Interviewing Your Interviewer - Newsletter & Video

Congratulations! You have managed to navigate the application process, present a resume that has piqued the interest of a recruiter and/or a hiring manager, and been invited to interview for a job that you are – at least up to this point – genuinely interested in. You have navigated the nerves and anxiety that can be associated with going into an interview, and then on the big day, addressed such questions as the dreaded “what are your strengths and weaknesses” inquiry. Just when you think you’re in the clear, you arrive at another critical point in the interview – the interviewer has asked if YOU have any questions for THEM.

If you prepared for this moment (hopefully you did) you should come away just fine. Even for the most confident interviewee, the thought of asking the right questions at the right time in the right way can seem daunting. Let’s discuss the do’s and don’ts of interviewing the interviewer using 4 distinct keys.

The first key to interviewing your interviewer is balance.

• Balance confidence with humility. The objective is to show the interviewer that you feel you are the best person for the job without coming off as cocky. Questions like “when do I start?” are not now – and never have been – appropriate.
• Balance knowledge with curiosity. Let your research guide your questions while still asking for information you feel will help you make your decision should an offer come your way.
• Balance enthusiasm with emotional intelligence. You might REALLY want this job, and even REALLY need this job, but while it’s fine to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the company and the position, you also want to avoid appearing desperate. Self-awareness and self-management skills are important in this situation.
• Balance speaking with listening. Again, lean on those 4 types of communication. Construct thoughtful questions and then listen intently to the answers to see if you can pick up on anything worth a follow up. Observe the interviewers’ non-verbal cues as well.

The second key to interviewing your interviewer is preparation.

Leaning on luck and hoping for the best is not a good strategy. Preparation is. Your research on the company should inform your questions. This will allow you to ask more structured questions while also demonstrating to the interviewer that you did you due diligence.

Beginning one or two of your questions by referencing something you read on the company website or in a trade publication can amp up your questions. For example, if you were interviewing with a company that makes and sells exercise equipment, asking “Where does this company see itself in 5 years” is, as a generic question, just fine.

Here’s an example of an alternative: “Your organization’s vision statement says you seek to help people unlock the full potential of good health. How might I help support that vision in this role over the course of the next 5 years and beyond?” This is a richer, more specific question that shows the interviewer you’ve prepared.

The third key to interviewing your interviewer is selecting and asking strong questions.

I don’t advise going in with a long list of questions expecting to ask them all – in fact, if you do that, it may be indicative of questions that did not have the desired effect of going more in depth with your interviewer. Many effective questions will open the door for more conversation, not just a 10 second response. That isn’t to say that there aren’t questions that are simpler and require short answers (what is the dress code? what time does the team start? etc.), but focus should be on expanding your connection with the interviewer and reasserting your candidacy for the role.

Even if you don’t end up receiving or accepting an offer, an interview remains a tremendous opportunity to build your personal brand with someone who is in a decision-making role. And you never know whether you will cross paths with that person again in the future or if they know others with whom you may be meeting. There is no point in closing a door or burning a bridge!

Project yourself as a hire when asking questions. In our example above, we use the question “How might I help support that vision in this role over the course of the next 5 years and beyond?” Note the intentional use of “I.” The less effective, more generic version may be “How might someone help support” or “how would your employee help support...”

Our effective questions will also center around what success looks like in this role, such as “what are some milestones that will demonstrate that I have been successful in this role during my first year?” By asking questions in the first person and focusing on questions that describe success, you are offering a vision of yourself, successful, to the mind of the interviewer.

With an understanding of the strategy and philosophy, let’s get to some of the questions I really find effective. I will focus on 3 main categories of questions: Individual Performance & Career, Team Performance & Skills Gap, and Company.

• Individual performance & career is important because you are being interviewed as an individual, and the interviewer needs to know what you can bring to the table. This also includes questions about career paths, learning & development, and advancement. The “milestones within the first year” question we discussed earlier covers this.
• Team performance & skills gap questions project how you will acclimate with your new team members and help make your new team successful, as well as uncovering what skills you possess that the team and organization need.
• Company questions seek information about the larger organization – and your role and place in it. This is an area where your preparation is critical, as you don’t want to ask generic questions that could have been easily answered with an internet search.

Questions often focus on either short-term or long-term time frames. Questions posed in a short-term frame will examine how you will perform in your first 90 days to ensure continued support and signaling to all involved that hiring you was the right decision. And of course, long-term time frame questions ask about the future, like our first question about supporting mission/vision 5 years and beyond. A mix of both time frames is usually appropriate, as it demonstrates that you are interested in making an immediate impact as well as having an eye on long-term success.

Individual performance & career questions

• What are some of the projects I would be tackling early on in my time here?
• What are some of the metrics I could expect my performance to be measured against?
• What are some examples of skill development opportunities I might be able to take advantage of?
• For employees who have been successful in this position, what sorts of opportunities have they been able to move on to in the organization?
• How might I help support your organization’s mission/vision in this role over the course of the next 5 years and beyond?
• What are some milestones that will demonstrate that I have been successful in this role during my first year?

Team performance & skills gap questions

• Can you tell me (more) about the team I will be working with? What makes them unique?
• What challenges is this team currently facing that I will be able to help them overcome?
• In addition to my team, are there other teams I am likely to find myself working closely with?
• What skills are this team and organization most in need of to help achieve its mission & vision?

Company questions

• What are you (the interviewer) most excited about in the future of this organization?
• What are some of the most important values at this organization?
• What is something important for me to know that new employees may not expect to see here?

It’s not practical to expect to ask 13 questions at the end of your interview, but if you identify some of your favorites – questions you feel comfortable asking – and then ask 3 or 4 of them, you’re in good shape. If one of your go-to questions is answered during the interview itself, be ready to pivot. It’s also possible a topic came up during the interview that you want to explore further, so a newly formed question may replace one of the questions you’d prepared to ask.

Finally, I am a huge fan of this one final question: “based on our discussion today/thus far, what is your biggest concern about my candidacy for this role?” I prefer this over the closed-ended version, “do you have any concerns…” because it gives the interviewer too easy of an out. I love this question for the interviewee for two reasons.

• First, if the interviewer HAS a concern, you now get a 2nd chance to address it and try to overcome it, because finding out after the interview may be too late.
• Second, it signals to the interviewer that you are not only open to constructive feedback, but you are willing to ASK for it. That means you’re humble, coachable, and always looking for ways to get better – three skills I wish I could bottle and sell!

The fourth key to interviewing your interviewer is responding to the answers.

Asking questions is great.

Actively listening to the answers is better.

Responding to those answers accordingly is best.

What is the point of asking the questions during the interview if you aren’t going to respond in a manner that bolsters your candidacy? Take our skills gap question: “What skills are this team and organization most in need of to help achieve its mission & vision?” Assuming the interviewer identifies a few skills that the organization needs – if you possess that skill, talk about your confidence in being able to fill that gap and share an example. And if that skill is a weakness of yours, identify the skill as one you are also seeking to work on and how much you would love to improve that skill along side this new team! If you choose “What are some of the most important values at this organization?” as your company question, listen carefully for value alignment with you and share which of YOUR values line up particularly well with the organization.

We’ve discussed a LOT of do’s, so just a moment here on the don’ts. Questions about salary or benefits are still not appropriate for the interviewee to bring up in the interview discussion. Even with the competitive talent landscape the past 1-2 years, I would advise interviewees to focus on making the best case for their candidacy until such as time as an offer discussion comes up. You want to discuss compensation and benefits, but by doing it after you’ve made the best possible case for yourself, you’re also maximizing your value and negotiating leverage.

As I mentioned earlier, you want to be confident, but not cocky. “When do I start?” or “did I get the job?” aren’t effective closes. A better close that balances humility with confidence is something like “I’m more excited now than ever about this opportunity; would you be able to share with me the next steps in the process, and when I should expect to hear back?” Once you have the answer to this question, it’s a great point to thank the interviewer for their time, ask for a business card, and walk out with your head held high. Offer or no, if you leave the interview confident that you represented yourself well, that’s a point in the win column.

I hope this advice provides you with a game plan for your next interview! Please feel free to ask follow-up questions in the comments section – your question could turn in to a future video! Subscribe, share, and as always, thank you for spending time with me!

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Chris Fitzpatrick (he/him/his) is a Human Resources Professional with 16+ years of experience in Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, and Diversity & Inclusion. Chris is proud to be the Sr. Manager, Talent Development at Crestron Electronics, an industry leader in the AV Industry with an amazing team around him. Chris speaks professionally, loves hosting game shows, and golfs (poorly) for charity.

Chris can be found on Facebook and Instagram at ChrisFitzpatrickSpeaks.