Your palms are sweaty, knees weak, your arms heavy. No, this isn’t a Friday night karaoke session, you’re in a job interview you’ve been waiting months for and are keen to impress.
So, when it comes to your turn to ask the questions of people across the table, do you take your one shot to stand out from the crowd or simply let the opportunity slip away?
As you often only have one chance in a job interview to ask the questions that matter to you, here are three curveball queries designed to provide insight into the company and help you grab your dream job.
1. What do you like best about working here?
When you ask this question, it could take the recruiter back a little bit, but this is a good thing. Just as the recruiter asks questions to see whether you’re a good cultural fit, you need to know that the business has an environment that you will enjoy.
The recruiter might talk about various processes and procedures that exist or even values that are important for the employee base – talking points that you can take away and compare against what you feel makes a good workplace. Follow up about their least favourite parts to delve deeper into the company culture.
2. How has the company changed over the last few years?
In the world of online reviews and customer feedback, you might read about questionable aspects of the company you have an interview with. Although these could be isolated issues, if you see ongoing challenges, it’s best to ask about them in the interview and see how the business is improving.
This is a great opportunity to learn more about company processes and showcase your interest in how the business is moving forward. A question like this also provides some peace of mind about the nature of the job, if you’re offered a position.
3. Do you have any concerns about me being successful in this position?
Towards the end of the job interview, you might have a sense of whether it’s going well or not. This can be confirmed by asking about whether there would be any hurdles in you doing the job.
Sometimes the truth does hurt, but it does give you another chance to sway their decision. Perhaps they aren’t confident in your previous experience, for example. In this case, you can outline your argument before the interview wraps up and end it on a positive note.
4. How do I compare with the other candidates you’ve interviewed for this role?
Like the question above, it might not get the answer that you want. However, did does give you some peace of mind as to how the interview has gone so far.
Asking about other candidates may put the recruiter in an awkward position, but it does highlight your ambition for the role and could prompt further questions about your suitability for the job. Of course, if you find out that the other candidates have had strong interviews or have experience in a certain position, you have one last chance to stake your claim.
Lastly, a question like this showcases your honesty. At the end of the day, you’re happy to know how the interview has progressed and whether you have a shot at getting to the next stage. If not, then it’s onto the next interview.
If you’d like more job interview advice and access to leading job opportunities, reach out to the team today.
