As a candidate taking part in a job interview, you have just spent the last 45 minutes answering a hiring manager’s questions and communicating to him or her why you think you are a great fit for the company and the job. You were effective in answering the questions by using specific examples of the impactful work you have done, the successes you have achieved and the positive impact you feel you can have on the organization. As you begin to close your folio and shake the hiring manager’s hand, you feel you “nailed” the interview and are ready to start working for them tomorrow.No so fast…your interview is far from over.
Just as it is important to answer the interviewer’s questions effectively, it is equally as important (and sometimes more important) to ask effective interview questions of the person sitting in front of you. Too many times, candidates make the mistake of not asking questions themselves and just ending it there. How do you know if this is indeed the right job or company for you? Do you want to risk working at the company for a month or two only to find out that the job or organization is just not the right fit for you? The only way to prevent this is to be prepared to ask great questions throughout your interview, especially toward its conclusion.
A great way to approach asking effective interview questions is to utilize a technique I came up with a few years ago called the “Two-Two-Two Rule.” This “rule” ensures that you are asking questions that cover the three most important aspects of the job interview questions themselves: the job, the company and the industry.
Ask Two Questions About the Job
How do you really know this is the right job for you? Do you know how you will be evaluated in this role? Being prepared with a few questions related to the job itself will help you determine fit and whether or not you feel this is the next best career move for you. An example question about the job itself can include, “If I were to be hired into this role, how would you know if I were successful after the first year?” Another great question to ask is, “How important is this role to the overall success of the organization?” By asking these types of questions, you are essentially uncovering the most important aspects of the role in the eyes of the hiring manager. This allows you to respond immediately with specific experiences that directly relate to the success metrics the hiring manager just spoke about, further building your case as the best candidate.
Ask Two Questions About the Company
Asking specific questions about the company really shows that you have done your research about them before you arrived for your interview. It is extremely important to conduct research and perform your due diligence about the company in an effort to develop interview questions for several reasons. For one, it communicates to the interviewer that you are indeed interested in the company itself and what it does. Secondly, for small to midsized companies, your research will help you determine the overall strength of the company itself and its viability in the years to come. Keep in mind, these questions cannot be broad in nature. You want to ask specific questions about specific aspects of the company that you found in your research. A few examples of this can include, “I noticed that your first-quarter sales are up by 10 percent; what do you equate this to?” and “After reading about your company’s values on your website, how do you feel the employees live these each day they come to work?” You always want to keep these questions positive. Asking questions that may come across as negative about the company will not win you any points in the eyes of the interviewer.
Ask Two Questions About the Industry
Industry questions, in my mind, are the most important. Not only does this communicate to the interviewer your strong desire to work for the company, but you also show a sincere interest in the industry as a whole. By asking industry-specific questions, you show that you have done your homework and can get excited about what the company and its competitors do (and don’t do). The hiring manager wants to make sure you don’t just want a job but rather a career with the company and its industry. Examples of industry questions can include, “Where do you see your industry trending over the next five to 10 years?” and “What do you see as the biggest challenges for your industry in the coming years?”
Keep in mind, you may not necessarily need to ask these six interview questions in consecutive order during your interview. However, if things are flowing well, they just might present themselves naturally.
In the eyes of a hiring manager, not asking your own questions during the interview speaks volumes. This shows them that you are not really invested in the job you are interviewing for, nor are you interested in working for the company. As someone who has interviewed and hired a number of people during my own career, this is an immediate red flag, even if you did “nail” the interview.
CRAIG W. PETRUS joined the Hough Graduate School of Business in June of 2009. As Director, Craig is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Graduate Business Career Services and ensuring the delivery of quality career development programming and services to students within the Hough Graduate School of Business at the University of Florida.