5 Questions to Ask Your Interviewer(s)

Congratulations! You made it through the phone screening and now get to meet with your potential new coworkers!  The night before your interview you’ve put together the perfect outfit and practiced your greeting in the mirror. You’ve also Googled the office location and know the route by heart so you can be there at least 5-10 minutes early.  That’s right you’re the shining example, no, the poster child of the perfect candidate. You walk into the meeting with a confident smile and a firm, but not too firm, handshake before answering all their questions perfectly. “#nailedit! There’s no reason they wouldn’t hire me,” you think to yourself. Then comes the final inquiry at the end: “Do you have any questions?”  

It’s at this point that many of us come up empty handed as to what we want to know about this company, their leadership and the people we’ll get to work with.  The countless articles you’ll find on what to ask your interviewer usually pertain only to the job itself. While these suggestions are great at establishing your role, responsibilities and parameters for success they are not always effective at answering the single most important question to you…

Do I want to work here?

Now that I’ve had the opportunity and experience to be on both sides of the interviewing table, I would like to suggest 5 questions to consider asking your interviewer(s).  These should help you gauge the viability of the company you are looking to work for while building rapport with your potential new team/manager. So let’s get started by learning more about the company first...

1. How does the company generate revenue?  

Let’s be honest.  Until we achieve the Star Trek utopian future that we all dream of where money doesn’t exist, your paycheck has to come from somewhere.  Understanding revenue streams tells you where your salary, benefits and the endless flow of kombucha on tap will come from. Sources of revenue can include: debt, venture capital, a parent company, and profits to name a few.  Where the money comes from is especially important when interviewing at startups or agencies as the funding for payroll and cheesy snacks can abruptly dry up at a moment’s notice. So make sure you know this information before accepting their offer.  This will also help you gauge what your timeline here looks like and when to spot signs that the company is failing. As an added bonus, you will be perceived to have a keen understanding of the importance of budgets and how to innovate within the parameters of them.

2. What does the company do to develop the skills of its employees?

Until I started with the Cognizant Accelerator, I would have never known the importance of working at a company that fosters the growth and development of its workers.  I learned the hard way at my first job out of College that the skills you develop at a company do not always translate to other industries or organizations outside of the one you are currently at.  While it is important for businesses to hire people with the skill sets needed for a particular job function, they should always help their employees evolve. Companies that do not want highly skilled workers are only looking for cogs, and we all know how easy it is replace a cog.  So if this entity you are considering working for will not give you the bandwidth or blessing to develop your skills, this probably isn’t the place for you.

Once you feel like you have a good grasp around the values and potential growth of this company, your focus should shift onto the most important person in the room.  The one who is going to be your new boss. We’ve all heard the saying: “Employees don’t leave companies, they leave their managers.” As a candidate you are expected to bring a certain level of knowledge, expertise and experience to the table for this role.  Why should you not expect the exact same thing from the person who can either stifle or foster your potential? You can qualify them to be your leader with these three questions.

3. How did you end up leading this team?

It is an unfortunate fact that many unqualified leaders are in their positions by sheer happenstance or tenure at the company. Nothing will sap your creativity, productivity or motivation to show up for work on time like a bad manager.  Recognizing their journey into management will help you understand their motivations, leadership style and most importantly competency. Listen for indicators that this person wanted the responsibility, is trusted/respected by the executive team, and has taken steps to bettering themself as a leader.  Furthermore, this gives you insight into the career ladder at the company and the potential to achieve your own goals as well.

4. Can you think of a time when the team did something you were really proud of? How did you recognize them for it?

While this two part question may be directed at your potential new boss, the answers you seek are from the other people in the room with you.  Gauge their reactions to this question. Do they look uncomfortable, a little off-put maybe? If it is only you and the manager, listen for pauses or for them to deliberate on a response.  If you get any of these reactions, this may tell you that the person in charge is not one for showing gratitude and will likely take credit for their team’s contributions. A good manager knows that their success is not built on the backs of their team.  That in fact, when they uplift their team, their team uplifts them. So try to find out if this is someone who is going to propel you to new heights. As for team recognition, you are not looking for details of extravagant rewards or praise here. You just want to hear that the manager acknowledges their team’s efforts.

Employees don’t leave companies, they leave their managers.

5.How have you dealt with performance issues from your team in the past?

We all like to think that in the 21st century, the destructive habits of supervisors from days past have been replaced by empathy and compassion. Experience has taught me that this is not always the case however. Everyone in their career has been affected by loss, burnout or binge watching Game of Thrones that has hindered their ability to adequately perform their job.  There are still many leaders out there that approach performance issues by getting rid instead of helping employees that just aren’t “cutting it anymore.” Asking this question will illustrate the value this leader, and by extension, the company places on the well being of its people to find solutions over punishment for performance issues.

As you conclude the meeting and reflect on the experience, never forget that you were interviewing them as much as they were interviewing you.  I understand asking some of these questions may require a certain level of boldness or bravery. However, remember this one thing. Asking your interviewer(s) good questions demonstrates that you understand your value.  Those who understand their value garner respect and leave a lasting impression after walking out the door. I can tell you for certain that job offers are extended to the person with the most value and who made the best impression on the team.  

So what questions have you asked your interviewers in the past?  What is important for you to understand about a company or a manager before accepting a job offer?  Let me know in the comments below!