Throwback Thursday: It’s been one of our most popular blogs over the years and we have had a lot of feedback on our 6 top questions for you to ask at an interview. If you have an interview coming up and you want to impress the interview panel, check out these questions for you to make a winning impression! Not only will they help you make a great impression, but they’ll give you some really good insight into the business and the role you are considering as the next step in your career.
If you have ever attended an interview and been asked “do you have any questions for us” and you’ve responded with a “no” you have missed a massive opportunity to impress the interview panel. Interviews are no longer a one-way street. An interviewer wants to see how much preparation and thought you have put into the job opportunity and this is demonstrated by the questions you have prepared for the interviewer.
No doubt if you are changing jobs you want to make sure that it’s the right job for you. Just as the interviewer wants to determine if you have the right skills and experience, will be a good culture fit, and will be a great addition to their team, you will want to know a little bit about the company, your manager, and the nitty-gritty of the job. By asking the interviewer some great questions, you’ll get a much better sense of if this is the right opportunity for you.
Asking great questions of the interviewer is guaranteed to impress them. As an interviewer, it’s a big disappointment for me when the job seeker has no questions at all and I’m disheartened when all they can think to ask is:
- What are the hours of work?
- Do you have a uniform?
- What is the pay rate/ salary?
These are all important questions, but if you really want to impress at an interview here are my top 6 questions to ask an interviewer:
- What would I need to do to surprise and delight you in this role?
This question is about how can you exceed your manager’s expectations, and how can you go over and above in the role and impress them.
- How will you measure my success in the first 30 / 60 / 90 days or 6 / 12 months?
You can pick any time intervals you want but this question will help give you insight into how your manager sees the first few months playing out and what they will expect you to be undertaking and achieving within particular timeframes. It will also give you insight into how they manage the induction and onboarding process – how they help set you up for success.
- Tell me about the opportunities and challenges facing the department / company at the moment. What plans do you have in place for addressing those opportunities and challenges?
Asking this question shows you are thinking about the bigger picture and not just the day-to-day responsibilities. The answer should give you some insight into how your role contributes to the overall operations of the business and its strategic direction. Understanding how we can contribute beyond our day-to-day tasks is important for individual and team success and you’ll have a better idea of the dynamic you’ll be coming into.
- What is it that excites you most about working here?
Most businesses will share with you something about why it’s great to work for them, and a bit about their culture and values but asking directly why someone likes to work for a business can give you added insight into what a business really has to offer. Depending on what they respond with, probe and ask questions to find out what that really means or what that really looks like.
- How would you describe your leadership style? What can I expect from you as my manager to assist me in maximising my job performance?
The first part of the question is really a lead in; it’s the second part of the question that should provide you with valuable information on how effectively you’ll be able to work with them.
- What attributes make someone a good culture fit for the company? Why?
Culture is key. If you simply ask “tell me about the culture here”, you’ll probably get a pretty generic response along the lines of “the culture is great…….” By changing the question a little and asking about the attributes and why those attributes are important, you should get a better sense of the culture.
Put your best foot forward at a job interview by showing you are prepared and have invested the time to understand the role, the company and the industry. Armed with awesome questions for the interviewer, you’ll be sure to make a first-class impression.