When this question is asked by an interviewer, do not say “No” and end the interview!
Interviews can be draining and nerve-wracking for some, but no matter how tired of talking you are at the end of their questions be ready to ask them questions. Reverse the roles and be bold enough to ask your potential employers all of the questions you need to know to be able to make the decision whether this is the right role for you.
After all, this role could potentially have big implications for your career and you want to be sure that you make the right decisions. The value of asking questions focuses on how you may like to work, what kind of environment that suits you best and whether or not your personality, strengths, values and principles are met by those of the company or job entailed. This is something regularly assessed in the Myers Briggs personality test which can aid you in discovering what job roles may suit you at a specific moment in your life.
Employers will be impressed by your confidence to ask them difficult and necessary questions and it is a good sign that you arrived at the interview with preparation. Here is a list of good questions to ask the interviewers opposite you.
- What are the most enjoyable and the least enjoyable aspects of the role?
- What does career progress look like within the organisation?
- You mentioned there will be a lot of presenting/researching/liaising; what do your most successful people find satisfying about this part of the role?
- How would you describe the work culture here?
- What have you enjoyed most about working here?
- In what way is performance measured and reviewed?
- What are the most important issues that you think your organisation will face?
- What are the short-term and long-term objectives of this particular product/service/division/project; how will this benefit the organisation?
- Why does this role matter to the growth of the company?
- Will I receive any feedback from the interview?
- What is the single largest problem facing your organisation and would I be in a position to help you solve this problem?
- What constitutes success at this position and this firm or non-profit?
- Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with?
- What is the next step in the process?
- Who previously held this position?
You don’t need to ask them in any particular order or all of them! Pick and choose where relevant to a role and apply them when necessary. If a conversation starts keep it going and utilise the time to illustrate your passion for the work you do and how it relates to the role. Ask them confidently (not aggressively) and with a smile and remember ask questions one by one and give the interviewers time to collect themselves. Don’t bombard them!
Matthew Williams