Many people do not realize that an interview for a job is not only answering questions about yourself, your qualifications, and working experience. It’s a conversation, and a hiring manager is also expecting you to have some questions about the company and the job. If you don’t come up with any questions for hiring manager, that may influence the decision of hiring you for that position, even if you earnestly wanted to get it and made your very utmost to look like the best candidate ever. Your potential employee may decide that you are not motivated enough to get the job or not serious about it but rather desperate and willing to get any job you can.
Some jobseekers are simply afraid they will go too far or annoy a hiring manager with their questions, so they refrain from asking any. Do you want to learn the best questions to ask hiring manager for you to demonstrate curiosity about the job without the risk of endangering your chances but only strengthening them? Sure you do, this article is for you.
What is the Ideal Number of Questions to Ask HR During Interview?
There is no definite answer to this question, as it all depends on every particular interview, its nature, and representatives of the company sitting in front of you. Your interview checklist should contain at least 3 to 5 questions to ask HR managers though so that you don’t just finish answering and say goodbye.
You should evaluate the situation and the flow of the interview to understand when it’s best to ask your questions, how many of them, and which ones will be the most appropriate and important. Sometimes you’ll have to wait till your interviewer is done with his or her questions if they are reading from a paper, in other cases, it will be more of a conversation, so you will both have approximately the same amount of questions.
Remember, the questions you ask an interviewer are as important in creating a certain image of you as the answers you provide. And so is their number: try to strike a balance and show interest in the position but control yourself and don’t end up having more questions to ask interviewer than he or she does for you.
Now, let’s see what questions should be present on your list.
Questions to Ask Hiring Manager During Interview
1. How long has the company had this job position?
This is a crucial question to ask if you are not made familiar with the history of the position you are considered for. If it is a completely new opening, ask what the reasons for creating it were and whether anyone had these duties before. It may be that a company is expecting you to help shape this position, meaning you will have certain freedom but also be expected to possess a clear vision for the future of this job.
If there were predecessors, try to inquire about the circumstances of their departure. This may reveal some aspects of the job you should be prepared to but didn’t think of before. Surely, a company representative may not tell you if there were conflicts involved, but their answers may let you want to investigate it on your own.
2. What would my first day, week, or month look like as a new employee?
Find out whether there is an introductory briefing or training and when they expect you to start working as a regular employee. Companies usually understand that new people need time to adjust and learn the specifics of their job at a new place, so you need to know whether you have time for it. Sometimes they will want you to start working and fulfilling all your obligations form day one. Try to assess whether that’s possible, because otherwise, your employer may see you as a failure from the very beginning simply because you weren’t allowed to accommodate properly.
Ask whether there’ll be someone you can contact for guidance. Who will supervise you? How will your work be evaluated during the trial period?
3. What am I expected to achieve in my first month/three months/six months?
Don’t be afraid to ask that if an interviewer doesn’t tell you that in the course of the interview. By knowing the results they want to get from you it will be easier for you to know what should get the most of your attention. And by asking that you will make your commitment and the will to satisfy the expectations apparent to everyone.
4. What aspects define this job?
Due to this question, you can learn your role in the company and what departments rely on it. It will also tell you about the most crucial skills for succeeding in this position and help you evaluate your readiness to take on this job.
5. What will be the criteria to measure my success?
This question can get you specific answers regarding the expectations your employer has. So, instead of some characteristics like high productivity or excellent communication skills, you will learn the factors that will be evaluated to determine how long you will stay in the company. Don’t be afraid to ask what you can do to exceed these expectations, as it will show your determination and give an idea of what you should work on more vigorously.
6. How is the feedback process organized?
Feedback is absolutely necessary for you to know how well you are doing and what could be improved to change the opinion about your work. Find out in what form and how often you can receive the reviews. You may do quite fine without getting feedback too often, and even feel more comfortable that way, but let your employer know that you are ready to an honest discussion.
7. What part of the position is the most difficult to grasp? How can I speed up the process?
Some jobs require you to learn the technology, software, or some internal company operation instructions to do your job properly. Others will require you to become very familiar with the company structure and relationships between the departments. Getting an early tip on what is usually the most challenging part will help you deal with it more effectively.
8. Will my job let me learn new things and grow as a specialist?
If a company offers some coaching programs, professional training, and personal growth courses, you want to know about them. Let your interviewer know you are interested in continued development and would like to do more than perform the same functions every day.
9. Are there any specific requirements for managing workflow?
There will be no lack of work for you, that’s something you can be sure about. What you should ask about is how much is considered enough for a day or a weak. Perhaps, it will be possible for you to work flexible hours as long as you can cope with the volumes of work you are expected to do.
10. What corporate traditions do you have?
Working in a company you can’t stand the traditions of can be an awful experience. So, it makes sense to find out how the team prefers to spend holidays together, whether they go on trips and where to. Share your preferences and expectations with your interviewer. Perhaps, they will be crucial in hiring you and not someone else.
11. Will I have a chance to share my opinion and improve certain things?
Often, people want to be heard, especially when by changing something they can improve their own working conditions. Ask if there are some programs within which employees can offer their suggestions and get rewarded for the most beneficial ones.
12. How long have you been working here? What do you find the best about it?
There’s nothing wrong about asking your interviewer about his or her history with the company. They may be quite enthusiastic about telling you what attracted them first and what they value in their work. You may also learn how difficult or easy it is to progress in the company.
13. Will I have access to all the necessary tools and resources to perform well?
If there are some specific tools or software you know would make your job much easier, ask if you can count on having or getting them. It’s possible that you will actually share something they were not aware of before but will gladly provide you with.
14. Who will contact me and when?
Don’t just wait for an interviewer to say that you will be contacted, thank, and leave. Different companies have different timeframes for reviewing the candidates and passing a verdict. You have the right to know the latest date to expect a call or a message from this company so that you can plan your life accordingly.
15. Do any of my answers make you doubt me as a proper person for this job?
It may seem that asking such a question would be improper and show your lack of confidence. However, it will not only demonstrate that you are not afraid to ask direct questions, but also that you really want this interview and its outcome to be successful. And by hearing the answer, you may learn what caused an HR manager to make certain conclusions and prove them wrong.
Use every chance to convince them you are the right candidate, especially if you are satisfied with all their answers to your own questions.