\n\nauthor: STEVEN LANE
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Asking questions during an interview is not rude, it's actually expected. You'd be surprised, as a recruitment firm, how many people we have that do not ask question from their interviewer. If you think about it, your interview is as much about the candidates screening prospective companies as it is about companies screening prospective candidates. Any interview is a two-way street. You don’t want to find yourself trapped in a bad work environment for years doing a job you're not passionate about all because you'd didn’t ask the right questions at the initial interview stage. This month's blog is the first in a new series for the quarter that is focusing on the interview process, what to expect and how to nail this crucial step.
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Questions about the job
\n\nAs a candidate, your goal is to identify what you'll be doing in the role that wasn't advertised. Go back over the original job ad prior to going into the interview and read between the lines. Sometimes, problems with a work environment can be identified by reading between the lines. Consider the language and tone of the job description. Is the job description light on detail? Is the job description focusing heavily on one area and not others? Are there discrepancies between the job title and job description? An example of a job ad discrepancy would be if a requirement of the job was the ability to work autonomously but the job description made multiple references to taking direction from person A or person B. Other examples of questions you should typically ask are; Is this a new position? Is this job likely to evolve as I progress through it?
\n\nAs an employer, you'll want candidates to ask questions about the role so leave out a few details and see which interviewees ask after those details. This is an obvious way to identify those who not only read the job description but also those switched on focused individuals.
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Questions about preparation
\n\nAs a candidate, your goal here is to identify if there are any gaps in your knowledge that will be required to do the job. Another set of potential questions you could ask concern expectations. What is the company's ideal candidate? What are their long term goals surrounding the role you are applying for? These questions will help frame in your mindset around how you should prepare and what expectations exist from day one.
\n\nAs an employer, these questions provide the perfect opportunity to probe candidates for gaps in their knowledge. You can use this information to build a better picture of the candidates before you. This is something recruiters should already do on their end.
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Questions about the organization
\n\nAs a candidate, you need to identify what workplace culture you are potentially committing too. In many ways, interviewing for a job is like going on a date (minus the chocolates and roses). Your date might be perfect but they have a family that comes with them that will become a part of your life. Similarly, the job and salary might be great but if your co-workers are not very friendly or social and you prefer that type of culture then there could potentially be some difficulties slotting into the team.
\n\nAs an employer, your goal here will be to ensure each candidate is fully aware of the organization and culture they are stepping into. Even if you don't believe it's relevant to their ability to do their job, culture and team fit is very much relevant in terms of employee engagement. You don't want to lose great talent because they are not fitting in around the office.
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