Questions to ask your interviewer?

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

Interviewing the company, I agree with. Asking things like "what day do I get paid?", I do not. How does that (or many of your question) tell you if what you are looking for and what the interviewer is looking for align?

It's not the idea of learning about the company that I disagree with - I just think that most of your questions are not good, appropriate, or actually leading to learning about the company in a meaningful way.

They were already pretty clear with me about salary and such before interviewing anyway so I don't feel the need to ask questions like that. I really just want to learn more about company culture and things like that.

 

[wvjules]

I think you are confusing the OP with another poster.

He has agreed with her and also mentioned it in another post so that seems to be his mindset too.

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

He has agreed with her and also mentioned it in another post so that seems to be his mindset too.

I’m super confused right now...I don’t know the best questions to ask, which is why I posted here so....

 

[wvjules]

I’m super confused right now...I don’t know the best questions to ask, which is why I posted here so....

Follow the advise of everyone but the first post.

What type of role and company type?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I’m super confused right now...I don’t know the best questions to ask, which is why I posted here so....

check the Forbes link I posted on page one, and simply Google the question.

 

[GreatLakes]

While you are being interviewed you are also interviewing the company and your boss to be but the questions in that first response are not the way to do it like others have mentioned. There is nothing wrong with asking about the company culture, environment, work-life balance, and structure which includes future advancement. Those questions in the first reponse are pretty much all discussions after the initial offer is made, not in an interview.

If you are sitting in front of me I'm assuming you already had a preliminary talk with HR about the salary range, time frame for availability, and some other initial discussions to ensure you are interested in the role and we are in the ballpark when it comes to salary and benefits but specifics wouldn't have been discussed.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

1. What qualities does a successful candidate for this position have?
2. What does a typical day look like?


I like that one mentioned earlier about "Why do you like working here"?

Just a couple things I could think of, I am not an expert though.

 

[Klayfish]

1. What qualities does a successful candidate for this position have?
2. What does a typical day look like?


Just a couple things I could think of, I am not an expert though.

I think this is a good example of some of the discussion that was brought up earlier. It really depends on the type of job you're interviewing for. Entry level, experience required, leadership, etc...

Not picking on you Kathryn, but to me those questions would be ones that are clearly in the category of "Just asking a question because I feel like I have to". Also, if you're interviewing for a job that required prior experience then these are two questions you definitely should never ask...if you don't already know the answer to those questions, this may not be the job for you.

 

[PollyannaMom]

What does a typical day look like?

"Why do you like working here"?

I like both of these as well. - Not just to ask a question, but because whether a person ultimately likes a job has a lot to do with their day-to-day interaction with coworkers. If the person answers honestly, it gives me a good idea of how things really "feel" there.

I've also always heard that's it's good to ask a follow-up question about something you read on line - shows you already did some research. (I do agree, though, that it's fine to say the person already answered all your questions if they did!)

 

[kaytieeldr]

A version of the "why do you like..." question that i I've used is, "What do you like [best] about working for ____?"

 

[siren0119]

One thing I have tended to ask in the interview process is what the interviewer views as one of the main challenges of the role I'm interviewing for. It gives me a chance to think about how I would work with/overcome those kinds of challenges and has generally led to longer discussion with the interviewer.

 

[KPeterso]

I usually ask about company culture and then about what to expect a typical work day to be like. I usually do a lot of research on the company and have some ideas on if it will be a good fit, but am looking more at if I click with the interviewer(s) and think I would want to work with them.

 

[nkereina]

Think about things you genuinely want to know (within reason). I recently interviewed and it was important to me what the best and worst part of their jobs were, what leadership was like, what the culture and employee engagement is like, and what a typical day looks like. If I'm offered and accept the role, these are things that will affect me most day to day so IMO, these are the most important things to know.

Also, Glassdoor can sometimes be informative when doing research if the company is on there.

again I dont get this oh dont ask specific questions, the interviewer may not know. Again thats possibly ONLY relevant in a large corporate companies, your average joe soap on the street, the regular folk who are not at senior management level, the more specific the questions, the better. And again whats with this negotiation process? Like really, joe soap, being interviewed for a janitor vacancy in the high school is not going to have a negotiation process, its a you are hired or you are not and thats the end. Wow, some of you need to come out of your corporate bubble world and mingle with the little folk, you know the invisible people like the Disney Custodial CM's who pick up your garbage and clean up your kids puke!

Its true not every job will negotiate - you either accept the offer they make you or you don't in some cases. But there's still a point when the janitorial company/high school makes the offer to Joe Soap and before he formally accepts it, has the opportunity to ask additional questions like vacation time, tattoo/piercing policy, etc etc. At that point, they have identified Joe as someone they want to hire and have made an offer to, and the ball is in Joe's court. That is the appropriate time to ask the questions in your first post, regardless of the level of job. Every job opportunity, even on-the-spot ones, have this moment in time before the applicant says "I Accept" where they can ask these questions.

 

[siren0119]

Its true not every job will negotiate - you either accept the offer they make you or you don't in some cases. But there's still a point when the janitorial company/high school makes the offer to Joe Soap and before he formally accepts it, has the opportunity to ask additional questions like vacation time, tattoo/piercing policy, etc etc. At that point, they have identified Joe as someone they want to hire and have made an offer to, and the ball is in Joe's court. That is the appropriate time to ask the questions in your first post, regardless of the level of job. Every job opportunity, even on-the-spot ones, have this moment in time before the applicant says "I Accept" where they can ask these questions.

This. It is really unprofessional to ask questions related to benefits/HR policies/etc during the regular interview process, whether for a large or small company. The interview process is meant to determine whether you and the company are a good fit for each other from the standpoint of the job that is being filled. When they make the offer, that is when specific questions about vacation time, benefits, raises, insurance, etc should be hashed out - it's the time when you as a potential employee can negotiate, accept or deny the package they're offering you.

In my experience the one thing that *may* be discussed prior to an in-person interview is salary range. Companies that use screeners before scheduling the first interview will often ask you what your target salary is, just to ensure that you aren't wasting your time interviewing for a job that is outside of your financial needs.

 

[Hrhpd]

1. Do you contact unsuccessful applicants?
2. When will I be contacted if I have have been chosen as the new employee?
3. When is the start date?
4. I need to give 4 weeks (fill in as applicable) notice to my current job so I am only available to start on X date, is that ok?
5. I have a family get together / hospital appointment / vacation booked, so I will need time off for that, is that ok
6. What is my vacation allowance?
7. What is the company policy on calling in sick?
8. What are the company benefits?
9. Do I have to wear a uniform?
10. What are company policy on tattoos, piercings, mens facial hair etc etc?
11. What day are wages paid?
12. Are wages paid weekly or monthly?
13. How are wages paid?
14. What is the hourly rate / yearly salary for this vacancy?
15. Is there a company induction / basic training period?
16. Are training days / induction days paid for or are they included in vacation allowance?
17. Does the company provide health insurance?
18. What is the career progression like? If I start an an entry level job, will I be eligible for in house promotions?

There are alot more, and some of the above may not apply to all job interviews

If someone asked me these questions during an interview, their resume would be going into the round, circular file as soon as they walked out the door. These are things that are negotiated once an offer has been made.

It makes you sound like you don't want to do the job. Why would you care if you had to wear a uniform if you wanted the job? And many of these questions can be looked at on the company's website. Benefits and other policies are usually detailed on the career section of the website. It would tell me that the applicant has done absolutely NO research on the company at all.

I am always impressed when the applicant has done his/her research on the company and wants to talk "shop." They know a bit about the company's product and the job description for which they are applying. The more specific the question, the better it sounds. They may ask what methodology our company uses for a process and then if different than the one they have experience with, discuss how it may be different. As an interviewer, this shows me the person has interest in the company and has done some basic leg work that they actually want to work for our company.

 

[Hrhpd]

again I dont get this oh dont ask specific questions, the interviewer may not know. Again thats possibly ONLY relevant in a large corporate companies, your average joe soap on the street, the regular folk who are not at senior management level, the more specific the questions, the better. And again whats with this negotiation process? Like really, joe soap, being interviewed for a janitor vacancy in the high school is not going to have a negotiation process, its a you are hired or you are not and thats the end. Wow, some of you need to come out of your corporate bubble world and mingle with the little folk, you know the invisible people like the Disney Custodial CM's who pick up your garbage and clean up your kids puke!

Just curious - how successful have you been on interviews?

I expect the same type of questions about job responsibilities from executives to the janitorial staff, since I consider all our employees equal and not any position above another.

Asking all the questions you stated would give me the impression that you were more concerned about what was in it for you rather than what qualities you could offer to the company.

 

[NotUrsula]

I always recommend that if the company is publicly traded, read the latest 10-K Report before the interview, and make notes. Not only will it tell you a fair amount about the company, but the interviewer will notice that you have done your homework. (Actually, I recommend reading it before applying.)

To find a particular company's Form 10-K filings, use the Company Search for the SEC's EDGAR database. On the returned listing of filings for the company, enter “10-K” in the Filing Type box near the top of the page to filter for only Forms 10-K that have been filed. https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html

I agree with the HR advice above about housekeeping-type questions, with one exception. I do think that if the website and the paperwork that you have been given do not address it, it is OK to politely ask if unsuccessful candidates will be notified. (I personally think that all applicants should be notified by form email when a specific position applied for has been filled, and I always do that for every application that makes it to me, but if you are not going to do that, then please at least notify candidates who reached the interview stage; not doing so is crass.)

 

[Hrhpd]

well spotted

exactly, I guess maybe here in Europe, we have a very different approach and are more open about things. And yes the questions are me centric, because I am trying to see if the company is a good fit for me. Like I said before, when you are being interviewed at an entry level for a mom and pop store, I need to know if the money being offered is what I can live on. Theres no nogatation process, you want the job its yours, hum and haw and say maybe, can I think about it, then you dont get a second chance as there are 20 others waiting in line behind you.

For some companies I have worked at, there has been no induction, you go straight into the job and get on the job training from your co workers, some companies have a specific training period with a mentor, again, questions need to be asked so there is no miss match of expectations. For example, in the company with the specific training period with a mentor, the trainee does not get full pay until the training process has been completed. If the interviewer has not said this, then the potential employee should ask.

When I start a new job, I want to know exactly what is expected of me which includes any information not provided by the interviewer which I feel is relevant, so that I can determine if I want to work for that company.

And that is exactly the attitude I will not hire. I want someone who wants the job and is willing to be flexible because they have a burning desire to contribute to our company. I don't want somebody who comes across self-absorbed and asks what the company can do for them.

If an offer does happen to be extended during the interview, then that is the time to ask about salary and benefits. Never before. You are selling yourself in an interview. I don't want to sell the company to anyone, that just means they really don't want to work at our company, especially if there are 20 more in line behind you just as qualified as you state.

The only time I would try to sell the company to someone is if it was a very specific position that was difficult to fill and the perfect candidate shows up who has multiple offers from other companies.

If I have a stack of resumes of qualified individuals, I will just move on to the next person who wants to work for our company, whether that is in an hourly or salaried position.

 

[Hrhpd]

I’ve actually been told by a few people that this is the wrong mindset to have. They are interviewing you, but you are also interviewing them as a company as well.

Yes, but when you are interviewing the company, you are asking about culture, opportunities for advancement, what type of job responsibilities you will have, and other things that have to do with the company. You should never ask about salary or benefits during the interview. That is saved for when you get the job offer. If you get the job offer, then you can decide whether or not you can live on the salary and benefits offered. If you can't, you can either turn down the job or try to negotiate better terms. The hiring person can then decide, based on how you presented yourself, if the additional funds are worth it.

As the job seeker, you never want to lay all your cards out immediately. You want the company to interview you and make a decision on your worth to the company. Once they decide that they want you, you have way more power to negotiate pay and benefits.

If you immediately lay out what you want in the interview, they will keep that in mind when they are interviewing other potential candidates. They may find one person who may not be quite as skilled as you, but can be had for much cheaper.

You are only doing yourself a favor by not revealing everything at the initial interview. The interviewer will have done their homework and will already know approximately how much you made at your last position. They already have an idea of what they are going to need to offer or they have a set ceiling in their mind that they are not going to go over. Don't pigeon hole yourself immediately. Wait until they want you. Then ask for what you want. If they really,really want you, that salary ceiling might have the possibility to go up to get you. But it will never go up during an interview if you are off-putting with a bunch of "me, me, me" questions.

 

[NotUrsula]

again I dont get this oh dont ask specific questions, the interviewer may not know. Again thats possibly ONLY relevant in a large corporate companies, your average joe soap on the street, the regular folk who are not at senior management level, the more specific the questions, the better. And again whats with this negotiation process? Like really, joe soap, being interviewed for a janitor vacancy in the high school is not going to have a negotiation process, its a you are hired or you are not and thats the end. Wow, some of you need to come out of your corporate bubble world and mingle with the little folk, you know the invisible people like the Disney Custodial CM's who pick up your garbage and clean up your kids puke!

Most of those things will be on the company website, but if not, then you should be able to ask when you are asked to interview if there is an employment policies summary document that you can look over. Most companies have all that information written down and can simply hand it to candidates or email it to them when the interview is scheduled. Asking a blanket question about their policies comes off MUCH less self-centered than asking specifics about how often you get to avoid actually being there. (And I would emphasize that you should look very carefully through the website to try to find this information before asking. If it is there and easy to find, and you didn't find it, it is going to give me an unfavorable impression of your ability to come to work prepared.)

While these are definitely important answers to know, even for a minimum-wage job with a walk-in interview, but there are better approaches than asking them one by one out loud when you first meet the interviewer.