17/03/2012
Important Questions To Ask The Employer During An Interview
The interview session is the most important part of job hunting. You are grilled by the interviewee relentlessly and you are so nervous that you might give the wrong answer that you can hardly think of anything else during the interview. As a result, when the employer asks if you have any questions at the end of an interview session, most of us are so glad that the grilling is about to end that we respond in negative. This is one of the gravest and the biggest mistake one can make and it can cost you the job. If you do not ask any questions, the employer perceives that you are not entirely acquainted with the company and the various aspects of job requirements, which is why you prefer not to ask any questions lest it should reveal that you came to interview ill prepared. This is precisely why whenever you show up for a job interview, you must research the company profile and the subsequent job requirements so that you are all set to ask intelligent questions at the end of the session.
Questions You Must Ask:
If you are one of those people who fail to come up with sharp and intelligent questions to pose in an interview session, your worrying days are over. We have compiled a list of questions that every candidate should ask in a job interview and can be generalized for any kind of job. Employers expect to hear these questions from the interviewee and if you even ask some of these, there are high chances that you will leave a favorable impression on the employer.
What will be my core responsibilities for this job?
This is a very important question which shows the employer that you are actually interested in the job and want to know the details of the job responsibilities. If the employer chooses you for the job, posing this question and getting the required answer will help you a lot in performing well. In order to perform well at you job, you must have a general idea of what the employers expect from you and what you must do to make sure that they do not regret hiring you. Moreover asking the employer about the core responsibilities will give you a clearer idea of what the position entails and if you are not so sure about whether you are well suited for the particular job or not, the answer to this question can help you in deciding.
What is the company’s organizational structure?
Getting knowledge about the prospective employer’s company structure can give you an idea about the corporate culture at the organization and can help you in better understanding where you would fit in the company if given the job. Every company has a different organizational structure and asking this important question will help in clearing a lot of things for you.
How much learning opportunity does your company has to offer?
Asking such question shows the employer that you are a serious candidate who is not only interested in the job at hand but also wished to polish his skills by continuously learning new things. A candidate who is not interested in learning does not appeal much to the employer. Also as a professional it is important that you know what learning opportunities are available at the company so that you can avail them once you get selected for the job.
How often does your company carry out a performance review and what is the basis for the review?
Most companies have a process for performance review and they will be able to give you the exact requirement and qualities needed for a favorable performance evaluation. Others might not have an outlined procedure and it might be loosely based on the manager’s whim. In such cases the performance appraisals get tricky as a lot of office politics comes into play. So before you take on the job make sure that you have gathered all the facts and you know what you are getting into.
Can you describe the ideal employee for the given job?
Asking what the employer perceives as an ideal employee will give you an idea of what he expects from you once you are hired. This will in turn help you in performing your job efficiently and effectively. Moreover, it will enable you to judge if you will be able to keep up with the expectations of the employer or do you feel like you need to work harder or apply for another job altogether.
Who will I be working for?
You should get a general idea of who will be the manager and what kind of people will be your team members. You should also ask how many people will be assigned to work under you if you are applying for a managerial position.
Does the company offer educational benefits?
Some companies do offer educational benefits to the employees in order to polish their skills while they work for the organization. Such educational opportunities can help a lot in boosting your career so you should ask if there are any such prospects and what are the criterions for availing these opportunities.
What are the prospects of moving to different departments within the company?
This question is important to determine if there are chances of growth and rising to higher ranks within the company. Most companies encourage moving between departments within the organization and consider it a positive thing. This can also be good for the employee as moving within departments ensures that he gets a diverse experience while working for the same organization.
What kind of training will be available to me?
Some companies offer training sessions to the employees on regular basis and the employees learn a lot of valuable things during these sessions. You should ask this question to get acquainted with the kind of training sessions that are available at the company and what benefits will come of these sessions.
What are the next steps in the interview process?
You should ask this question so that you know if there are going to be follow up interview, how many and with whom. This will also give you a general idea of when to expect to hear from the employer if you are selected for the job in question.
If I am offered the position, how soon will I be expected to respond and join?
You should know when you will be expected to join so that you can tell the employer if you need to give a notice period to the previous employer and give a date that would be suitable for you to join the company.
Important Tips:
Make sure that you follow the following tips while framing the questions:
Avoid questions focusing on your leaves, pay day and vacations as the employer will inform you of the company policy in the offer letter and putting these questions before hand makes you appear like someone who is only in it for the benefits and cares little about the job.
Refrain from asking questions that are answered on the company’s website or are too obvious as they reveal lack of maturity on your end. Research the company well before going to the interview.
Some questions might be answered during the course of the interview and if in the end all your questions have been answered, rather than repeating them just tell the employer what you wanted to ask and that the queries have been answered during the interview session.
Conclusion:
You have to keep in mind that an interview session does not has to be one sided. You too can ask questions and it will create a better impression if you do ask questions rather than saying nothing. However asking too many questions or unintelligent questions can also ruin your interview. So be well prepared and ask the right questions to make a lasting impression on the employer during the first interview.
