For ten years in Talent Acquisition, I am used being on the asking side in an interview. But I vividly remember what it’s like to be interviewed, how it feels telling your professional story over and over again and how sometimes just a pinch, other times a spoonful of anxiety, is mixed in the process.
What is the best advice I have received as an interviewee, and I am sharing with candidates I interview today:
?It seems many applicants, especially those in the beginning of their professional journey, don’t find it typical for interviewees to ask questions. But doing so could benefit the process in a couple of ways:
- Interviews are a two-way street – your virtual or in person meeting with the hiring team is your time to shine but this is also your chance to hear what working for that company and in that team means. Let’s be honest – if you are actively applying for a job, you can be in simultaneous communication with 10,15,20+ companies which in most cases are international leaders in their industry. At the end it is all mix of names, faces and places and you are not sure which is which. Asking questions during the interview will help you differentiate the companies and keep your focus on those that match your job search best.
- Asking questions means you care – showing interest during the interview is a proof that you are committed and invested in your own job search process which usually means you care about where and what you work, and you set yourself high standards. What you ask about shows what you value. And what’s a better way for you and the company to determine that you are a good match than sharing common values?
- Making informative decisions – spending couple of hours (in total) interviewing with a company won’t give all the answers – neither to you nor the company. However, if used properly, interviews are the strongest tool we share in the recruitment process. The more you ask, the more you know! Choosing you next employer based on limited information leaves a lot of room for surprises – both positive and negative. Choosing your next employer ,based on information that you already assessed as positive, brings confidence and motivation right from the start.
Besides discussing all questions related to job specifics and work conditions, here’s a list of questions that you might ask during your next interview:
?What is the on-boarding process in the company? How long does the initial training last?
?How big is the team and how long do people stay in the role before changing position, team or company?
?What do you consider the team’s latest big achievement?
?How does excellent performance look like in this role? How do you measure performance?
?What is the company’s business priority this (or next) year?
So, when you are preparing for your next interview try this alternative approach - think more about what will you ask rather than what you will say.
As Voltaire said "Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers."
