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#job #career #interview #team #work

In recent years, I have interviewed for a wide range of roles, including control engineers, test engineers, mechanical engineers, functional safety engineers, and more. During each interview, I always allocate time for the applicants to ask questions, and I also encourage them to do so throughout the interview. Personally, I prefer interviews to be more like dialogues because it allows the company to also present itself to the candidate and vice versa.

One observation I've made over the years is that candidates often refrain from asking questions during job interviews.

Some candidates may not adequately prepare for the interview, resulting in a lack of questions to ask. Others become too nervous or anxious to ask questions. They might fear that their questions will sound foolish or that they might stumble over their words. Some candidates mistakenly believe that the interview is solely for the employer to evaluate them, and they may not realize that asking questions is an opportunity for them to assess the company and role as well. Some candidates may worry about coming across as too assertive or demanding if they ask too many questions. They may not want to risk creating a negative impression by appearing too pushy. Maybe candidates who have had negative experiences with interviews in the past, such as feeling dismissed or ignored when asking questions, may develop a reluctance to ask questions in future interviews.

It's important for candidates to overcome these barriers and actively engage in the interview process by asking thoughtful questions. Asking questions demonstrates curiosity, preparation, and a genuine interest in the role, the team and the company.

A great entry point is this article "38 Smart Questions to Ask in a Job Interview" by Amy Gallo: https://hbr.org/2022/05/38-smart-questions-to-ask-in-a-job-interview

While it may not be possible to ask all the questions, it is important to select the ones that matter most to you and avoid waiting until the last 10 minutes of the interview to ask them. Just try to integrate it in the conversation.

I can also recommend the followings articles:

• How to Spot a Bad Boss During an Interview: https://hbr.org/2015/12/how-to-spot-a-bad-boss-during-an-interview
• How to Tell If a Company’s Culture Is Right for You: https://hbr.org/2017/11/how-to-tell-if-a-companys-culture-is-right-for-you
• Switching Jobs? Here’s How to Make Sure You Won’t Regret It: https://hbr.org/2022/05/switching-jobs-heres-how-to-make-sure-you-wont-regret-it

One great piece of advice from a friend is to try to meet your future colleagues in person. Since you'll be spending a lot of time with them, this is an effective way to identify any signs of a toxic culture.

After you have started the job, you can consider the following:

• Starting a New Job? Take Control of Your Onboarding: https://hbr.org/2018/08/starting-a-new-job-take-control-of-your-onboarding
• 5 Questions to Ask When Starting a New Job: https://hbr.org/2019/04/5-questions-to-ask-when-starting-a-new-job

From a company perspective, this article has some good points:

7 Rules for Job Interview Questions That Result in Great Hires: https://hbr.org/2016/02/7-rules-for-job-interview-questions-that-result-in-great-hires

To conclude this post, I want to provide an example of behavioral questions (e.g. https://youtu.be/6p1m2nCE7jE) that I find interesting. Instead of asking the conventional question "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?", I often prefer to ask "What would you have done differently in the last 5 years?" In my opinion, this question reveals more about the person and their ability to reflect on life.