6 questions candidates should be prepared to ask in a job interview

6 questions candidates should be prepared to ask in a job interview

You’ve just spent the last several hours doing your very best to answer all the questions thrown at you by your interviewer; Now it’s your turn, and you get hit with the most difficult of them all, “do you have any questions for me?”.

While it’s easy to regard this part of the interview segment as the time to take a breather and entertain your interviewers with the mundane “what is the paycheck like?” and “How long have you worked here?” type of questions, for the qualitative candidates, it’s actually time to: A) Gauge the caliber of the interviewing organization themselves and B) impress and stand out from the rest of the applicant pool.

If you’re looking to be the qualitative candidate, here’s our list of top 6 questions you should be asking your interviewers:

  1. How does my role fit the broader goal of the company?

For most companies, finding a candidate who is capable of undertaking specific tasks and duties is not entirely difficult – locating someone who has the ability to integrate into an organization’s structure and work towards achieving its goals is a tough job. Aside from providing you with insider information on what is expected of you on the broader picture (which is hard to come by), this question shows that you have the team player mentality – something virtually all recruiters look for in their ideal candidates.

  1. Do you have any questions about my portfolio and qualifications?

In some cases, interviewers may have some concerns about your skills and portfolio, and sometimes they might hesitate to voice them. It could be the subtle “why did you leave your former employer?” or the more telling “how come you have no work experience?”. Either way, asking this question presents you with the opportunity to clarify any outstanding reservations that might reduce your chance of landing the role. It also shows to the recruiters that you’re bold and confident.

  1. Why did you decide to work at this company?

This question is an inverse of the “why do you want to work with us?” question interviewers routinely ask. Like you, they too are most likely to provide a garnished imagery of themselves and the company. That, of course, is a good thing as it allows you to assess an organization’s working environment, employee benefits and incentives, among other key factors to figure out if the workplace is ideal.

  1. How do successful recruits get on with the job?

Rather than waste the first few weeks of your job bustling the HR department and trying to figure out what works best and what’s considered bad practice, asking this question gives you a clear insight on exactly what’s expected. More so, it shows your potential employers that you’re the type of candidate that loves to get the ball rolling as soon as possible or in other words, you’re the effective employee.

  1. What difficulties am I to expect if I land the role?

Make no mistake, every job that’s worth it comes with its attendant side serving of challenges. The sooner you have an idea about what those are, the better. Sure, the response you get might affect whether or not you take the job. But if you do accept the job, you get to approach it with a prepared mindset that makes you more than capable of overcoming said challenges.

  1. How do employees spend their spare time?

Company culture extends way past what happens in the work environment; it encompasses the dealings of employees and management even after work. So it’s important to know what intrigues your colleagues and what they engage in after work. Ideally, you want to land a job where you can fit in on a personal basis with everyone else. Sustainable relationships with colleagues outside the walls of an office beget workplace efficiency and productivity. And if anything, this question along with the rest will most likely hint to your interviewers that you are indeed efficient and productive.

Are you ready to land your dream job? We’re happy to chat and walk you through the interview process so you can be asking these questions and more in your next interview. Give us a call today!

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