These five questions go beyond the obvious ones, such as the title
of the job, the job description, to whom it would be reporting, and other
such basic questions. In fact, it's unlikely you'll even need to ask those
questions, as they're usually outlined for you.
With some
preparation and thought, you should be able to easily come up with 15 - 20
first-interview questions to ask. But these five - in some form - should
always be asked.
Not only will they help you to ascertain if the
job for which you are interviewing meets the criterion of your perfect
job, but the answers, when put together, will give you a fairly accurate
picture of what's really going on behind the interview.
1. WHAT ARE
THE PRIORITIES THAT WILL NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY IN THIS
POSITION? A title alone tells you nothing. The job description won't
reveal much either, except whether or not you're capable of doing what's
required functionally on a daily basis.
For the same reason that
you put your accomplishments on your resume - and not just the job
description - here, too, you want to get a sense of the individuality of
this job in this company.
Was everything left running smoothly? Is
it pretty much picking up and continuing daily functions as normal? Or is
there damage control that needs to be done? If so, is there a time line
for the repair, and is it an achievable one considering your capabilities?
Is it realistic regardless of who holds the position?
If you don't
have any information already, this will begin to clue you in about both
the supervisor and the previous employee. If you have been provided with
some detail already, then the answer should track with what you've already
learned.
2. HOW LONG WAS THE PREVIOUS PERSON HERE? WHY DID THEY
LEAVE? Generally, in answering the first part, the interviewer will answer
the second part as well. But if they don't, then ask it. And if that
person was there an oddly short time, you also want to know how long the
previous person before that was there.
See where I'm going with
this? If the job is in disarray, and the last two people were there a
short period of time and were fired, you don't need to ask any of the
other questions here.
Exit gracefully and then run! Because before
long, you, too, will be terminated for not achieving whatever it is they
want done - regardless of if the stated time frame sounded realistic or
not.
3. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE. HOW DO YOU BRING OUT
THE BEST IN YOUR EMPLOYEES? Is he a micro manager? Is he an information
hound that needs to be kept informed of everything? Does he leave people
alone to do what he hired them for and simply keep on top of what's going
on? Does he help you if you have trouble? Do any mentoring? Or is he a
berating, derogatory, jerk?
Obviously he's not going to come right
out and tell you he's a micro manager! Instead he might say, "I like to
keep a very close watch on what's going on in my department," or "I visit
with each member of my department on a daily basis to make sure they're
staying on track," or something similar.
You'll find that the
person will be fairly straight forward in sharing their management style
with you. What you want to pay attention to is how they word it.
4.
WHAT TYPES OF PEOPLE TEND TO EXCEL HERE? Workaholics? Ones who are
self-motivated and manage themselves well? People who work well in teams
or committees? Employees who keep their supervisor informed of "where they
are with things" on a daily basis?
This tells you something about
the pervasive culture in the company or department. Generally speaking,
companies - or departments - tend to be made up of similar types of people
that are in harmony with the company culture and philosophy.
An
entrepreneurial person won't function well in a committee environment.
While sales personalities can vary greatly, the top achievers are goal
driven and motivated to achieve, rather than complacent.
People who
are accustomed to thinking for themselves will find themselves chafing in
a company that has a more dictatorial style, while those who perform
better when they're told what to do will find themselves adrift in a
company that requires its employees to think for themselves.
5. HOW
LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? WHY DO YOU STAY? The answer to this question
will give you an indication as to the feeling or health of the department
or company. The way in which he answers the question will also give you
additional insight into your potential boss, his management style, and
what type of people excel in the department or company.
These are
informational questions, not challenges. Be genuinely interested in the
answer, because you're gaining valuable information that has to do with
your future. When you leave the interview and process it within yourself,
you'll be matching what you learned with what you are looking
for.
Pay attention to the interviewer's body language and facial
expressions. Is he relaxed? Does he fill in some of the spaces? Does he
speak to you - or AT you? Does he answer the question briefly and then
quickly fire off another one?
These, too, are valuable cues, and
after the interview, you'll need to piece them together with the verbal
information you received.
Your perfect job might land in your lap
by grace and good fortune. But more likely, you'll need to look for it.
It's there - but to recognize it, you'll need to know what it doesn't look
like, as well as what it does.
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