In preparing for an interviewing class next week, I came across this article. It was from a February, 2009 broadcast on ABC News. In it, David Schmier of Gethired.com lists 7 questions you should not ask
during an interview and 7 ways to pose questions you should always ask an
potential employer.
7
QUESTIONS NOT TO ASK IN A HIRING INTERVIEW
As a candidate, there are lots of
questions you'll want to ask in a hiring interview. But many of them are things
you should wait to ask until later in the hiring process. OR you should never
ask at all.
1. "WHAT'S MY SALARY GOING TO BE?" Asking about salary at
the beginning of the interview process will give the impression that you care
more about how much you'll make, rather than doing a great job and contributing
to the success of the company. So, do what you can to delay talking
compensation until later in the process, (preferably when they've made you an
offer, or are about to). Also, discussing compensation as late as possible will
give you more leverage to negotiate. But if a hiring manager presses you,
simply say, "I'd like to hear a bit more about the responsibilities of the
job before I give you an answer." Or, "I'm sure you have a salary in
mind that is consistent with current industry standards and I would be very
happy with that."
2. "WHAT KIND OF HOURS WILL I HAVE TO WORK?" Asking about
hours early in the interview process gives the impression that your big concern
is how hard you'll have to work. But if the hiring manager asks, "How many
hours do you expect to work in this job?", you can answer "I expect
to work a full day with the understanding that there may be times that require
late hours or even weekends to get a specific project done. My goal is to do an
excellent job and I'll put in whatever hours are needed to make sure that
happens." 3. "HOW MUCH VACATION WILL I GET?" Most businesses
follow U.S. standards on vacation time, typically 2 weeks per year along with
major holidays. So, asking about vacation is a wasted question. It also gives
the impression that you're reluctant to work hard.
4. "HOW SOON CAN I GET PROMOTED?" Asking for a promotion is
really another way of asking for a raise. So, discussing a raise before you've
even been offered the job is never a winning strategy. One of the more popular
questions hiring manager ask though is, "Where do you see yourself in five
years?" If you're asked this question I suggest you stay focused on the
present. For example, "Well Bill, five years is a long way off. Right now
I'm staying focused on landing a great job, that I'll enjoy doing, with a team
I love working with. And if I do a great job in that role, I'm sure there will
be plenty of opportunities to take on increased responsibilities at the
company."
5. "DO I GET AN ASSISTANT?" It's completely appropriate to
want to know what resources you'll have available to help you do your job. But
this is the wrong way to ask it. It gives the impression that you're a prima
donna and are looking for someone to do your work for you. Look under the
following "7 Questions You SHOULD Ask at a Hiring Interview" to see
the correct way to ask this question.
6. "CAN I WORK FROM HOME ONE DAY A WEEK?" Items like
telecommuting and flex hours are usually considered compensation issues. Leave
questions like this for later in the process.
7. "CAN I BRING MY CHILD TO WORK IF MY NANNY DOESN'T SHOW UP?"
You should always avoid any suggestion that there are things in your personal
life that could interfere with your getting to work every day or doing a good
job. Make sure you find solutions to any possible disruptions at home before
you start the job - that will keep them personal and not professional.
8. BONUS QUESTION. Any questions
that don't support your argument that you're the very best person for the job
should always be avoided. Questions like: "I hate dressing up every day.
Do you have casual Friday's here?" Or "Is it okay if I bring my dog
to work? She gets lonely sitting home by herself all day. Or "Are there a
lot of singles at this company? I'm single and I think it's really great to go
for a drink or hang out with my co-workers after work."
7
QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK IN A HIRING INTERVIEW
The questions you should ask are
ones that support or enhance your argument that you're the very best person for
the job.
1. "WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS
OF THE JOB?" Before you can convince a hiring manager that you're the best
person for the job, you'll need to be certain what the job is. Always start an
interview with something like, "Mary, after reading the job description,
it's my understanding that you need someone who can do X, X and X. Am I correct
in that?" If Mary confirms your understanding, then you can continue to
build your case that you're a perfect match for what they're looking for. But
if your understanding is off, you now have the opportunity to adjust your
presentation so that you do match up.
2. "WHAT'S THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGE FACING THE PERSON WHO WILL GET THIS JOB?" The person they hire
is one who will not only excel at the routine tasks but one who can
successfully tackle the difficult bits as well. This question helps you find
out what that big problem is so that you can build your case that you can help
solve it for them.
3. "WHAT RESOURCES WOULD MY
DEPARTMENT HAVE AVAILABLE TO HELP US DO A GREAT JOB?" This is the correct
way to ask "Do I get an assistant?" Your question is based on wanting
to do a better job. Also, you're not asking just for yourself, but on behalf of
your entire team.
4. "HOW WILL THE PERFORMANCE OF
THE PERSON HIRED BE MEASURED?" Getting the answer to this question will
further help you identify what the company is looking for so that you can match
yourself to that.
5. "BASED ON MY RESUME AND
EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD TODAY, DO YOU THINK I HAVE THE RIGHT QUALIFICATIONS FOR
THE JOB?" As the interview is coming to a close, asking this question will
help you identify any weaknesses the hiring manager might feel you have. This
will give you the opportunity to address it as you continue the hiring process.
To address it immediately acknowledge what the hiring manage is saying, and
respond by saying it's an area you felt you needed to work on as well. Then let
them know how you're taking action on that - either with an online course or in
a volunteer opportunity. Then in your follow-up contact with them, give an
update on how you're doing with that effort.
6. "WHAT ARE NEXT STEPS?"
After the interview, you'll want to be in touch with the hiring manager at key
moments. But for that contact to be effective it needs to be at the right
times. For example, if they're making a decision in a week on who they're
bringing back for follow-up interviews and you check in with them in three
weeks then you've missed the boat. Here's a good way to ask, "Ms. Garcia,
do you know when you'll be making a decision on who you'll be bringing back for
follow-up interviews?" Once you get the time frame for the follow-ups, you
should ask, "And when do you expect to make a final decision on the person
you're hiring?" Finish with, "If I have anything I wanted to add to
what we've talked about today, or if I find something that you might find
interesting, would it be okay for me to get back in touch?"
7. "SHOW THEM THAT YOU LIKE
THEM AND THAT YOU'LL FIT IN". This is not about a specific question but
how you'll pose any question you ask. Companies want employees who are excited
to be working there. So, don't hesitate to show your enthusiasm at the prospect
of joining their team. Companies also want to know that you'll fit seamlessly
into their culture. Do this by incorporating their cultural symbols how they talk, what they talk about, how they
dress, what their values and goals are, etc. You can easily find this
information by researching them on the web or in the media, by talking to
people who work there or did in the past, or by speaking to your recruiter if
you're working with one. You can also stop by company location and discretely
observing them for a few minutes.
8. BONUS QUESTION: "AS AN
EMPLOYEE YOURSELF, WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WORKING HERE?" Asking this
question serves two purposes. First it gives the interviewer a chance to talk
about themselves a bit, (and everybody loves to do that.) It can also reveal
things about the company that you'll want to know. Even though we're in a
serious jobs recession, you'll still want to be happy wherever you work. If you
discover things about the company that you just don't think you can live with,
it might be better to wait for the next opportunity to come along.
