Yahoo Finance Questions to Ask in a Job Interview
When you prepare for a job interview, chances are you spend most of your time figuring out answers to potential questions you might get asked by the hiring team and other interviewers. But it's just as important to put some thought into the best questions to ask your potential employer in an interview.
Here are eight of the best questions to ask in an interview:
-- What are the department's or company's key challenges that this position would help to solve?
-- As the manager of this position, what's your most important goal that you hope to achieve with this hire?
-- In terms of this specific role, what are the biggest challenges that you feel I would face if hired?
-- What might a typical day look like in this role, in terms of key responsibilities?
-- If hired, how would you measure my success in this position, and what could I do to improve my chances of excelling?
-- Whom on the team would I work with most closely, and how closely would I work with you?
-- What are the key company values, and what is the culture like?
-- What is your favorite part of working here?
By asking the hiring manager these questions, you will create an additional opportunity for yourself -- beyond the answers you provide to the team's interview questions -- to demonstrate interest in the job and company, as well as your qualifications for the position.
What are the department's or company's key challenges that this position would help to solve?
One goal of interviewing is to show your potential new boss and colleagues that you care about helping them overcome their current stumbling blocks. Asking this question shows that you are willing to drill down into what's most important to them: solving the exact problems they hope to overcome. You might want to ask this in two parts: first in relation to your specific role and department, and a follow-up question about the company's challenges, and how the person in this role might be able to address those as well.
[See: 25 Best Jobs That Pay $100K.]
As the manager of this position, what's your most important goal that you hope to achieve with this hire?
The hiring manager would not have advertised for the position if she didn't have very clear ideas about how the right person could help her reach her goals. When you show interest in your potential supervisor's goals -- and those of her department, which are no doubt among her chief concerns -- it gives you a chance to showcase that this is a priority for you, too. Be sure to follow up on the hiring manager's response by suggesting a possible way, based on your background and expertise, that you could help her achieve this goal if hired.
In terms of this specific role, what are the biggest challenges that you feel I would face if hired?
Showing awareness of -- and concern about solving -- the challenges in the role that you're applying for is a smart move on multiple levels. First, it positions you as a problem-solver. Second, it proves you are strategic, proactive and prepared to hit the ground running in the right direction. As with the question above about goals, once the interviewers share their perspective on the role's biggest obstacles, you can earn extra brownie points by chiming in with some potential solutions to whatever issues that they raise.
[See: 8 Careers for Creative People.]
What might a typical day look like in this role, in terms of key responsibilities?
The "typical day" question may seem obvious but it's savvy to ask it, because doing so shows that you are envisioning yourself in the role in a very practical, hands-on way. Also, while you may assume that you know exactly what the role entails if you've held a similar title in the past, it's very possible that this new role will differ in certain areas, so it's best to know what you're getting yourself into.
You might follow up this question by requesting a few additional details about a specific part of the daily routine or a key duty. For example, if one of your responsibilities would be preparing new business pitches, you might ask about whether you would do that on your own or with other team members, to show that you're really visualizing yourself doing the job.
If hired, how would you measure my success in this position, and what could I do to improve my chances of excelling?
Measurement is a critical component of proving success in any role, so it's important to have a clear idea about:
-- What measurement tools will be used to measure your success: performance reviews, 360-degree feedback or something else?
-- How often will these tools be utilized (quarterly reviews, annual reviews)?
-- What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that the person in this role should focus on?
After asking about what forms of measurement your boss would rely on to evaluate your performance, you can go one step beyond this initial ask by asking the interviewers to drill down into specific steps you could take to shine in the job if you get it.
Whom on the team would I work with most closely, and how closely would I work with you?
Collaboration -- both within a department and cross-functionally across other divisions -- is another key component of success. By showing interest in which roles, titles, colleagues and departments you will work with most closely, you'll brand yourself as a team player. Understanding how closely you will partner with your prospective boss also provides invaluable insight into the role. If you'll be working one-on-one in partnership with the person who is interviewing you, asking this question well help give you a "read" on whether this personality would be a good fit for you.
[SEE: The 25 Best Jobs of 2019]
What are the key company values, and what is the culture like?
Part of deciding whether a job is the right fit for you is determining whether the company suits you or not. Corporate values and culture help shape the experience that employees have, so knowing what these are like should be a significant component of this litmus test.
Remember -- a job interview is a two-way street. While the employer is trying to determine if you're right for the job, you also should use the interview as a chance to make sure that the job, and company, are a good match for your own values and goals. By asking about key company values and requesting an overview of the cultural flavor, you'll hopefully elicit some insider insights to assist you in determining whether you really want the job.
What is your favorite part of working here?
This question gives the interviewer a chance to share positives about the company -- and it can also offer signs into how the boss and other interviewers really feel about where they work. Listen closely to see if the hiring team sounds genuinely enthused about working for the company, or if there are undertones of negativity or bitterness. The latter should serve as a red flag. But if you hear a rave review, this might help seal the deal on saying yes to the position if it's ultimately offered.
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