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Asking the Right Questions to a Future Employer?

Posted by Cliff on from the things-to-know-for-an-interview dept.

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."

2 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. Be careful of... by Eightyford · · Score: 4, Interesting

    One thing you may not want to ask is: "Is there any advancement?" or something similar. While in some cases this may show thay you are eager to learn and work hard, some of the employers may not like this for the following two reasons:

    1) They don't want you to steal their job.
    2) They need to fill a specific position and want to hire somebody that will be satisfied with working in that position for the next 15 years.

    --
    Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
  2. A couple of questions by sfjoe · · Score: 4, Interesting


    1. I always ask if the position is newly created or replacing a departed employee and, if so, what was the reason for their leaving.

    2. I also will always ask what are their top 3 priorities for the next 6 months and what my role would be in realizing them.

    Answers to these two questions are extremely helpful in finding out if you should accept an employment offer.

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    It's simple: I demand prosecution for torture.