Five questions you should always ask an interviewer

Interview can be exciting, overwhelming, validating, stressful as well as insightful and nerve-wracking. Having some questions in your back pocket is a must but let them be ones that will really give you a flavour of whether this is the right match for both of you. Assuming that the usual ‘What are the day-to-day responsibilities?’ and “What’s the reason for recruitment?” type information has been provided…. Here are a few others:

• How would you (the manager) personally describe this role overall?
  This helps you understand their take on the role, the part it might play more widely, the perception of the importance of the role and the relationship the role holder might have with the manager as well as whether performing this sort of role aligns with your skills and interests.

• What are the biggest challenges someone in this role would face? / What are the ‘watch outs’ for a person in this role?
  This gives insight into potential obstacles and helps you assess whether you're prepared to handle them, as well as maybe give you some examples of issues or areas that have come up previously if it is a back fill recruitment.

• I noticed that / read that xxxx has affected xxx organisation recently – how does that have a bearing on this role?
  Showing a genuine interest in the company as well as being up to date with developments in the market / region / industry is a demonstration of your level of research and intelligent curiosity. It also gives you an opportunity to observe how they respond to off the cuff questions, which, if well-meaning can ‘balance the power’ in an interview situation.

• What sorts of people do well here? / How would you describe the team in three words?
  This question helps you gauge the dynamics of the team and organisation and whether it’s a good cultural and professional fit for you. Teams are a fundamental part of a work life experience and so getting this right is important.

• How long have you been here and why? Follow up: And what do you like/dislike about the company?
  Asking about their background not only shows a personal interest and curiosity, but shows you’re interested in a good fit, and gives you an idea of where they are in their journey and opens up a conversation more widely about the company culture.

Remember this is a two-way conversation – asking interested and interesting questions as well as following up to say thank you afterwards helps you stand out from the crowd.

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