There is always a continuous hustle when it comes to landing job interviews. And in a bid to get a job and foot the bills, most job aspirants fail to ask detailed questions about the company during a job interview! They are more concerned about getting the job first. But we see an increasing number of employees struggling to find their place after accepting a position. They begin to wonder what is going wrong when things do not turn out as they expected. They start experiencing issues or have difficulties working with the company.
If you don’t want to join the sea of employees on the mumbling and murmuring team, you have to ask some vital specific questions during your job interview. The questions you ask during job interviews should center on the company and how it is run. The questions should also spill over into how you can grow in your career and improve yourself while working for that company. It would be best if you focused on what you can offer the company and what they can offer you too (aside from the pay).
The following are ten specific questions you should ask in a job interview before you accept the job. I will categorize the question into three groups: qualifying questions, rapport-building questions, and closing questions.
3 Best Qualifying Job Interview Questions
- If I perform well on this job after my initial review period, where can I expect to be in another two to three years?
In an interview, it is standard practice for the interviewer to ask you some questions regarding your career path or why you want the job role. But it shouldn’t end there. You must also clearly ask the interviewer about what your long-term career plan will be like with the company. You want to know where you will be in that company after the next two to three years (of course, you should have a specific goal in mind). When it comes to job roles and promotions, it’s essential to be goal-specific. And having a goal in mind will propel you to become better at that job role.
- Do you have a budget for training or professional development?
If you keep adding value to the company, the company must, in turn, have a way to keep adding value to you. It is sometimes common for SMEs and early-stage startups to not pay much attention to staff training and capacity development. They tend to be mostly focused on growth, which is fine for the company but what about your own career growth? Your personal and professional development is essential when it comes to your work and life and if you don’t have the opportunity for professional development, you’ll soon be out of fad in a few years.
Always make it a point to confirm from your interviewers if they have plans, budgets, or training programs for their employees. Confirm if they can allow you to take some time off to further your education, widen your horizon, and deepen your knowledge. Therefore, apart from working for a company and giving them your all, you need to grow! The world is rapidly evolving, and there’s no place for mediocrity in this age and time. If the company says they are looking at having a staff training plan, it means they haven’t prioritized it. I’ll advise that you negotiate a specific one as part of your compensation plan. The best way to get it approved is by having the training tied to your key performance indicators (KPI) or post probation.
- What are the company’s expectations for the person who gets awarded this job position?
For the company to open the job position, you are applying for, that means they have expectations for the individual that is about to occupy that position. The interviewer’s questions can give you a hint of the company’s expectations for the occupant of that position. When it’s time for you to ask questions, ask your interviewer about the challenges that they are currently facing that resulted in the job opening. This question will help you understand if you are likely going to meet their expectations. It does not stop at knowing the expectations; it is up to you to build on that expectation to impress them more if you want that role.
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6 Rapport Building Interview Questions
- How did the opportunity for this position come about?
Often, we’re happy because there’s a job vacancy, forgetting that someone used to occupy that position. Before you accept any job position, ask about how the job opening came about and what happened to the previous employee in that position. Was the person fired? Did the person quit or get a better job offer? Or is the job a newly created role needed to boost the company in a particular aspect? A good understanding of this would help you know what you are signing up for.
- What are the KPIs for this role, and how would they be measured?
Key performance indicator(s), or KPIs for short, is simply the expected outcome of your job performance. Understanding the company’s job description and how it is measured will help you work effectively to contribute to its success. It is also beneficial to know the KPIs to determine if you can handle the role and everything that comes with it. This question can also give you a clue of the type of people or colleagues you’ll be with which you’ll be working.
- What’s the company’s goal for the next few years?
It is crucial to know about the company’s goals for the next few years and how they will affect you and your position. Knowing the goals and plans will also help you plan how you’ll climb up the ladder as you keep continually contributing to the company’s growth.
- What’s the company’s culture like?
You need to know the company’s working culture. What is the shared ethos of the organization? How do the employees feel about the work they do, and what values do they believe? It is imperative to ask the interviewer about the company’s culture to prepare your mindset about the people you will be working with. When you ask, you will get an in-depth understanding of how the workers relate to each other.
- What do you enjoy about working here?
Having asked about the company culture, it is very pivotal to ask about the interviewer’s work experience thus far and what they enjoy the most about the company. If they got another job offer, would it be difficult for them to leave the company? Asking your interviewers these types of questions helps you learn more about its leadership and other workers’ job satisfaction. This will, in turn, prepare you for what lies ahead.
- How long have you spent with the company?
This is one of the most important questions to ask any interviewer you come across. If the interviewer has been there for a short time, then you will have to dig deeper. The only exception to this is if the company is just starting up. If it is an old company and your interviewer is not up to six months, then you might want to ask a follow-up question to know how long the person that they took the role from was in that specific position. If the response is also less than a year, then it could be a possible red flag you should watch out for.
Closing Interview Questions
- What is the next stage of the recruiting process?
Depending on the nature of the job and the interview process you will go through, you can ask about the next stage of the recruiting process. It is advisable to inquire further about the next phase of the recruiting process to prepare for it if you pass the interview.
Companies recruit employees differently—some just send direct mails while others can inform you about some test you might likely take. You can ask more than one person this question depending on the working environment.
Conclusion
The bottom line is whatever question you’re asking, you have to understand the organization first and then understand the nature of the job and the employees. This will guide you into making your final decision – accepting or rejecting the job. Remember! An appointment is not just about the pay or potential benefits, but the work environment as well! Always feel free to ask questions. Good luck!
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