. “At that point, I invite them to take notes as well, if they want,” Franklin says, adding that he’s gratified when they do. “Benefits and insurance plans can be pretty complicated, so I appreciate candidates taking notes. It shows me they are serious.”

Do You Mind If I Take Notes? questions, recruiters

There seem to be no conditions that justify asking the following questions in any circumstances:

• Is it possible for me to get a small loan?
• What is it that your company does?
• Can I see the break room?
• Are you (the interviewer) married?
• What are your psychiatric benefits?
• How many warnings do you get before you are fired?
• Do you provide employees with gun lockers?
• Can you guarantee me that I will still have a job here a year from now?
• Do I get to keep the frequent-flier miles from company trips?
• Would anyone notice if I came in late and left early?
• How many (insert name of ethnic group) do you have working here?
• What does this company consider a good absenteeism record?
• Can you tell me about your retirement plan?
• The job description mentions weekend work. Are you serious?
• What is the zodiac sign of the company president?
• You’re not going to check my references, are you?
• Is it easy to get away with stuff around here?
• Do I have to work more than 40 hours a week?
• Why do I have to fill out this job application? It’s all on my résumé.
• How do you define sexual harassment?
• Can the company buy 5,000 copies of my wife’s book?
• Am I allowed smoking breaks?
• Will my office be near an ice machine?
• I missed my lunch. Do you mind if I eat my sandwich while we talk?
• I hope this doesn’t take too long. My mother is waiting for me in the car.
• When will I be eligible for my first vacation?

Questions You Should Never Initiate circumstances, interview questios, questions

Yes, money and benefits are important. I guarantee you will have this conversation after the company expresses an interest in you. Your bargaining position will be much stronger then, so just resist asking about money and concentrate on showing that you understand the company’s challenges and can help solve them.

On the other hand, let’s be real. Money is critical, so why should it be so awkward to acknowledge that fact? True, most career counselors and job-hunting experts suggest it is taboo for you to ask about pay before the interviewer does, but I think it’s possible to be too rigid on this point. Occasionally it may make sense for the candidate to initiate a relaxed conversation about pay issues at an early point in the interview. Any reasonable person would expect rate of pay, health benefits, and what constitutes the workweek to be important topics. To pointedly ignore them diminishes the honesty of the relationship between the candidate and the interviewer, surely not an auspicious way to start a relationship with someone who may become your immediate supervisor and mentor.

There is one exception when issues of pay should come first, not last. That exception refers to salespeople who are paid by commission, not salary. With salespeople, the acknowledged desire to earn a high income is considered an unalloyed virtue. Companies actually like to see a reasonable level of greediness in their salespeople. The system is set up so that salespeople make money only if they earn the company a lot more money. Thus if you are interviewing for a sales job, it can be appropriate for you to raise the issue of commissions, royalties, quotas, and other compensation issues early on in the interview.

Questions You Should Never Initiate benefits, compensation, interview, money, questions

Everyone has a different killer question. Ask yourself, if you could present just one question, what would it be? Think about the brand you want to present. You are that brand. Take some time to think of the question that allows you to differentiate yourself from the crowd. In many cases, the killer question has three elements:

• A statement that you appreciate the company’s challenges or problem
• An assertion that you can solve the problem
• A request that you be given the opportunity to do so

The thoroughness with which you prepare for this question goes a long way in deciding whether you will be successful in getting a job offer.

Formulating open-ended, penetrating questions gives you a leg up on the competition. The right questions give the hiring manager a better picture of your value proposition to the company, the only basis on which you will be offered a position. The 15 rules that follow provide guidance to help you strategize about the questions you will take into your job interviews. Now is the time to be intentional about the interview, to take control, and to put your best foot forward.

Why You Have to Question interview, job offer, killer question, questions

Are you ready? then do the homework. Have you did yet?

Some job seekers are uncertain about whether they should write down their questions. If they do, should they bring them to the interview? The answer to both questions is yes. Doesn’t that look, well, premeditated? Of course it does. That’s the effect you want. See  a fuller discussion of the issues around taking notes.

“I’ve always found that the most important thing at a job interview is to have a list of questions prepared before going in,” says Kate Brothers, director of grants administration at Keuka College in Keuka Park, New York. “It accomplishes two things: It makes you look like you’ve done your homework, and it fills the awkward silences when the interviewer runs out of things to ask you. Also, it puts at least a portion of the interview in your control.”

Writing down your questions accomplishes a number of useful objectives.

It helps articulate your thoughts. Your questions should be as crisp as your shirt or blouse. Write them down, practice reading them aloud, and edit until the questions sing.

It helps prioritize your issues. Not every question carries equal weight. But only when you write them all down can you decide which question to ask first. Some candidates write questions on index cards so they can easily order and reorder them until they have the flow they want.

It helps you remember. In the anxiety of the interview, you can easily forget a question you meant to ask. Or worse, your brain can vapor-lock and spill out something really dumb. If you have been interviewing with a number of companies, it is easy to forget where you are and ask a totally inappropriate question, such as asking about manufacturing facilities at an insurance company. Protect yourself and make yourself look professional by preparing questions in advance.

It improves your performance. Knowing which questions you will ask generally makes the interview go better. It breeds confidence. You will be able to guide the interview to highlight your qualifications in a way that your questions will underscore.

It makes you look prepared. That’s a good thing as far as interviewers are concerned.

Why You Have to Question advance questions, common job interview questions, employee interview questions, questions, take notes

Of course, there is a sixth objective for your asking critical questions: to help you assess whether or not you really want the job. The job interview is a two-way street. You get to estimate the quality of the organization as much as the organizations gets to estimate your credentials.

Five different impressions:
Interest, Intelligence, Confidence, Personal appeal, Assertiveness

The other important point is to avoid “What about me?” questions until after you get a job offer or a very strong expression of interest. “What about me?” questions are anything that goes to what the candidate receives as opposed to what the candidate offers. Remember, you have two roles in the interview: buyer and seller. For the first part of the interview, you are a seller. The only time you are buying is when they make you an offer.

Listen to Susan Trainer, senior information systems recruiter with RJS Associates in Hartford, Connecticut. She interviews hundreds of candidates to determine if they represent a good fit for her client companies. “It makes me crazy when I ask a candidate if they have any questions and they respond with either ‘No, you have answered them already’or ‘How many vacation days does your client give?’

“There are so many things you can screw up in a job interview, and not asking thoughtful questions when you have the opportunity is probably the biggest one. Interviewers want to know how candidates collect information, and the easiest way to know that is by listening to candidates ask questions,” Trainer says.

“This is a real chance for a candidate to shine and set themselves apart from all the other job seekers. When I am prepping a candidate to go on an interview, I usually give them two or three very pointed questions to ask in the interview, and then we talk about another three for them to formulate,” she adds. Her two favorites:

In what area could your team use a little polishing? Why did you come to XZY Company? “The questions you ask, and how you ask them, do as much to differentiate you from the competition as the questions asked by the interviewer,” Trainer insists. As you prepare for the job interview, your questions have to be as carefully coordinated as your suit and shoes. If you miss the opportunity to leave your interviewer with any one of these impressions, you risk losing the main prize.

Thoughtful questions emphasize that you are taking an active role in the job selection process, not leaving the interviewer to do all the work. Active is good. Great questions demonstrate that, far from being a passive participant, you are action-oriented and engaged, reinforcing your interest in the job.

Asking questions is an excellent way to demonstrate your sophistication and qualifications. The questions you choose indicate your depth of knowledge of your field as well as your general level of intelligence. Asking questions also enables you to break down the formal interviewer-candidate relationship, establish an easy flow of conversation, and build trust and rapport. The matter of rapport is critical. Remember, most finalists for a job are more or less evenly matched in terms of qualifications. What gives the winning candidate the nod is rapport. Your questions steer the interview the way you want it to go. Questions are a form of control. You can also use questions to divert an interviewer’s line of questioning. If you sense the interviewer is leading up to a subject that you’d rather avoid—your job hopping, for example— ask a question about another topic. After a lengthy exchange, the interviewer might not return to her original line of questioning.

The more senior the position you are seeking, the more important it is to ask sophisticated and tough questions. Such questions demonstrate your understanding of the subtext and context of the position, as well as your confidence in challenging the interviewer. Hiring managers will judge you as much on the inquiries you make as on the responses you provide. If you don’t ask sufficiently detailed questions, it will demonstrate lack of initiative and leadership qualities that a senior-level position demands.

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