We love helping professionals in their search to find the RIGHT fit. The interview process is a two-way street. As a candidate, you should absolutely be asking questions throughout the interview to identify specifics on the challenges within the role, the company structure and overall work environment/company culture. To have a successful interview, you want to make sure you ask the right questions.
The following are some of our Premier suggestions of smart questions to ask at your next job interview.
Stand out and get valuable insight with these 7 Premier questions:
1. “What are the current projects this position/team is working on?”
While they may not be able to share specific details of any confidential projects, they can likely provide a breakdown of projects to allow you to understand and evaluate whether the projects are exciting and may offer you growth opportunity to stretch your skills.
- “What are the key metrics for this position to measure success in the role?”
Show the interviewer that you care about your performance and that you aim to meet/exceed their expectations. Knowing how a company measures its employees’ success will help you understand what it would take to be successful and to advance in your career there. You’ll gain insight to what the company prioritizes in terms of work performance and better understand if the measurements are achievable to ensure you are set up for success.
- “What is one of the biggest challenges an individual in this role faces?”
Demonstrate that you are a realist and aware that challenges come with any job (that’s why it is called work!), yet you are ready and willing to tackle them. Their answer to this question can potentially reveal information to help you decide if the challenges presented allow you to make an impact or perhaps motivate you to explore other opportunities instead.
- “What do you personally love most about working here?”
Open up a dialogue with more of a “human”/personal conversation. Your interviewer’s answer to this question can reveal a lot about their experiences working for this company and allow you to further evaluate if it is a company that you wish to join. Anyone working in HR or involved in the hiring process should feel comfortable answering this question… If they don’t want to or can’t come up with anything, take that into consideration as it can be a red flag.
- “Where do you see this company in 5 years and how would the person in this role contribute to this vision?”
This is a question that most interviewers should love to hear you ask! Show your interviewer that you are thinking big picture, that you’re wanting to stay with the company long-term and that you would want to make a lasting impression in their organization. This question gives them an opportunity to talk about the growth plans of the company and it provides you a better idea of what your future with the company could look like.
- “What could the growth path for this position look like over time?”
This question shows that you are ambitious, looking to succeed and that you could potentially be a long-term hire which are attractive attributes for an interviewer! Prior to asking this question however, make sure you know what is feasible and what you would like to see/achieve for your personal growth path. The answer to this question also can give you valuable insight on how highly a company values growing and developing their employees as well as if they actively promote.
- “Do you have any hesitations about my qualifications?”
Consider wrapping up your interview with this question if you feel that you have built a comfortable rapport with the interviewer. It is important that you use your best judgment prior to asking this question as it could be off-putting if the climate is not appropriate or if you feel that you haven’t established a comfortable rapport. Once assured that you have built a connection and once you’ve made it very clear that you genuinely are interested in the role, ask this question to understand any potential drawbacks to your candidacy that you could address prior to the conclusion of your interview. While this question puts you in a vulnerable position, it shows that you are confident enough to openly bring up and discuss weaknesses if your experience may not be a 100% match. It also gives you the opportunity to clarify any information about yourself that may have been misinterpreted in your interview.
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