5 Questions You Should Never Ask The Interviewer

At the end of an interview the interviewer will always ask you if you have any questions. It is important that you always have at least 2 questions to ask. This is because an interview is a two way street.

Not asking any question at all is not an option and will make the interviewer think you are not interested in the position or were not prepared. All of which mess with your chances of getting the job.

According to an Interview coach and Career Adviser at Corporate Staffing Services, the questions you ask at the end of the interview are just as important as the ones you were asked by the interviewer.

The questions you ask an interviewer will influence whether you are considered for the position or not. Sometimes the questions you ask might be just as damaging as not asking any question at all.

“The questions you ask can be used to gauge your state of mind therefore, they need to be intelligent and well thought out,” says Ms Mutungi.

Here is a list of questions you should never ask the interviewer

1. What is the salary for this position?

This is the most commonly asked questions by interviewees and it is why so many people miss out on jobs.

You should never bring up the issue of salary in an interview; always let the interviewer bring it up first. Otherwise, you end up looking like a money minded person who could care less about the job.

READ ALSO >>> 4 Smart Ways to Answer Unexpected Interview Questions

No one will hire someone who seems to be more interested in money than the position they are interviewing for. This is because every employer wants an employee who is passionate about the job as it will mean better productivity.

2. “If This Doesn’t Work Out, Would You Consider Me for Another Opening?”

This is a question you should never ask the interviewer. You might think this makes you look interested in working for the company but instead it makes you look desperate.

Asking an interviewer this question will show that you are willing to get a job at the organisation no matter what position it is.

This shows that you are not as invested in the position as you should be. Which will mean you wont be considered for the position.

Interviewers are more likely to recommend you for another position if you do not ask to be recommended.

Instead you can tell them how grateful you are for having met them because you have always wanted to work for the company.

RELATED ARTICLE >>> 6 Things Jobs Seekers Should Never Say & Do During Interviews

3. Questions about Working Hours

This may seem like a good question to ask because you want to see whether the position is a good fit. However, it is important that you save such questions until the job is offered to you. You can always try and negotiate the terms if they don’t work for you.

Asking an interviewer about your working hours will show that you are too concerned about how the job will affect your life and not about the company’s needs.

No employer wants to hire someone who is too time conscious as this can affect productivity.

4. What exactly does this job entail?

“This question is a complete turn off to an interviewer,” says Muthoni Ndegwa a Recruitment Manager.

This is because, it shows that the candidate was not paying attention throughout the interview and they also did not go through the job description.

Asking this question makes you look like you do not even know what position you applied for. How can you get a job when you don’t even know what the job is about? Such a question will lead to automatic disqualification.

5. What does your organisation do?

This is another commonly asked question that completely destroys any chance you have of getting the job.

When you are invited for an interview it is important to do some research on the organisation. Find out who they are and what they do. This will help you get a better idea of the sort of person they are looking for and will also enable you to see if you fit in.

Asking this question will show that you were not interested enough to do any research and this will ruin your chances of landing the position. To avoid asking such questions just research on the organisation before the interview.

SEE ALSO >>> 5 Questions You Should Never Leave An Interview Without Asking

When you are invited for an interview it is important that you make a list of the questions you are going to ask. This way you will not be caught off guard and end up asking terrible questions that will ruin your chances of getting the job.

Preparation is key when it comes to an interview which is why there are interview coaching services to help you ace interviews. Email lucy@corporatestaffing.co.ke if you are interested in interview coaching.

By Michelle Wanjiku

Michelle is a Communications Officer/Digital Marketer at Career Point Kenya. Email Michelle@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke