Interview Inquiry: Comprehensive Guide on Questioning Job Candidates, Compiled by Professionals
When preparing for a job interview, it's essential to treat the process as an opportunity for both you and the employer to evaluate each other. In this article, we'll explore some insightful questions you can ask to gain a clear understanding of the company culture, career prospects, working conditions, and team atmosphere.
Understanding Company Culture
To get a sense of the company's culture, consider asking questions such as:
- "How would you describe the company's culture?" This question offers a broad view of the corporate philosophy and how much emphasis the company places on employee happiness.
- "Which of the company’s core values do you resonate with the most?" This helps you understand alignment with the company's stated values.
- "What kind of person should not work at this company?" This question, recommended by NYU professor Suzy Welch, provides honest insights about the real culture beyond corporate platitudes.
- "Do you prefer to work by yourself, with a partner, or in a team?" This question reveals the collaboration style and whether it fits with the environment.
Career Prospects
To assess career prospects, ask questions like:
- "How has this position evolved?" This question indicates whether the role offers growth and change opportunities.
- "What are the typical career paths for someone in this role?" This question helps confirm upward mobility.
- "Beyond hard skills, what soft skills would serve the company and position best?" This question gives insight into valued employee characteristics that influence growth and success.
Working Conditions
To learn about working conditions, ask questions such as:
- "What do you like most about working for this company?" Provides an insider perspective on the day-to-day environment and perks.
- "How do you manage a healthy work-life balance?" Reflects corporate attitudes toward workload and flexibility.
- "What kind of work environment do you thrive in?" Helps you determine if the environment matches your working style.
Team Atmosphere
To evaluate the team atmosphere, ask questions like:
- "How would you describe your management style?" This question helps you understand supervisory approaches and team dynamics.
- "Do you become friends with your colleagues or prefer professional relationships?" Indicates the social environment at work.
- "How do you handle conflict or disagreement within the team?" Provides insight into conflict resolution and team harmony.
By asking these questions, you'll gather authentic, practical insights about the company’s operational culture, growth potential, daily work experience, and interpersonal dynamics. Tailoring questions based on what matters most to you ensures you make a well-informed decision.
Remember, it's essential to understand the atmosphere in the team, so candidates can ask questions about how successes are celebrated, disputes are resolved, and what is valued in employees during the interview.
If flexible hours or remote work are critical, don't hesitate to discuss the possibility of a remote format during the interview. It's important to understand if expectations match skills and work pace; ask about a typical workweek, prioritized metrics and KPIs, how often results are evaluated, and who provides feedback.
Alexandra Polushkova, the HR Director of Omni.Sale, emphasises the importance of determining one's main criteria and "deal-breakers" before applying for jobs. To avoid asking questions that could raise red flags or ruin the impression, avoid asking questions like "What does the company do?", "Which position is being discussed?", or "If the employer has read your resume."
A brief familiarization tour of the office or an online meeting with the team can help form a first impression of the people you'll potentially interact with daily. To evaluate real career growth prospects in a company, candidates should ask specific and appropriate questions about how management evaluates employees, how the team is developing, and examples of recent promotions and developments.
Reviews from former employees on career platforms, social media, and forums can provide an unfiltered view of the corporate reality. Before receiving an offer or starting a trial period, clarify the programs to be worked with, most frequent tasks, frequency of team meetings and meetings, and who sets tasks.
Lastly, record answers to questions for easy comparison between employers. By asking the right questions, you can make a well-informed decision about the job that best suits your needs and aspirations.
During the job interview, it's beneficial to ask about education and self-development opportunities and career development within the company. For instance, you could inquire about the types of training programs offered, or if the company supports employees in furthering their education or acquiring new skills.
Understanding job-search prospects is also crucial. You might ask about the company's process for job openings, whether they typically promote from within, or if there are opportunities for lateral moves within the organization that align with your career aspirations.
