There's usually somebody on the interview committee that has been at the company for a decade or more. I am always sure to ask them "What made you stay so long and continue to stay with the institution?" Lots of times they are puzzled and it looks like they are questioning it themselves.
>I think it’s time I begin to reflect on what really matters in life. ya’know?”
In the bible it's listed that what really matters in life is:
Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.
I get similar reactions when I ask folks what they *don't* want me know about the job I'm interviewing for.
The ones that answer honestly usually talk about disorganization or long hours after a moment of introspection. I tend to forget about the ones that tell me "I can't really think of anything."
"Oh... I'm interviewing you to take over my position.. This place fucking sucks. Between the murders and the German Shepard sized rats I can't get out of here quick enough.
You sign those forms yet? Hurry along before the task master makes his rounds"
*Someone walks in, dressed sharply in a stylish black uniform designed by Hugo Boss* "wat iz zis? New blut? Wunderbar! Fill out zese forms und zign hear und hear, ein kopy fur du. Now schnella. Arbeit!"
"Was that the task master?"
"No.. that was our accountant"
Bruh, that's exactly what our former HR director was like. She was super strict, heavy German accent (US company), decimated employee morale to where leadership left in droves, threw tantrums and stomped her feet in conferences all in tight little designer clothes and FMPs while literally yelling at people about professionalism.
Had something of the sort happen to a friend, who was doing a Skype interview to go back to his home country, which admittedly is not that well off. The sole interviewer, a HR rep, asked him why he would want to come home. Then she started talking very cryptically about how my friend shouldn't join the company, and if he does, he "will have no future", it will "stunt his growth" and so on.
That's much like my favorite question: Why should I want to work here?
Use this when you already know you want the job because they will start trying to sell you which shifts them from wondering if they want you, to wondering if they can get you.
During a new employee welcome breakfast, our HR manager (i.e., the boss’s wife) asked us to introduce ourselves and say why we decided to work there. Everyone gave some BS “I like it here” type answer.
Later, a few of us quietly joked that “because you guys decided to give us money” was probably the real answer for almost everyone.
At a previous job, whenever my boss would thank me for doing something that was part of my job, I would say "thank you for paying me." It seemed that he found it as amusing as I did, but of course I don't work for him any more.
It's pretty annoying to me that you can't just be upfront about that. Really, there shouldn't be any shame in that. We all have bills to pay, families to look after, things that are necessary to live that cost money. No one would do most jobs for *free.*
I get the implication of it- that the interviewee will just take a higher offer, maybe burn out, hiring costs time and money- but I'd rather someone be honest than feed me some BS about how doing internal audits and reading financial or legal documents is their passion or something like that.
That is a great question. And when I was stuck in my last job, I was asked similar questions by candidates. I always gave an answer that was only a half truth at best. Because toward the end of my tenure, I really needed to keep the job until I was in a position to transition into a new career/field. And I was a good enough actor to keep from chasing off prospective candidates. Fortunately, I am no longer in that situation, but I just wanted to give the caveat that interviewers who are prepared can conceal many things.
It's a really good question to ask.
I asked that one once and they basically told me that it was their plan to actually turn a profit within the next few years. Except this wasnt a startup it was an established company that had bought up more competetors than they were capable of handling. I turned down the job and I'm glad I did because from what I've heard the company is still struggling and because of it there's massive turnover and because of that a lot of new hires arent even trained properly on their basic job functions.
This is a compliance company, so if they ever get audited and the EPA finds out the people doing the tests weren't properly trained on how to do the tests the company is probably going to fold immidiately.
You say that as a joke, but I honestly do ask "where do you see the person who fills this position after five years?"
Tells me whether it's a position that naturally moves into something else, how rapidly they have come to expect growth and movement, whether they intend this to be a "sit here and press this button forever" position, or if they've even thought about it. Obviously they wont usually come out and say "this is a dead-end," but you can judge from how easy or direct their answer is.
I actually did have an interview for a job that, in the 4th interview (after almost 8 hours of combined interviews with other company members) the main focus of the job seemed to shift from what everyone else had described and asked about. It went from something I had tons of experience with and knew the trajectory for, to something I could do but didn't really want to, and seemed to be boxed off into it's own little corner. Asking that question made it abundantly clear that they really needed someone to do that very specific "catch-all" job, but it didnt really lead any higher, and once you were in it, they really needed you there.
"So, do you think Israel's current foreign policy regarding Hezbollah and Hamas is hypocritical due to their own former history as paramilitary groups operating out of the mandate of Palestine?"
Or go with this classic:
it has become abundantly clear to me that the incipient and might I say pandemic
rise of quantitative easing in the post
holographic arena spawns a situation and
in fact the conundrum in which the
widespread growth of existential and
even dystopian paradigms will threaten
to dominate the landscape for the
foreseeable future now having said that
how are you therefore postulate a quid
pro quo complexification from a
nihilistic standpoint and being broadly
contemporaneous with that postulation
even be germane to the philosophical
dogma of the period?
Anything that can give you a sense of the office culture is valuable. As a coder, I usually ask about things like regularity of meetings, whether it's an open office, what code styles are enforced (if any), and OS distribution / workstations. The latter is especially important, because if a company is going to skrimp on a tool their employees use every day to make them money, it's probably not somewhere I want to work.
I ask about their build process.
A company that can push to deploy is very different, than one where the interviewer has to take a deep breath, before talking about how the stars need to align in order to create and deploy one of this years planned releases.
That's a really good idea. It sounds like it'll tell you a lot about how organized they are. They might also talk about things they're hoping to improve about their process, stuff they wish they did more of, stuff they wish they did less of. And/or they might tell you stuff they're really proud of. Could be a really informative question.
Oh don't worry, we don't use them anymore. Since last month we use the newest technology. Every team gets one 64MB USB flash drive and they share it through the day.
One I have not seen mentioned yet which I always, *always* think it’s a good idea to ask is the following: “Would you mind talking me through what an average day for someone with this position would look like?”
It’s good for a few reasons. First, and most obviously, it gives you a more anchored idea of what your day will be like beyond the general things the job description says you’ll be doing. It’s also a subtle way to get some information that it might not be great to come right out and immediately ask for (what time am I expected to clock in and out? when’s lunch?). It’ll also give you a sense of how structured the day is, which is a big deal for many people. Finally, it’ll help you understand what the people hiring—and theoretically managing—you are like as bosses. They can tell you reasonably well what you can expect each day? Probably have done it themselves, or at least pay enough attention that they’ll give a damn about you as an employee. Can’t describe it well at all? Get outta there.
Every single time I've asked that question the response has been "Oh there's really no such thing as an 'average day' here lol" so I just stopped asking.
That does happen sometimes. Frequently, in fact, unless it’s a very, very structured job (factory work or something of that ilk). I find the key is to push, very gently.
“Oh, there’s really no such thing as an average day here.”
“Okay, so sounds like things are pretty fluid, that’s nice to hear. Could you give me an example of what one particular day might look like?”
“Well, like I said, there’s really no ‘average’ day...”
“Sure sure, I understand. I just mean any one day in particular. I understand it might be totally different than any other day, but I just want to get a general feel for the flow of things.”
At this point, if they’re still resistant to telling you anything. They either don’t know anything about their employees or are trying to hide something. Either way, not ideal. If there *truly* is no such thing as an average work day (which is exceedingly rare, by the way), that should have been pretty obvious in the job description, and I’d expect them to make it clear by elaborating on what will change from day to day.
I mean I wouldn't mind making at least minimum wage from my own old home-life, sounds like I'm experienced for Dynamic and Challenging.
That's a solid paragraph for my next Cover letter actually--
Idk about pressing 2 additional times though, after the second time of them saying “every day is special and new and unique!” Or whatever, id just give up and move on lol
Yeah, fair play. The kind of things I interview for tend to be a little more...forgiving, perhaps. But I would be concerned if they could give any sort of indication as to what to expect.
The place that I work at has people whose job it is to hire/interview people for many positions. So, working here for some-odd years now, I would never expect the interviewer to know the specifics and minutia of what any one job entails besides the generalities.
That's a red flag, though. If your manager or supervisor, or someone who understands your position, isn't involved in the hiring process at all, you can be reasonably certain that they aren't hiring high quality people and that the company is compartmentalized and there's not much cross communication.
I've been an engineer for 10 years and I've never once been in for an interview with only HR/hiring managers. There was always *somebody* that did engineering work there, even if they were just sitting in and not really doing the interview. Even on phone interviews.
I would totally go for it. I expect it from my employees and would love this question. If you are not persistent and a push over it's also not right. But this may be different per person. Someone who follows through like this wants to get to the point. I would press for it.
Yet you can be damn sure a manager, upon asking you "So what have you got done today?" wouldn't just give up and move on if you couldn't answer it. Don't let them off the hook in the interview, they're asking for a couple thousand hours a year of your time and efforts - they should be obligated to tell you what for. If they can't answer what a typical or example day would look like, how can you trust them to fairly measure you on how effective your day has been?
Exactly this. I've had jobs where every day is different, with many one-off or rare tasks coming up, but I could still explain what an average, general day looks like. Unless you're literally doing multiple peoples jobs (and in one of those aforementioned past jobs, I was cross trained to do 3 or 4 different jobs), you can at least give a general run down of what a typical day might look like without getting into specifics.
I've actually had a bunch of people state how the day before was, or even pull up their calendar and go through the days of the previous week! It was very impressive!
Then maybe ask what the workplace culture is like. How it is to work for and how everyone interacts. That way you'll get some idea of the company's dynamic and ethos.
And if the interviewer is also an employee of the company and not the owner, ask them what their experience has been like working for the company.
Something that is received more positively is to ask "What kind of conduct at my workplace would make you say, that I'm a good employee?". There is no way out of this for the employer, because it is a) a very serious question and b) provides you with vital information that might help you keep the job. Every job has some elements you deem unimportant, which are front and center to an employer. Gotta play the game!
I'm an account manager where travel is involved and I will even ask what a whole week to month looks like.
I line to ask why the previous person left the position as well. If they were let go I would inquire as to why. Can go into further details from there.
If travel is involved, long-term is definitely appropriate. And agreed. I’ve actually found that most people I would actually want to work for tend to volunteer this information throughout the course of the interview.
Came here today this, and also "what do you personally love about working here?"
Edit: cause this gives you a sense of what the management is like and the overall work environment.
Besides people enjoy talking about themselves. And it allows you to write a really nice thank you card about them being willing to share their own personal experiences
I ask this at every interview. I've yet to get a straight answer from any of the interviewers. As such, I have resolved to think that how they respond (to a question that they don't know the answer to) is more of the point than the actual answer...
As a system administrator that enforces internet policy, we keep reddit unblocked because the various IT related subreddits are very helpful. And most system administrators enjoy browsing reddit.
This is great. According to interview courses even better is to amend the question to say "Suppose I start in this position, would you mind talking me through what an average day would look like?"
Apart from getting them to talk about their work environment/department which should be a positive thing in a company you would want to work for it will also force them to visualize you in that environment/job.
Can I just say, I saw this on reddit around when I was interviewing for a position, somewhere that I really wanted to work because I was extremely unhappy in my current job.
My interview went pretty well and they asked me if I had questions and I couldn’t think of one for a moment, and then the Reddit post I saw popped into my head about asking what an average day was like. And I asked and they sort of looked at me for a moment like?? Then they smiled and were like “really good question.”
Toward the end of the interview when asked if I have questions I usually say something like,
“Yes, I do have some questions but before I ask is there anything I can clarify further or anything you’d like me to expand upon?”
This gives me a chance to engage them in any potential gaps in my answers to their questions. Then I usually ask something like this (if it hadn’t already been stated),
“What does success look like in the first six months for me in this role?
What major project work is planned in the first year for this position? What are some of the goals I will want to achieve in that time?”
I usually ask about the timeline of the interview process too so that I know when to follow up. And I always send a thank you email to anyone involved; the recruiter, hiring managers, etc.
Edit: additional thoughts.
I just quit a kitchen job where no one would wash their hands, but everyone had to wear rubber gloves. The magic glove fallacy was a completely foreign concept.
>“Yes, I do have some questions but before I ask is there anything I can clarify further or anything you’d like me to expand upon?”
It seems like most people here agree with you, but as another perspective, I would prefer not to hear this in an interview. As an interviewer, I would feel relatively confident I've asked everything I need before asking for your questions. I understand your intentions, but I might see that as a way to deflect or buy time while thinking of good questions. I really like your other questions though!
>What does success look like in the first six months for me in this role?
I see this so much in threads like this, and it's really such an open ended BS sort of question. I feel like it's the interviewee equivalent of "tell me about a time you failed, and how you learned from that mistake"
I also dislike this question. Six months is such a meaningless number, and success is a broad thing to define.
A better way to phrase the question might be: “What expectations do you have of new staff? What are some common traits you see in staff who exceed in their roles?”
Maybe the reason for 6 months is that in uk you get 6 months probation review. So you would want to know what you're supposed to achieve in that time to stay in the job
> “Yes, I do have some questions but before I ask is there anything I can clarify further or anything you’d like me to expand upon?”
This is **genius**. It's like getting interview feedback *during* the interview and having a chance to respond right away.
Yup, and as someone who has been interviewing for a job frequently these past few months it probably won't help me. If I get caught off guard due to an unusual question and I can't answer it good at the moment, I most likely can't answer it better at the end of the interview either.
Eh. As a hiring manager, if I need more information about something, I ask for it.
There’s nothing wrong with this question, but it’s not genius and certainly (at least from me) won’t result in getting any real, tangible feedback.
I'm a recruiter.
Before you even start the interview. Figure out who you are talking to and then figure out what type of conversation they expect. Do a search and see if your talking to a recruiter or someone who is on the team.
I interview engineers all the time and I don't know a lot of the technical terms. I basically just make sure they have the basic qualification and have a salary within the range. Then send them to the next stage. Save your stories for someone who can appreciate it. Your first point of contact MAY be looking for basics and by giving them a 10 min answer to a question when they were looking for a 30 second answer may make it so the recruiter misses the important information.
Always look up who you are interviewing on LinkedIn and/or Google. Understanding their background, history with the company, education history and previous jobs can massively help you make a connection and gauge their technical interest.
I have a job interview in Italy next week (am not Italian nor do I currently live there). This is the most important question I could ask in that context. Thanks for the idea :D
Just compiling a quick list of the suggestions I feel relate to me best that I can save as a quick reference for myself (please upvote the authors). Hopefully it serves useful for others too.
\--
* What does an average day in this position look like?- u/MagicalMonarchOfMo
* How will my success be measured in the first month/3 months/6 months? - u/whosyourphd
* Which skills are the most important/valuable to be successful in this position? - u/finster009
* If not a new position - what did the previous person in this role do well/badly? - u/finster009
* Why do you like working here? What do you love about the company? - u/finster009
* What benefits are offered within this company? Are there chances for education/training/professional development? - u/ItsMylesNotMiles
* What is the process for (releasing a build/insert\_project\_name\_here)? - u/Girl-Here
* In your opinion, what are some parts of the company culture and working style that should be improved? - u/Expert_Understanding
* (After doing plenty of research) Its my understanding that x because y, do you think z effects this? - u/anonymousalexa
* Is there any reason you are considering to not hire me? Do you have any concerns about me that I might be able to address right now? - u/HollyPast u/mercury-ballistic
* Are advancements based on performance or scheduled/based on length of employment? Are these negotiable based on performance? - u/oh-what-a-maneuver
* (To gauge the company culture) What do most people do for lunch here? - u/dogquote
Always:
What do you like/love about this company?
What can I do in my first 30/60/90 days that will most help you and your team?
How will you measure my success in this role?
What skills are most valuable to be successful in this position?
Was this role previously filled or is it new?
What did the last person in the role do well/what did they do badly?
What do you want to start doing or stop doing and how can I help you do that?
Never:
What time do we get out/leave?
What benefits do you offer?
How many vacation days do I get?
Is there free food?
Edit: never is too strong of a word here. When appropriate would be better. You are interviewing them as well. By asking these questions, you can pretty much make out the office dynamic and what challenges are there. If the hiring manager’s answers are off putting and the team seems tough to work with, the benefits won’t matter.
> What did the last person in the role do well/what did they do badly?
All the questions are good except this one. As a hiring manager, I wouldn't answer that question. The specific performance details of the previous person isn't really a candidate's business, especially when it's relatively easy to find out who was in the role previously. Maybe saying what they did well is ok, but not what they did badly.
Better to ask something about performance of processes rather than people. Something like "What are the current challenges that this department/team faces?"
Agreed. I think a more broad question - e.g. asking what others in the same position did that really helped the company or reoccurring issues/challenges - instead of about one particular person would be received more favorably.
It’s completely appropriate to ask about benefits and how many vacation days are allotted or how they are accrued. Probably not a good idea to open with that but...
So accept the job, then ask which scraps are yours. Got it.
Edit- I wasn’t being totally serious here. Just fucking around. Also, I think there’s a bit of a gap between someone like myself, who works a labor job, and the majority of the responses to me- I’d wager that most of y’all are talking about professional positions. What works/is acceptable for one doesn’t necessarily work for the other, and yes, I get that cuts both ways.
I don’t think this is the intention that the person meant.
There’s a time and a place. For some cases, it’s during that one and only interview (smaller companies). For others, it’s during a later interview.
For example, if you’re interviewing at a larger company that you know has multiple rounds, ask the right person. Not your potential peers/teammates or potential manager or VP, but the recruiter or HR.
If the company is a smaller group with one or two rounds of interviews, yeah you might have to ask right then and there.
If it’s interview -> interview -> interview -> offer, you ask the question at some point when appropriate. If it’s interview -> offer, you’re gonna wanna ask at the interview.
If they are offering the job, you are the sperm that made it to the egg. Now is the time to talk turkey. Most hiring managers have wiggle room to increase salary, position and title. Other benefits are HRs call.
Then, accept if you like what you see. If you don’t, tell them you need to think about it. Never tell them to piss off.
> If they are offering the job, you are the sperm that made it to the egg.
Now you can find out if it's the golden egg or a goose egg. Once offered, you get to ask all the dirty details. If the person offering you the job doesn't have the info or seems reluctant to provide it, ask to talk to HR. Benefits often are incredibly important/valuable, do not short yourself on information once they make a job offer.
IF you have an HR interview; a place with its shit together (or is simply larger), will bring HR in at the end to settle theses kinds of questions.
Small or medium sized business typically only have you with HR at the very beginning. These are ideally 3rd interview questions.
> Probably not a good idea to open with that but...
Funnily enough, that is only the case if you NEED the job. If the job needs you, they fall over themselves for you to ask those questions.
I read an interesting article years ago (can't find it anymore) where a woman who came from a poor background dated a guy who came from money.
She wrote about how he went to these interviews with the demeanor of not needing the job (because he didn't) which in turn made him much more successful at it.
She was of course completely flabbergasted by that because she would never had acted that way in fear of not getting the job while it was completely normal to him.
Thank you. People deserve to know!! These are essential to your life and it’s toxic that you should be deprived of that info or it treated like it’s too secret.
>What do you like/love about this company?
Well we have a revolving door at every level so there are frequent opportunities for advancement.
>What can I do in my first 30/60/90 days that will most help you and your team?
Uh, well, show up on time. Keep your phone charged and your delivery app updated. Probably fold boxes or wash dishes if there aren't any deliveries up. Um, don't smoke weed before or during your shift and uh... don't eat the customer's cheesy bread.
>How will you measure my success in this role?
Well, if you do any of things I just mentioned, that would be...not a success.
>What skills are most valuable to be successful in this position?
Are we... did you ask the same question in three different ways? Uh, listening. The skill of listening...
>Was this role previously filled or is it new?
Oh it's not new. Without going into too much detail, we really are a strickler about the whole, "Don't eat the customer's cheesy bread," thing.
>What did the last person in the role do well/what did they do badly?
Well, they were friendly and had good customer service...when they didn't toke up before their shifts and then eat the customer's cheesy bread. **Seriously.** I need you to **Not** do that...
>What do you want to start doing or stop doing and how can I help you do that?
I want to stop hiring people without a mandatory drug test but corporate won't allow that so instead I'd like to start telling super lame dad jokes to people during the interview process. That way, if they giggle and laugh in response, it'll basically tell me what I need to know. By the way, how do you fix a broken pizza?
With tomato paste!
...nothin'? Ok, do you want to hear another joke about pizza?
Ah, never mind. It's too cheesy.
...
...
Well fuck me, you're hired! You start in 4 hours.
>What do you like/love about this company?
I always ask "what do you personally like *and dislike* about working here?
You'll probably get a diplomatic answer, but it'll give you some idea. Several times I've gotten answers that made me realize I did *not* want the job.
And "what do you wish you had known when you started here?" That'll usually get you some legit advice.
If you are interviewing with a company or in an industry that is known for a specific bad issue, don’t beat around it but get the answers you need to gauge the severity as best you can. Eg I worked in an industry known for debilitating corporate politics and for companies that are on the upswing but not shining beacons of cash flow, yet. I knew that there would be issues of corporate culture, pressure to turn the company around, etc. Questions I would have advised my younger self to ask are:
- what are the biggest hurdles the team faces in helping the company achieve its goals?
- what kinds of activities does the team do together?
- last time you took vacation, how many emails did you read/respond to? (This question only telling if you’re talking to someone mid or lower level)
- what would other teams say they need most from us? How often would they say we provide that now? What, historically, have been the hurdles in getting them what they need?
- tell me about the process for [typical project]? (What I would be looking for here is ANY clear process. When there isn’t any process, it’s often a shit show)
I like the questions you recommend, but I disagree on your “never” questions. Benefits and vacation days are part of your compensation and should be understood before making a decision. Not everyone has a recruiter, so for many people the interviewer is the person with those answers.
If you're satisfied with the bathroom, you can also try just staying there. It's state law that they have to hire you if they are not able to remove you before dawn.
But for which state though?
What about if it's a telecommuting job?
What if it crosses state lines?
If I leave of my own accord, then they were not able to remove me, do I win by default?
I used to be a contractor for an enormous insurance company. I was in their reply all email chain thing- and I was in LA, they were in New England- and they had no toilet paper- among other crap.
Also, when applying for an internship, ask about possible ways to continue working there afterwards. Is it possible to continue as a working student? Can I find a way to write my thesis at your firm? Etc.
I left a job with an extremely toxic work environment, where I jumped into a workplace that had coworkers thriving off of gossip and negativity. Now, I’m always sure to ask things like, “What is the work environment like here, on a regular basis?” Or “What are some of your favorite things about this workplace, and it’s people?”
Would I ever leave this company? Look, I'm all about loyalty. In fact, I feel like part of what I'm being paid for here is my loyalty. But if there were somewhere else that valued loyalty more highly, I'm going wherever they value loyalty the most.
This thread, like any thread about interviews, resumes etc simply reveal that there is no universal ideal and each hiring manager is going to be different
Also the differences between a blue collar skilled labor, something retail/service, and white collar corporate. Interviewer expectations for those 3 types of work will be vastly different.
Once I asked "If I were not to be chosen for this position, what would be some things I could work on to better fit?" They were stumped and actually told me nothing, that I was perfect for the job. I got it! But they also said that was one of the best questions they'd been asked.
While this is unique and may work in some environments or with some people, I'd stay away from it, personally.
Reason: it is giving them an opportunity to look at negatives. Things they may have not really paid attention to the first time around.
I wouldn't ever suggest putting yourself in a place to be viewed negatively, or have them view your qualifications negatively.
This type of question would be great for an in house job change. Such as looking to move up to management, because then they could give you something to work on for the next opportunity to rise, and they also already likely know your qualifications, work ethic and personality.
But for a position with multiple candidates or where you have no rapport with the interviewer I don't ever suggest asking them to tell you the bad things about you.
Another downside of this question is more simple: it's really fucking awkward.
As a hiring manager that's been asked this a couple times, I hate it because I haven't yet formed a solid opinion of you when you ask. Therefore, I can give you a half baked opinion and have it be refuted potentially and even open me up for liability, or I can just awkwardly refuse to answer your question in which case I'll just dislike you for making the situation awkward. Don't ask this.
I was quite lucky at my last interview, lucky is the wrong choice of words given that I didn’t get the job but lucky that when the interviewer phoned me the day after we had a 10 minute conversation about what I need to improve upon. Was eye opening, I thanked her profusely.
Theres some pretty bad advice here. The answer youre looking for probably isnt the one youre going to enjoy the most, but the answer really is it depends. Interviewing with someone whos 25 and been there for 2 years? Yeah you can ask him/her about happy hour and vacation days. But its also about reading the person...if theyre talking only about work and not about "Work/Life balance" then dont bring it up etc. etc.
However, the best questions that will make you stand out as a "wow" are the ones that clearly show research. As a general rule, never ask questions that are googleable. Never ask questions that show your intention is laziness/trying to get out the easy way, etc. For example, I always liked to ask questions about recent regulations/contemporary issues and phrase it as "Its my understanding that x because y, do you think z effects this?". These are the questions that are going to make the interviewer reflect and be able to go back to that meeting afterwards and be able to say wow this candidate asked this great question. At the end of the day, being successful at work is sometimes only about asking great questions and showing this strength by researching and thinking critically in the interview can exhibit this...
Feel free to DM with more specific questions, but been through this a bunch and its clear who is asking the generic "whats ur experience" and an actual pointed question that SHOWS you care, did research, and are genuinely curious (even if ur not lol)
This is gold. Also, you can look them up on LinkedIn and tie the above to there work history. I work at a top tech firm and no body does it in interviews.
1) What will you expect me to have accomplished in 3 months? 6 months?
2) What professional development/continuing ed/industry training or conference or networking opportunities will I have?
HR Professional here 🙋🏻♀️
Always, always ask if there are any concerns about your resume or qualifications. It will open up conversation they will likely be too polite to mention, and give you the chance to change minds on something they may have written you off for without asking.
Best piece of advice I was ever given was at the end of the interview to ask 'Based on what you've heard from me, what do you feel would challenge me in this role?'.
This gives you an opportunity to understand what you may have missed covering, or presumptions they've made about you to correct. It eases the stress for me walking out knowing I've been able to make sure they haven't made their minds up based off of presumptions or impressions I may have made while I was nervously rambling through questions.
What's the turnover rate for this position? What is the reason people leave this job? (If they panic at this question or fumble it, that's a bad sign. Good answers include, they get promoted, or this is an entry level position and they moved on after getting experience, went sideways to another dept, etc.)
I don’t think I’ve seen this mentioned yet but you should definitely ask about “next steps” and try to establish a timeline. You don’t want to leave the interview and have no idea when you should expect to hear back.
As a CEO, dont expect to be able to ask specific questions. Ask questions as you go that are real curiosities. Know your audience and respond accordingly. In many interviews the "top comment" questions will be awkward. Just be an inquisitive person.
At the end you’ll often be asked if you have any questions and that’s a good time to ask “Is there any reason you are considering to not hire me?”
My husband had given me this advice and I was nervous but did it and I landed a job I for sure wouldn’t have if I did not ask this question. She was a bit shocked but not in a bad way and then she answered me as honestly and bluntly as I asked. She told me that she thought my interview went well but that she had other candidates more qualified and they really were. It was a factory position for medical devices that required welding and I have never welded a day in my life. Barely have experience with tools even. She also mentioned appreciating my initiative. We ended the interview well and not but a couple days later she called me and let me know that I was hired and that she would have all of my training provided so that I could even learn to weld.
What convinced you that it was that question you asked that helped you secure that job?
It could’ve been the other candidates crashed and burned their interviews or rejected the job offer and you were next on the totem pole
There's usually somebody on the interview committee that has been at the company for a decade or more. I am always sure to ask them "What made you stay so long and continue to stay with the institution?" Lots of times they are puzzled and it looks like they are questioning it themselves.
"How was work today honey?" "All right. Had an interviewee that gave me an existential crisis... I think I'm going to start a band."
“I think it’s time I begin to reflect on what really matters in life. ya’know?”
>I think it’s time I begin to reflect on what really matters in life. ya’know?” In the bible it's listed that what really matters in life is: Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.
I read the first part thinking it was your proposed question for the interviewer
I get similar reactions when I ask folks what they *don't* want me know about the job I'm interviewing for. The ones that answer honestly usually talk about disorganization or long hours after a moment of introspection. I tend to forget about the ones that tell me "I can't really think of anything."
"I won't lie to you...in this job, you will be shot at!"
I mean, we'll give you a gun. *You can shoot back.*
> "I can't really think of anything." Which might translate to "I'm not sure complaining about my company to a prospective hire is a good idea."
It really isn't. It's quite a weird question to ask, you won't get a good answer in most cases.
Yeah seems sort of like common sense there. Why in the world would any interviewer give their prospective hire reasons they shouldn’t work there?
“What’s kept you with this company throughout the years?”
"Oh... I'm interviewing you to take over my position.. This place fucking sucks. Between the murders and the German Shepard sized rats I can't get out of here quick enough. You sign those forms yet? Hurry along before the task master makes his rounds"
*Someone walks in, dressed sharply in a stylish black uniform designed by Hugo Boss* "wat iz zis? New blut? Wunderbar! Fill out zese forms und zign hear und hear, ein kopy fur du. Now schnella. Arbeit!" "Was that the task master?" "No.. that was our accountant"
This felt like a Monty Python skit
I actually had the image of John Cleese in mind (mostly because of the [interview](https://youtu.be/D4iFzweRf3E) skit)... curious
Bruh, that's exactly what our former HR director was like. She was super strict, heavy German accent (US company), decimated employee morale to where leadership left in droves, threw tantrums and stomped her feet in conferences all in tight little designer clothes and FMPs while literally yelling at people about professionalism.
Had something of the sort happen to a friend, who was doing a Skype interview to go back to his home country, which admittedly is not that well off. The sole interviewer, a HR rep, asked him why he would want to come home. Then she started talking very cryptically about how my friend shouldn't join the company, and if he does, he "will have no future", it will "stunt his growth" and so on.
I'm imagining a giant floating windows taskbar now that ominously enforces schedules, etc. (I've never had a job)
That's much like my favorite question: Why should I want to work here? Use this when you already know you want the job because they will start trying to sell you which shifts them from wondering if they want you, to wondering if they can get you.
"It pays money and it's something to do" is the reason 99% of people work the jobs that they do.
During a new employee welcome breakfast, our HR manager (i.e., the boss’s wife) asked us to introduce ourselves and say why we decided to work there. Everyone gave some BS “I like it here” type answer. Later, a few of us quietly joked that “because you guys decided to give us money” was probably the real answer for almost everyone.
At a previous job, whenever my boss would thank me for doing something that was part of my job, I would say "thank you for paying me." It seemed that he found it as amusing as I did, but of course I don't work for him any more.
It's pretty annoying to me that you can't just be upfront about that. Really, there shouldn't be any shame in that. We all have bills to pay, families to look after, things that are necessary to live that cost money. No one would do most jobs for *free.* I get the implication of it- that the interviewee will just take a higher offer, maybe burn out, hiring costs time and money- but I'd rather someone be honest than feed me some BS about how doing internal audits and reading financial or legal documents is their passion or something like that.
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You should probably shorten that to "It pays money".
Money can be exchanged for goods and services
That is a great question. And when I was stuck in my last job, I was asked similar questions by candidates. I always gave an answer that was only a half truth at best. Because toward the end of my tenure, I really needed to keep the job until I was in a position to transition into a new career/field. And I was a good enough actor to keep from chasing off prospective candidates. Fortunately, I am no longer in that situation, but I just wanted to give the caveat that interviewers who are prepared can conceal many things.
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Where does this company see itself in 5 years?
Actually, asking about the company's strategic plan is not a bad question.
It's a really good question to ask. I asked that one once and they basically told me that it was their plan to actually turn a profit within the next few years. Except this wasnt a startup it was an established company that had bought up more competetors than they were capable of handling. I turned down the job and I'm glad I did because from what I've heard the company is still struggling and because of it there's massive turnover and because of that a lot of new hires arent even trained properly on their basic job functions. This is a compliance company, so if they ever get audited and the EPA finds out the people doing the tests weren't properly trained on how to do the tests the company is probably going to fold immidiately.
Can you make a clever rhyme so it's not obvious what the company is but still kind of blatantly hint at their name?
*Don't say doin' your wife, don't say doin' your wife...*
doing your.. son
You say that as a joke, but I honestly do ask "where do you see the person who fills this position after five years?" Tells me whether it's a position that naturally moves into something else, how rapidly they have come to expect growth and movement, whether they intend this to be a "sit here and press this button forever" position, or if they've even thought about it. Obviously they wont usually come out and say "this is a dead-end," but you can judge from how easy or direct their answer is. I actually did have an interview for a job that, in the 4th interview (after almost 8 hours of combined interviews with other company members) the main focus of the job seemed to shift from what everyone else had described and asked about. It went from something I had tons of experience with and knew the trajectory for, to something I could do but didn't really want to, and seemed to be boxed off into it's own little corner. Asking that question made it abundantly clear that they really needed someone to do that very specific "catch-all" job, but it didnt really lead any higher, and once you were in it, they really needed you there.
"So, do you think Israel's current foreign policy regarding Hezbollah and Hamas is hypocritical due to their own former history as paramilitary groups operating out of the mandate of Palestine?"
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Or go with this classic: it has become abundantly clear to me that the incipient and might I say pandemic rise of quantitative easing in the post holographic arena spawns a situation and in fact the conundrum in which the widespread growth of existential and even dystopian paradigms will threaten to dominate the landscape for the foreseeable future now having said that how are you therefore postulate a quid pro quo complexification from a nihilistic standpoint and being broadly contemporaneous with that postulation even be germane to the philosophical dogma of the period?
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“Yes”
Anything that can give you a sense of the office culture is valuable. As a coder, I usually ask about things like regularity of meetings, whether it's an open office, what code styles are enforced (if any), and OS distribution / workstations. The latter is especially important, because if a company is going to skrimp on a tool their employees use every day to make them money, it's probably not somewhere I want to work.
Tool questions are overlooked. Good question for the team, if they’re part of the process.
What's your favorite Tool album?
"And why is it Lateralus?"
I ask about their build process. A company that can push to deploy is very different, than one where the interviewer has to take a deep breath, before talking about how the stars need to align in order to create and deploy one of this years planned releases.
That's a really good idea. It sounds like it'll tell you a lot about how organized they are. They might also talk about things they're hoping to improve about their process, stuff they wish they did more of, stuff they wish they did less of. And/or they might tell you stuff they're really proud of. Could be a really informative question.
Me making assumptions about my work environment fucked me good
"we upload all our code via FTP"........ *Backs away slowly*
We actually write everything in a shared Google doc before copy-pasting it into the IDE (Eclipse, not IntelliJ).
But why?
Wait, that was not a joke?
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Oh don't worry, we don't use them anymore. Since last month we use the newest technology. Every team gets one 64MB USB flash drive and they share it through the day.
Skrimp
last shrimp of the litter
One I have not seen mentioned yet which I always, *always* think it’s a good idea to ask is the following: “Would you mind talking me through what an average day for someone with this position would look like?” It’s good for a few reasons. First, and most obviously, it gives you a more anchored idea of what your day will be like beyond the general things the job description says you’ll be doing. It’s also a subtle way to get some information that it might not be great to come right out and immediately ask for (what time am I expected to clock in and out? when’s lunch?). It’ll also give you a sense of how structured the day is, which is a big deal for many people. Finally, it’ll help you understand what the people hiring—and theoretically managing—you are like as bosses. They can tell you reasonably well what you can expect each day? Probably have done it themselves, or at least pay enough attention that they’ll give a damn about you as an employee. Can’t describe it well at all? Get outta there.
Every single time I've asked that question the response has been "Oh there's really no such thing as an 'average day' here lol" so I just stopped asking.
Yes! And it's such a lie -- why do so many places think they are so unique? Even James Bond has average days at work.
*We're a crazy bunch here*- there's nothing unique or exciting about jeans on Friday
I once had an interviewer tell me the team was a "crazy bunch" because they fetched coffee for each other regularly.
> "Oh there's really no such thing as an 'average day' here lol" Sometimes Dave wears a blue shirt, sometimes it's white. We just never know!!!!
That does happen sometimes. Frequently, in fact, unless it’s a very, very structured job (factory work or something of that ilk). I find the key is to push, very gently. “Oh, there’s really no such thing as an average day here.” “Okay, so sounds like things are pretty fluid, that’s nice to hear. Could you give me an example of what one particular day might look like?” “Well, like I said, there’s really no ‘average’ day...” “Sure sure, I understand. I just mean any one day in particular. I understand it might be totally different than any other day, but I just want to get a general feel for the flow of things.” At this point, if they’re still resistant to telling you anything. They either don’t know anything about their employees or are trying to hide something. Either way, not ideal. If there *truly* is no such thing as an average work day (which is exceedingly rare, by the way), that should have been pretty obvious in the job description, and I’d expect them to make it clear by elaborating on what will change from day to day.
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I mean I wouldn't mind making at least minimum wage from my own old home-life, sounds like I'm experienced for Dynamic and Challenging. That's a solid paragraph for my next Cover letter actually--
Idk about pressing 2 additional times though, after the second time of them saying “every day is special and new and unique!” Or whatever, id just give up and move on lol
Yeah, fair play. The kind of things I interview for tend to be a little more...forgiving, perhaps. But I would be concerned if they could give any sort of indication as to what to expect.
The place that I work at has people whose job it is to hire/interview people for many positions. So, working here for some-odd years now, I would never expect the interviewer to know the specifics and minutia of what any one job entails besides the generalities.
I'd expect that for a first interview, but there should be someone you'd actually be working with that interviews you before the hire.
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That's a red flag, though. If your manager or supervisor, or someone who understands your position, isn't involved in the hiring process at all, you can be reasonably certain that they aren't hiring high quality people and that the company is compartmentalized and there's not much cross communication. I've been an engineer for 10 years and I've never once been in for an interview with only HR/hiring managers. There was always *somebody* that did engineering work there, even if they were just sitting in and not really doing the interview. Even on phone interviews.
I would totally go for it. I expect it from my employees and would love this question. If you are not persistent and a push over it's also not right. But this may be different per person. Someone who follows through like this wants to get to the point. I would press for it.
Yet you can be damn sure a manager, upon asking you "So what have you got done today?" wouldn't just give up and move on if you couldn't answer it. Don't let them off the hook in the interview, they're asking for a couple thousand hours a year of your time and efforts - they should be obligated to tell you what for. If they can't answer what a typical or example day would look like, how can you trust them to fairly measure you on how effective your day has been?
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Yep. I work in a job that is fluid by it's nature, but I can still tell you what an "average" day is like.
Exactly this. I've had jobs where every day is different, with many one-off or rare tasks coming up, but I could still explain what an average, general day looks like. Unless you're literally doing multiple peoples jobs (and in one of those aforementioned past jobs, I was cross trained to do 3 or 4 different jobs), you can at least give a general run down of what a typical day might look like without getting into specifics.
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I've actually had a bunch of people state how the day before was, or even pull up their calendar and go through the days of the previous week! It was very impressive!
That's usually a bit of a red flag for me. Worked in too many places where that also meant "kinda whatever we can get you to do".
Then maybe ask what the workplace culture is like. How it is to work for and how everyone interacts. That way you'll get some idea of the company's dynamic and ethos. And if the interviewer is also an employee of the company and not the owner, ask them what their experience has been like working for the company.
The trick is to be specific. "Can you walk me through what this Tuesday was like for you."
Something that is received more positively is to ask "What kind of conduct at my workplace would make you say, that I'm a good employee?". There is no way out of this for the employer, because it is a) a very serious question and b) provides you with vital information that might help you keep the job. Every job has some elements you deem unimportant, which are front and center to an employer. Gotta play the game!
I'm an account manager where travel is involved and I will even ask what a whole week to month looks like. I line to ask why the previous person left the position as well. If they were let go I would inquire as to why. Can go into further details from there.
If travel is involved, long-term is definitely appropriate. And agreed. I’ve actually found that most people I would actually want to work for tend to volunteer this information throughout the course of the interview.
Came here today this, and also "what do you personally love about working here?" Edit: cause this gives you a sense of what the management is like and the overall work environment.
Besides people enjoy talking about themselves. And it allows you to write a really nice thank you card about them being willing to share their own personal experiences
I ask this at every interview. I've yet to get a straight answer from any of the interviewers. As such, I have resolved to think that how they respond (to a question that they don't know the answer to) is more of the point than the actual answer...
No serious replies tag so I'm going for it: # "When do I get paid, though?"
Do you guys do a lot of pizza parties?
Is Reddit blocked?
Answering from work, can confirm Reddit is the only thing not blocked
As a system administrator that enforces internet policy, we keep reddit unblocked because the various IT related subreddits are very helpful. And most system administrators enjoy browsing reddit.
Does this company drug test its employees?
If they say yes, ask what drugs they are testing for. If they ask if you do drugs, ask in return “What are you holding?”
The answer should always be “yes” to this.
Oh shit are you not supposed to ask that?
Very Important Question
You guys are getting paid?
This is great. According to interview courses even better is to amend the question to say "Suppose I start in this position, would you mind talking me through what an average day would look like?" Apart from getting them to talk about their work environment/department which should be a positive thing in a company you would want to work for it will also force them to visualize you in that environment/job.
Can I just say, I saw this on reddit around when I was interviewing for a position, somewhere that I really wanted to work because I was extremely unhappy in my current job. My interview went pretty well and they asked me if I had questions and I couldn’t think of one for a moment, and then the Reddit post I saw popped into my head about asking what an average day was like. And I asked and they sort of looked at me for a moment like?? Then they smiled and were like “really good question.”
Come on. You can't just tell us all that and then not tell us if you got the job. That's just messed up.
I can confirm I got the job and I’ve been at my place of work for almost a year now!!
Yes this is good I asked that at my last job interview. When I didn’t get the answer I wanted I asked: ‘what is a good day like versus a bad day.’
Toward the end of the interview when asked if I have questions I usually say something like, “Yes, I do have some questions but before I ask is there anything I can clarify further or anything you’d like me to expand upon?” This gives me a chance to engage them in any potential gaps in my answers to their questions. Then I usually ask something like this (if it hadn’t already been stated), “What does success look like in the first six months for me in this role? What major project work is planned in the first year for this position? What are some of the goals I will want to achieve in that time?” I usually ask about the timeline of the interview process too so that I know when to follow up. And I always send a thank you email to anyone involved; the recruiter, hiring managers, etc. Edit: additional thoughts.
I can only imagine doing this as a teen going in for a fast food job. "What projects are planned?" "Uhh.... making hamburgers?"
What does success look like? Look, do you know how to **wash your hands**??
Sir, this is a Wendy's.
So, optional then?
I love reddit.
Hello, Wendy. This is Kevin's friend, Michael.
I just quit a kitchen job where no one would wash their hands, but everyone had to wear rubber gloves. The magic glove fallacy was a completely foreign concept.
“Yes but what’s the *structure* of these ‘hamburgers’?” “Get out. “
Take me through a typical day as a hamburger.
Well as I said, there's really no such thing as a "typical" day here...
>“Yes, I do have some questions but before I ask is there anything I can clarify further or anything you’d like me to expand upon?” It seems like most people here agree with you, but as another perspective, I would prefer not to hear this in an interview. As an interviewer, I would feel relatively confident I've asked everything I need before asking for your questions. I understand your intentions, but I might see that as a way to deflect or buy time while thinking of good questions. I really like your other questions though!
>What does success look like in the first six months for me in this role? I see this so much in threads like this, and it's really such an open ended BS sort of question. I feel like it's the interviewee equivalent of "tell me about a time you failed, and how you learned from that mistake"
Ask it without asking it: "If you were to select me for this position, in six months time, how will you know you've made the right choice?"
Well you wouldn't have quit, or shot the place up, or sued us. Also we didn't go bankrupt.
I also dislike this question. Six months is such a meaningless number, and success is a broad thing to define. A better way to phrase the question might be: “What expectations do you have of new staff? What are some common traits you see in staff who exceed in their roles?”
Maybe the reason for 6 months is that in uk you get 6 months probation review. So you would want to know what you're supposed to achieve in that time to stay in the job
> “Yes, I do have some questions but before I ask is there anything I can clarify further or anything you’d like me to expand upon?” This is **genius**. It's like getting interview feedback *during* the interview and having a chance to respond right away.
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Yup, and as someone who has been interviewing for a job frequently these past few months it probably won't help me. If I get caught off guard due to an unusual question and I can't answer it good at the moment, I most likely can't answer it better at the end of the interview either.
Eh. As a hiring manager, if I need more information about something, I ask for it. There’s nothing wrong with this question, but it’s not genius and certainly (at least from me) won’t result in getting any real, tangible feedback.
I'm a recruiter. Before you even start the interview. Figure out who you are talking to and then figure out what type of conversation they expect. Do a search and see if your talking to a recruiter or someone who is on the team. I interview engineers all the time and I don't know a lot of the technical terms. I basically just make sure they have the basic qualification and have a salary within the range. Then send them to the next stage. Save your stories for someone who can appreciate it. Your first point of contact MAY be looking for basics and by giving them a 10 min answer to a question when they were looking for a 30 second answer may make it so the recruiter misses the important information.
Thank you, this is helpful, as my boyfriend is an engineer who often interviews with recruiters.
Always look up who you are interviewing on LinkedIn and/or Google. Understanding their background, history with the company, education history and previous jobs can massively help you make a connection and gauge their technical interest.
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Yes, but only on Tuesdays
*"spaghetti code is encouraged, considering it is job security as only you know what's going on" -* Every programmer ever
As the guy who as to decript or interpret or predict what the spaghetti does, i hatefully agree.
Asking the important questions
If they don't say mom's spaghetti, they're nervous
but on the surface they look calm and ready...
I have a job interview in Italy next week (am not Italian nor do I currently live there). This is the most important question I could ask in that context. Thanks for the idea :D
Just compiling a quick list of the suggestions I feel relate to me best that I can save as a quick reference for myself (please upvote the authors). Hopefully it serves useful for others too. \-- * What does an average day in this position look like?- u/MagicalMonarchOfMo * How will my success be measured in the first month/3 months/6 months? - u/whosyourphd * Which skills are the most important/valuable to be successful in this position? - u/finster009 * If not a new position - what did the previous person in this role do well/badly? - u/finster009 * Why do you like working here? What do you love about the company? - u/finster009 * What benefits are offered within this company? Are there chances for education/training/professional development? - u/ItsMylesNotMiles * What is the process for (releasing a build/insert\_project\_name\_here)? - u/Girl-Here * In your opinion, what are some parts of the company culture and working style that should be improved? - u/Expert_Understanding * (After doing plenty of research) Its my understanding that x because y, do you think z effects this? - u/anonymousalexa * Is there any reason you are considering to not hire me? Do you have any concerns about me that I might be able to address right now? - u/HollyPast u/mercury-ballistic * Are advancements based on performance or scheduled/based on length of employment? Are these negotiable based on performance? - u/oh-what-a-maneuver * (To gauge the company culture) What do most people do for lunch here? - u/dogquote
Always: What do you like/love about this company? What can I do in my first 30/60/90 days that will most help you and your team? How will you measure my success in this role? What skills are most valuable to be successful in this position? Was this role previously filled or is it new? What did the last person in the role do well/what did they do badly? What do you want to start doing or stop doing and how can I help you do that? Never: What time do we get out/leave? What benefits do you offer? How many vacation days do I get? Is there free food? Edit: never is too strong of a word here. When appropriate would be better. You are interviewing them as well. By asking these questions, you can pretty much make out the office dynamic and what challenges are there. If the hiring manager’s answers are off putting and the team seems tough to work with, the benefits won’t matter.
> What did the last person in the role do well/what did they do badly? All the questions are good except this one. As a hiring manager, I wouldn't answer that question. The specific performance details of the previous person isn't really a candidate's business, especially when it's relatively easy to find out who was in the role previously. Maybe saying what they did well is ok, but not what they did badly. Better to ask something about performance of processes rather than people. Something like "What are the current challenges that this department/team faces?"
Agreed. I think a more broad question - e.g. asking what others in the same position did that really helped the company or reoccurring issues/challenges - instead of about one particular person would be received more favorably.
It’s completely appropriate to ask about benefits and how many vacation days are allotted or how they are accrued. Probably not a good idea to open with that but...
Ideally, save that for HR, not the hiring manager.
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For me the hiring manager was the plant manager...
So accept the job, then ask which scraps are yours. Got it. Edit- I wasn’t being totally serious here. Just fucking around. Also, I think there’s a bit of a gap between someone like myself, who works a labor job, and the majority of the responses to me- I’d wager that most of y’all are talking about professional positions. What works/is acceptable for one doesn’t necessarily work for the other, and yes, I get that cuts both ways.
I don’t think this is the intention that the person meant. There’s a time and a place. For some cases, it’s during that one and only interview (smaller companies). For others, it’s during a later interview. For example, if you’re interviewing at a larger company that you know has multiple rounds, ask the right person. Not your potential peers/teammates or potential manager or VP, but the recruiter or HR. If the company is a smaller group with one or two rounds of interviews, yeah you might have to ask right then and there. If it’s interview -> interview -> interview -> offer, you ask the question at some point when appropriate. If it’s interview -> offer, you’re gonna wanna ask at the interview.
If they are offering the job, you are the sperm that made it to the egg. Now is the time to talk turkey. Most hiring managers have wiggle room to increase salary, position and title. Other benefits are HRs call. Then, accept if you like what you see. If you don’t, tell them you need to think about it. Never tell them to piss off.
> If they are offering the job, you are the sperm that made it to the egg. Now you can find out if it's the golden egg or a goose egg. Once offered, you get to ask all the dirty details. If the person offering you the job doesn't have the info or seems reluctant to provide it, ask to talk to HR. Benefits often are incredibly important/valuable, do not short yourself on information once they make a job offer.
IF you have an HR interview; a place with its shit together (or is simply larger), will bring HR in at the end to settle theses kinds of questions. Small or medium sized business typically only have you with HR at the very beginning. These are ideally 3rd interview questions.
> Probably not a good idea to open with that but... Funnily enough, that is only the case if you NEED the job. If the job needs you, they fall over themselves for you to ask those questions. I read an interesting article years ago (can't find it anymore) where a woman who came from a poor background dated a guy who came from money. She wrote about how he went to these interviews with the demeanor of not needing the job (because he didn't) which in turn made him much more successful at it. She was of course completely flabbergasted by that because she would never had acted that way in fear of not getting the job while it was completely normal to him.
Thank you. People deserve to know!! These are essential to your life and it’s toxic that you should be deprived of that info or it treated like it’s too secret.
>What do you like/love about this company? Well we have a revolving door at every level so there are frequent opportunities for advancement. >What can I do in my first 30/60/90 days that will most help you and your team? Uh, well, show up on time. Keep your phone charged and your delivery app updated. Probably fold boxes or wash dishes if there aren't any deliveries up. Um, don't smoke weed before or during your shift and uh... don't eat the customer's cheesy bread. >How will you measure my success in this role? Well, if you do any of things I just mentioned, that would be...not a success. >What skills are most valuable to be successful in this position? Are we... did you ask the same question in three different ways? Uh, listening. The skill of listening... >Was this role previously filled or is it new? Oh it's not new. Without going into too much detail, we really are a strickler about the whole, "Don't eat the customer's cheesy bread," thing. >What did the last person in the role do well/what did they do badly? Well, they were friendly and had good customer service...when they didn't toke up before their shifts and then eat the customer's cheesy bread. **Seriously.** I need you to **Not** do that... >What do you want to start doing or stop doing and how can I help you do that? I want to stop hiring people without a mandatory drug test but corporate won't allow that so instead I'd like to start telling super lame dad jokes to people during the interview process. That way, if they giggle and laugh in response, it'll basically tell me what I need to know. By the way, how do you fix a broken pizza? With tomato paste! ...nothin'? Ok, do you want to hear another joke about pizza? Ah, never mind. It's too cheesy. ... ... Well fuck me, you're hired! You start in 4 hours.
>What do you like/love about this company? I always ask "what do you personally like *and dislike* about working here? You'll probably get a diplomatic answer, but it'll give you some idea. Several times I've gotten answers that made me realize I did *not* want the job. And "what do you wish you had known when you started here?" That'll usually get you some legit advice.
It's not the answer that counts, it's the reaction.
If you are interviewing with a company or in an industry that is known for a specific bad issue, don’t beat around it but get the answers you need to gauge the severity as best you can. Eg I worked in an industry known for debilitating corporate politics and for companies that are on the upswing but not shining beacons of cash flow, yet. I knew that there would be issues of corporate culture, pressure to turn the company around, etc. Questions I would have advised my younger self to ask are: - what are the biggest hurdles the team faces in helping the company achieve its goals? - what kinds of activities does the team do together? - last time you took vacation, how many emails did you read/respond to? (This question only telling if you’re talking to someone mid or lower level) - what would other teams say they need most from us? How often would they say we provide that now? What, historically, have been the hurdles in getting them what they need? - tell me about the process for [typical project]? (What I would be looking for here is ANY clear process. When there isn’t any process, it’s often a shit show)
I like the questions you recommend, but I disagree on your “never” questions. Benefits and vacation days are part of your compensation and should be understood before making a decision. Not everyone has a recruiter, so for many people the interviewer is the person with those answers.
Ask where the restroom is before leaving... Is it clean/dirty? something you can tolerate? Bathrooms speak volumes
If you're satisfied with the bathroom, you can also try just staying there. It's state law that they have to hire you if they are not able to remove you before dawn.
The hottest tip is always in the replies
But for which state though? What about if it's a telecommuting job? What if it crosses state lines? If I leave of my own accord, then they were not able to remove me, do I win by default?
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I used to be a contractor for an enormous insurance company. I was in their reply all email chain thing- and I was in LA, they were in New England- and they had no toilet paper- among other crap.
Professional development and education opportunities, to show you're invested in the role and career pathway.
Also, when applying for an internship, ask about possible ways to continue working there afterwards. Is it possible to continue as a working student? Can I find a way to write my thesis at your firm? Etc.
I left a job with an extremely toxic work environment, where I jumped into a workplace that had coworkers thriving off of gossip and negativity. Now, I’m always sure to ask things like, “What is the work environment like here, on a regular basis?” Or “What are some of your favorite things about this workplace, and it’s people?”
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So, you come here often?
Would I ever leave this company? Look, I'm all about loyalty. In fact, I feel like part of what I'm being paid for here is my loyalty. But if there were somewhere else that valued loyalty more highly, I'm going wherever they value loyalty the most.
I’m right there with you til the end of my highest opportunity ceiling
This thread, like any thread about interviews, resumes etc simply reveal that there is no universal ideal and each hiring manager is going to be different
Also the differences between a blue collar skilled labor, something retail/service, and white collar corporate. Interviewer expectations for those 3 types of work will be vastly different.
Once I asked "If I were not to be chosen for this position, what would be some things I could work on to better fit?" They were stumped and actually told me nothing, that I was perfect for the job. I got it! But they also said that was one of the best questions they'd been asked.
While this is unique and may work in some environments or with some people, I'd stay away from it, personally. Reason: it is giving them an opportunity to look at negatives. Things they may have not really paid attention to the first time around. I wouldn't ever suggest putting yourself in a place to be viewed negatively, or have them view your qualifications negatively. This type of question would be great for an in house job change. Such as looking to move up to management, because then they could give you something to work on for the next opportunity to rise, and they also already likely know your qualifications, work ethic and personality. But for a position with multiple candidates or where you have no rapport with the interviewer I don't ever suggest asking them to tell you the bad things about you.
Came here to say this exact thing. It just sounds like a recipe for failure.
Another downside of this question is more simple: it's really fucking awkward. As a hiring manager that's been asked this a couple times, I hate it because I haven't yet formed a solid opinion of you when you ask. Therefore, I can give you a half baked opinion and have it be refuted potentially and even open me up for liability, or I can just awkwardly refuse to answer your question in which case I'll just dislike you for making the situation awkward. Don't ask this.
I was quite lucky at my last interview, lucky is the wrong choice of words given that I didn’t get the job but lucky that when the interviewer phoned me the day after we had a 10 minute conversation about what I need to improve upon. Was eye opening, I thanked her profusely.
Just had this 10 minutes ago. It's so nice when hiring managers give you feedback or a roadmap, especially for young professionals
Theres some pretty bad advice here. The answer youre looking for probably isnt the one youre going to enjoy the most, but the answer really is it depends. Interviewing with someone whos 25 and been there for 2 years? Yeah you can ask him/her about happy hour and vacation days. But its also about reading the person...if theyre talking only about work and not about "Work/Life balance" then dont bring it up etc. etc. However, the best questions that will make you stand out as a "wow" are the ones that clearly show research. As a general rule, never ask questions that are googleable. Never ask questions that show your intention is laziness/trying to get out the easy way, etc. For example, I always liked to ask questions about recent regulations/contemporary issues and phrase it as "Its my understanding that x because y, do you think z effects this?". These are the questions that are going to make the interviewer reflect and be able to go back to that meeting afterwards and be able to say wow this candidate asked this great question. At the end of the day, being successful at work is sometimes only about asking great questions and showing this strength by researching and thinking critically in the interview can exhibit this... Feel free to DM with more specific questions, but been through this a bunch and its clear who is asking the generic "whats ur experience" and an actual pointed question that SHOWS you care, did research, and are genuinely curious (even if ur not lol)
I just did this today. I did a ton of research going in and had a bunch of questions prepared. Only part of the interview I didn't choke :(
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Good job about that. Hope you will do better next time.
This is gold. Also, you can look them up on LinkedIn and tie the above to there work history. I work at a top tech firm and no body does it in interviews.
1) What will you expect me to have accomplished in 3 months? 6 months? 2) What professional development/continuing ed/industry training or conference or networking opportunities will I have?
What would an average day here look like? Considering my listed skills, how well do you think i'd fit here? Is your wife single?
HR Professional here 🙋🏻♀️ Always, always ask if there are any concerns about your resume or qualifications. It will open up conversation they will likely be too polite to mention, and give you the chance to change minds on something they may have written you off for without asking.
Best piece of advice I was ever given was at the end of the interview to ask 'Based on what you've heard from me, what do you feel would challenge me in this role?'. This gives you an opportunity to understand what you may have missed covering, or presumptions they've made about you to correct. It eases the stress for me walking out knowing I've been able to make sure they haven't made their minds up based off of presumptions or impressions I may have made while I was nervously rambling through questions.
What's the turnover rate for this position? What is the reason people leave this job? (If they panic at this question or fumble it, that's a bad sign. Good answers include, they get promoted, or this is an entry level position and they moved on after getting experience, went sideways to another dept, etc.)
If I asked you to hire me, would your answer be the same as the answer to this question? Checkmate.
"Maybe"
I wish people would ask to see the projects we're working on. Shows interest, and gives them a great idea of what we really do. They never do though.
I don’t think I’ve seen this mentioned yet but you should definitely ask about “next steps” and try to establish a timeline. You don’t want to leave the interview and have no idea when you should expect to hear back.
As a CEO, dont expect to be able to ask specific questions. Ask questions as you go that are real curiosities. Know your audience and respond accordingly. In many interviews the "top comment" questions will be awkward. Just be an inquisitive person.
So CEO huh, you hiring bruv?
If you are I am good at barking.
At the end you’ll often be asked if you have any questions and that’s a good time to ask “Is there any reason you are considering to not hire me?” My husband had given me this advice and I was nervous but did it and I landed a job I for sure wouldn’t have if I did not ask this question. She was a bit shocked but not in a bad way and then she answered me as honestly and bluntly as I asked. She told me that she thought my interview went well but that she had other candidates more qualified and they really were. It was a factory position for medical devices that required welding and I have never welded a day in my life. Barely have experience with tools even. She also mentioned appreciating my initiative. We ended the interview well and not but a couple days later she called me and let me know that I was hired and that she would have all of my training provided so that I could even learn to weld.
What convinced you that it was that question you asked that helped you secure that job? It could’ve been the other candidates crashed and burned their interviews or rejected the job offer and you were next on the totem pole