You’re about to talk to a stranger who may decide the fate of your career. Whether you’re in a freezing conference room sweating from stress or sitting in front of your laptop hoping your internet doesn’t cut out, there’s a lot going through your mind. The call is a blur. Then, finally, you hear, “Do you have any questions for me?” You know you have to have some questions to ask after the interview, otherwise, it may not seem like you’re interested in the job.
Even though you may be dying to get off the call, you can’t say, “No, I think you covered everything I wanted to know.” (Even though it might be the truth.) Because after all, you’re interviewing them, too, to make sure you’ll be happy with the job. So that got us wondering, what are the consensus best questions to ask on an interview, according to career experts?
One important thing to remember, besides your list of the best questions to ask in an interview, is to be yourself. A study found that high-quality applicants who did not demonstrate strong self-verifying behaviors only had a three percent chance of getting the job. However, those who showed a strong drive for self-verifying behavior had a 17 percent shot. So, just by being yourself in an interview, you have a better chance of getting the job.
Another tip is a tale as old as time: Dressing for the job you want. Despite employment regulations, 51 percent of hiring managers in a U.K. survey said they have knowingly discriminated against a potential employee because of the way they looked. The specifics: 43 percent said they didn’t hire the candidate because of their visible tattoos; 40 percent based candidates on their clothes; 30 percent were put off by hair color.
Takeaways: Be your genuine self, think about how you’re presenting yourself physically and make sure to ask some questions. To get you thinking about what you might want to bring up, we searched for the best questions for candidates to ask about in a job interview. The results are below! Read on for the interview questions candidates should want to know the answers to, according to leading experts.
The List: 5 Best Questions Interview Candidates Should Ask, Per Experts
1. Ask About Day-To-Day Responsibilities
What you do every day at work is probably the most important part of any job, so you should be very clear on the expectations.
“Make sure you have a handle on exactly what the day-to-day responsibilities of the job will be — both now and in the future. This will help you make an informed decision if and when that job offer comes,” The Muse writes. Specifically, you can ask the question: “What does a typical day or week look like in this role?”
According to Prospects, the following question is crucial: “Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of the role?” This will help you decide if the role is up your alley and will help avoid surprises, should you land the job. “Asking this question enables you to learn as much about the role as possible. The interviewer’s response will provide insight into what skills and experience are needed, and will also help you decide if the role is right for you. The answer will give you an idea of what the employer’s expectations are, so if you’re offered the job there should be no surprises when you start.”
2. Ask How Success Is Measured
Will you make the cut in the day-to-day?
Per The Cut, “This gets right to the crux of what you need to know about the job: What does it mean to do well, and what will you need to achieve in order for the manager to be happy with your performance? You might find out that while the job posting listed 12 different responsibilities, your success in fact just hinges on 2 of them, or that the posting dramatically understated the importance of 1 of them, or that the hiring manager is battling with her own boss about expectations for the role.”
ZDNET suggests asking the following questions to learn more about job expectations and how your success will be measured: “What would you expect the new hire to master within the first 30 days? How is performance assessed for someone in this position? How often do performance reviews take place?”
3. Ask About The Company As A Whole
Career site Monster.com asked dozens of recruiters, human resource professionals and job coaches to come up with the most memorable questions to ask in an interview. Two good ones to ask about the company are: “What exactly does this company value the most, and how do you think my work for you will further these values? Can you give me some examples of the most and least desirable aspects of the company’s culture?”
Handshake recommends asking about their goals and how you will help them achieve them with these questions: “What are the biggest goals for the company? How does this team/role contribute to the company goals?”
Showing interest in the company and its goals will set you apart as a sincere candidate.
4. Ask About The Team
According to Zety.com, “You should also show the hiring manager or HR director that you are a team player who would be proud to be part of the company.” An easy question that achieves this is: “Can you tell me what the team is like?”
TopResume also recommends having curiosity about the team, writing, “Many job applicants don’t ask questions that require some thought and show sincere curiosity and care.” Some of the best questions to ask an interviewer are: “Can you tell me a bit about the team I would be working with? What are the key positions and groups that I would be working with? What are the three biggest challenges your team faces when working with other groups within the organization?”
5. Ask About Next Steps
Finally, make sure the interviewer knows you’re interested in the role and eager to hear their decision.
ResumeGenius.com says, “One way to indicate you’re serious about the role is to ask questions that demonstrate your interest in the hiring process. This shows that you care about the outcome, and prompts the interviewer to follow up about the result.” The question could be as blatant as, “What are the next steps in the interview process?”
Or, you could ask more about the timeline: “What’s your timeline for making a decision, and when can I expect to hear back from you?” According to Business Insider, “Knowing a company’s timeline should be your ultimate goal during an interview process after determining your fit for the position and whether you like the company’s culture. It will help you determine how and when to follow up, and how long to wait before ‘moving on.’”
Hiring managers, recruiters and job coaches: Have you been asked a question that stood out? Let us know in the comments below!
Sources:
- The Muse
- Prospects
- The Cut
- ZDNET
- Monster.com
- Handshake
- Zety.com
- TopResume
- ResumeGenius.com
- Business Insider
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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.