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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."
And say Who's the slut
"Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
What about: "Can I go now?"
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
Now that I'm on the other side of the table, I find myself asking candidates if they have any questions.
The primary reason is simply because I just want to make sure I answered any question the guy might have... Sometimes, the candidate's technical skills might be right, but there are other non-skill aspects to a job that makes it right for the person. Work hours, flexibility, friendliness, dress code, etc. So if there are aspects that matter, you should ask.
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...
"What is your favourite aspect of working for $company?". Usually pretty revealing, unless the company hires external interviewers...
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.
It's simple: I demand prosecution for torture.
Why is this position available?
Is this a new position? How long has this position existed?
How many people have held this position in the last two years?
Who would be my supervisor? To whom would I report?
Whom will I supervise?
With whom will I be working most closely?
What do you like about working for this company?
What are the current plans for expansion or cutbacks?
What kind of turnover rate does the company have?
How financially sound is this company?
What projects and assignments will I be working on?
What happened to the person that held this position before? Was he promoted or fired?
What is this company's culture? (Ex: Is it rigid and formal or relaxed and flexible?)
What are the current problems facing the company (or my department)?
What do you like the most about working for this company? The least?
What is the philosophy of the company?
What do you consider to be the company's strengths and weaknesses?
What are the company's long and short term goals?
Describe the work environment.
What attracted you (the interviewer) to this organization?
Why do you enjoy working for this company?
Describe the typical responsibilities of the position.
What are the most challenging aspects of the position?
Describe the opportunities for training and professional development.
Will I receive any formal training?
What is the company's promotional policy?
Are there opportunities for advancement within the organization?
When can I expect to hear from you?
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!]
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.
This is not a dream, not a dream...we are transmitting from the year 1-9-9-9.
Funnily enough, not all of them are made up.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
Geez - I'm a woman!
Hi.