5 Questions You Should Absolutely Ask Your Next Interviewer

“Jones, do you have any question for any of us?”
And Jones tells me that he froze into panic mode wondering whether to ask about the company’s mission or his interviewer’s day in office.
Well, surprisingly while some interviews may feel more like an interrogation in a police station causing you to sweat and stutter constantly, a normal interview should be a smooth conversation between you and the panelist.
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You know how you talk comfortably with your boss in the board room? The same experience should repeat itself at interviews.
It should be like a normal board meeting where questions are lobbed back and forth. They ask a question, you respond. Then you ask a question, and they respond. Back and forth.
And that my friend does not just come.
The key is to ask the right kind of questions.
Here are some sample questions that I think are best for any candidate interviewing for any position.
QUESTION #1: What characteristics do you look for in employees in order to represent the company values?
See, you don’t just want to get the job.
You as well want to get them know that you are able to fit in as well.
And this question enables you to understand what the employer is looking for and the general culture of the company that you might not read in the website.
Dig deep to get more information on this culture. You’ll get insight into what is most important for the company as a whole, and what it values in the individuals who work there.
QUESTION #2: What does success look like in this position, and how do you measure it?
It’s crucial to have a deep understanding of how a company measures success. What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the role?
How, and how often are they measured?
By asking this question, you are looking to understand what the employer is really targeting to get from a person in this position and from the key performance indicators that they will give you, you shall be able to tailor yourself around this in order to bring results as soon as you get into the job.
QUESTION #3: Ask the question you really care about
Spend some time before the interview thinking about what you really want to know.
It could be something about that position, the company or in that industry.
When you imagine going to work at the job every day, what are the things that will most impact whether you’re happy with the work, with the culture, with the manager?
Maybe you care most about working somewhere with sane hours, where calls and texts on the weekend or in the evenings are rare.
Whatever’s important to you or that you’d want to have answered before you could know if you’d really want the job, think about asking it now.
QUESTION #4: What’s your timeline for next steps?
This is a basic logistics question.
If the interviewers do not notify you by any chance on the next steps after that interview, it is prudent that you inquire about this yourself.
Otherwise, if you’re like many people, in a few days you’re likely to start agonizing about whether you should have heard back about the job by now and what it means that you haven’t, and obsessively checking your phone to see if the employer has tried to make contact.
Spare yourself all this agony. All the best!
If you need more guidance on this any and more interview skills, send an inquiry email to esther@corporatestaffing.co.ke for assistance.
Judith Moraa is a Communication Assistant at Corporate Staffing a leading HR firm that offers recruitment and FREE job placement. For more information visit their website on www.corporatestaffing.co.ke