Asking the Right Questions to a Future Employer?

coronaride asks: "One of the things that always seems to leave me stumped in a job interview is the dreaded 'Do you have any questions for us?' question. I was always taught that while it's great to have the answers, almost equally important is to ask the right questions. When interviewing for a development position, what are some good questions to ask? For you employers, how much weight, if any, do you put on this open-ended question? A few obvious things come to mind regarding benefits, atmosphere, development style, etc., but I'm curious to see others' opinions on not only what is expected, but what is appropriate as well."

Comments

Point to the picture of his wife on his desk....

[HotNeedleOfInquiry]

And say Who's the slut

After a long, tense interview?

[voice_of_all_reason]

What about: "Can I go now?"

What not to ask...

[jsimon12]

YEARS ago when I worked retail while I was in college I managed a software store and was interviewing people for seasonal part time help. I had just finished interviewing a new applicant I asked him "do you have any questions for me". His reponse was "Will my hours be flexible, because I have to take my wife to meet with her parole officer on Tuesday's....".

That was almost as good as the guy who came in asked for a application then asked who the hiring manager was, I replied "I am", he replied "No who really is the hiring mananger", I just pointed to my nametag which said "manager" and said "No I really am". Sort of surprised he never came back with the application ;)

Re:Point to the picture of his wife on his desk...

[Anonymous Coward]

See, that only works if the interviewer is a married man with a photo of his wife or daughter on his desk. If you get to the "Do you have any questions for me?" part of the interview and the hiring manager is a woman, you need to ask,

"Who let you out of the kitchen???"

[FYI - it's *FUNNY* people... stop being so PC, no one's being serious here! Geez - I'm a woman!]

Questions not to ask/say

[SmallFurryCreature]

• So how much does your job pay?
• Do you regonize satanist holidays?
• 9-5 AM or PM?
• I have serious case of XXXXX and spend at least 9 months of a year in hospital, have you got good medical care?
• You expect me to start work at WHAT hour?
• Any, you know, perks to this job? Last job at Intel me and my family never bought a pc, wink wink.
• You want me to learn skill x, what is in it for me?
• Pure hypothetical, If you send me on this 1 million dollar training course, can I still, in theory, quit 1 week later and work a company that pays me a decent wage and not the slave money you are offering me?
• So where is my company car?
• (To female interviewer) my boss won't be a woman right?
• (To male interviewer) watch any good yaoi lately?
• In Rotterdam: How about Ajax eh? (replace with town Y NOT owning soccer X)
• My office machine, it is an alienware right?
• How fast is your internet connection?
• Slashdot isn't blocked is it?
• I saw your companies product, I think I can seriously improve it. I mean who built the current version, a team of monkeys?
• To owner of company: Communism really deserves a second try doesn't it.
• To goverment interviewer: So is it really true bureaucrats spend all their day playing with their dicks?
• To charity: I don't care what they say I think all immigrants should be dumped at sea.
• (interview for santa job): Bah humbug
• Interview in kansas: Wow, that darwin, what a guy.
• Interview for sony: Information wants to be free man.
• Interview at Microsoft: I never release a product if it contains a single bug and test my apps to destruction.
• Interview for an advertising agency: don't you agree that a good product sells itself?
• Can I have days of to visit my parole officer?
• Does a criminal record count against you?
• To a canadian on the subject of salary: So how much is that in real money?
• To a german tech company: Can I work on the secret projects designing the weapons to start the next world war with?
• To japanese company: Can I order my desk from the grownups section so it reaches above my knees?
• To black interviewer: Will the company lunches always be fried chicken?

Funnily enough, not all of them are made up.

Re:Point to the picture of his wife on his desk...

[Anonymous Coward]

Geez - I'm a woman!

Hi.

Re:Point to the picture of his wife on his desk...

[TBone]

FYI - it's *FUNNY* people... stop being so PC, no one's being serious here! Geez - I'm a woman!

Who let you out of the kitchen?