Top 5 Questions You Should Never Leave An Interview Without Asking An Interviewer
An interview is supposed to act as an avenue to sell your skills and expertise to the hiring manager. It is also an avenue to ask relevant questions to the interviewer. According to Ms. Melody Mwendwa, a Professional Interview Coach at Corporate Staffing Services Limited, you should never leave an interview room without having asked a question. It shows a lack of interest on your part in the organization or the job. She advises that you engage the interviewer in a few interview questions related to the job and the company.
Interview Questions you should ask during the interview
1. What are your short- and long-term goals for the position?
Employers will probably ask about your career goals, but you should ask them what they want the person in this position to achieve. Are they concerned with increasing revenue, visibility, leads, improving morale or any number of other things? You want to know that they have a purpose for this position and aren’t just looking for a temporary solution.
2. Can you tell me why the last person left this job?
They might not tell you, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. If the person got promoted or took a better job elsewhere, that’s a sign that the position is a good way to advance a career.
3. Who are the people I’ll be working with on a daily basis?
Where does this role fit in the overall structure of the team and the business? Will you interact with people who can help your career? Will you spend most of your days in silence, typing on a computer? All that matters is that you receive an answer that appeals to you.
4. What do you think is the biggest challenge for a person taking up this role?
No position is perfect. In fact, some jobs are created to address a problem that needs to be solved. That could very well be what attracted you to the job. An honest employer will tell you what struggles lie ahead. That’s your opportunity to turn the answer around as a challenge you’re happy to accept and present some ideas of how you would tackle the obstacles. If the employer makes it sound too good to be true, it probably is.
5. Do you have any recommendations for how I could improve my interviewing skills?
Most job seekers forget to ask this. It helps you work on your failures so that you are ready for another interview. If you don’t get the position, you’ll be disappointed, but use it as an opportunity to improve your interviewing skills. Some employers won’t give you tips, but others might give you feedback that will help you on the next interview.
An interview should be an interaction between the candidate and hiring manager. As a candidate, you are interviewing employers just as much as they’re interviewing you. Have a list of interview questions ready before you start. You don’t need to ask these questions to look good to the employer; you need to ask them to learn about the employer.
Compiled by Lilian Wamaitha
