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

Personal favourite

[keesh]

"What is your favourite aspect of working for $company?". Usually pretty revealing, unless the company hires external interviewers...

Re:Ask away!

[Gadzinka]

If you ask questions that are relevant to the company, it also shows that you've been paying attention, and that you're not just looking for a paycheck...

Well, I might want to work for your company, but not necesserily for you ;) You see, honesty works both ways: just as I want you to tell me something about a basic day-to-day business of your business, I expect managment to be mature enough to know, that the most important reason for my seeking of employment is a paycheck!

If I wanted to broaden my knowledge, work in pleasent enviroment, answer new challenges alone, I'd go to work as some sysadm at university, or IT consultant for some charity etc.

Just my .02$

Robert

If you want the job, ask questions like

[HD Webdev]

If you already know you want to work at the place, ask questions like you already work there.

Questions similar to "What dress code will I need to follow?" can easily bump you up into the "you're hired" zone. When you ask questions like that, you are showing confidence AND you are acting like a fellow employee rather than a prospective one. (Salesmen will recognize this as "closing the sale/deal")

This can make or break you getting a job when there are many similarly qualified people competing with you.

Unless there isn't much serious competition for the job, DON'T ask questions like you are demanding things or expecting more than was offered very soon. Questions like "how long before new employees get an office?" or "how often are raises given out?" are very bad to ask if you really want the job. If the company gets the impression that the money they are offering is already bothering you, or that you're likely to bitch about your working environment, you're much less likely to get hired unless you don't have much competition.