Questions to Ask your Interviewer in the Job Interview
Posted: Thursday, January 08, 2009
by Julia Penny
http://www.best-job-interview.com
Know the right questions to ask your interviewer and stand out as the best candidate for the job. Asking well prepared and insightful question in the job interview makes a great impression. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your suitability for the job, your interest and commitment and your understanding of the position and the company.
Prepare questions that go beyond just exploring the the usual details
Questions to ask your interviewer should demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the position and the company. Interview questions about working conditions or that can be answered by reading the job posting show a lack of thought and initiative. Focus rather on questions that explore aspects such as role expectations, the priorities of the position, current and future departmental and organizational strategy and management style and expectations. Your interview questions should show how much thought and consideration you have given to this job interview and that you have taken the time to conduct background research on the organization before the interview.
Ask open-ended questions
Avoid closed questions that only require a one word answer. These tend to impact negatively on the flow of the interview and provide very little information. With a little thought a closed question can easily be turned into an open-ended question which allows for discussion and the building of rapport in the job interview. For example instead of asking "Who will I be reporting to?" rather ask "Can you tell me about the person I will be reporting to?"
Stick to relevant questions
Only ask questions that are about the job, department, management and the organization. Candidates can make the mistake of trying to engage interviewers on a more personal level by asking questions about their interests, family or their own job believing that this will help establish rapport. Keep it professional and stick to objective and factual questions that refer directly to the job you are interviewing for.
Avoid challenging the interviewer
Interview questions that are designed to challenge the interviewer by demanding knowledge and information that the interviewer probably doesn't have will be regarded negatively by the interviewer and give rise to an uncomfortable atmosphere. Consider the position of the person interviewing you and be aware of the sort of questions he or she will be able to answer.
Questions to avoid asking your interviewer
Questions that focus on company benefits can give the impression that you are more concerned about what the company can give you than with finding out about the job and your fit with it. The "What's in it for me" approach is disconcerting in a job interview where the emphasis should be on what you can contribute to the job and the company. Company benefits are important but the first job interview is not the place to focus on them. Towards the close of the interview you can ask the interviewer, "Where can I get details about the employment conditions for this position, I don't want to spend your time on that now?". This shows that the benefits are of secondary importance to the job itself.
Timing the questions to ask your interviewer
At some point the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. You can wait for this question to ask your planned questions or you can evaluate the situation as the interview progresses to decide when to ask your questions. If the interview does not appear to be flowing well asking a relevant question can help improve the situation.
Avoid interrupting the interviewer with a question, be sure that it is an appropriate point to ask your question. If the interviewer doesn't directly ask you for your questions you can take the opportunity towards the close of the interview to present your questions by asking " Is this an appropriate time to ask you some questions?"
Not having prepared good questions to ask your interviewer during the job interview is a lethal interview mistake, it indicates a lack of interest and thought. Use your questions as the ideal opportunity to present yourself as a positive and confident candidate for the job. Good sample questions to ask the interviewer are provided at Questions to Ask in Your Interview. Select the type of questions you should ask in your job interview.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)This was very insightful. I have found many times an employer may also give the information out prior to you asking any questions. Feeling out the employer is also something I do. When I find employers to be tight lipped, it is more of a formal employment. Everything done by the book and if you want to make suggestions or changes, then you must fill out a 101 page protest. Then there are the more "friendly" employers. These are my type of people. These are the ones that usually offer up all the information way before you can even have a chance to ask any questions. This type of employer says-if it works, costs less, and it makes the job and life easier, do it-inform us about it later.
Good advice in a poor market. I’m sure that those interested in the topic presented will find your article informative and interesting.
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