How long have you prepared to ‘answer’ all the interview questions that you’re anticipating to be thrown at you in the upcoming interview? You might have spend hours! However, what we usually miss out on is the opportunity of interview questions to ask an employer. Are you wondering how can you prepare for something so uncertain? Well then, it’s a tit for tat – The least boring you come across in your interview, the more chances you have to get hired! And the best way to come across and dashing and confident is to have a set of interview questions ready to ask an employer.
Top 5 interview questions to ask an employer
The section of Career Services by Viriginia Tech gives a detailed overview of what interview questions to ask an employer with very simple examples.
Example 1:
Not good: Does your organization value its employees? (Aside from being answerable with a “yes” or “no,” it almost sounds antagonistic, because a “no” answer is clearly a negative.)
Good: How will your organization show it values its employees?
Better: What are things your organization has done recently to show how it values its employees?
Example 2:
Fair: Are you planning to open an office in Spokane?
Good: What are the plans for opening an office in Spokane?
Better: I read a news story about the possible opening of an office in Spokane. Knowing that a news article does not always capture the full story, I wondered what factors are under consideration for this decision. (Notice this isn’t technically a question, but a series of statements showing your interest and inviting conversation.)
These examples show that the importance of correctly phrasing the interview questions to ask an employer. Make sure you always answer in the most decent way without a tinge of offensiveness. Jacquelyn Smith writes in Forbes about the importance of preparing interview questions to ask an employer in her article ’30 questions you should and shouldn’t ask in a job interview’,
“Candidates must ask questions to determine if the job fits their career path and objectives,” says Lynn Taylor, a workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant. “The fact that this is a two-way interview is often lost on many job candidates, especially in this period of high unemployment, when it seems like employers hold all the cards. While you don’t want to be too choosy, you must be prepared in advance to ask any and all questions that will lead to the best possible match for you.”
So while you need to use the interview to convince the employer that you are the best candidate for the job, you also need to be convinced that the job and the company would be a great fit for you. “There is only one way for you to determine if the job is for you, and that’s to ask the interviewer the right questions,” says says Andy Teach, author of From Graduation to Corporation, and host of the YouTube channel FromGradToCorp.
Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources at CareerBuilder, agrees. “You are interviewing the employer just as much as that employer is interviewing you. Asking questions can give you a better sense of the company’s growth opportunities and culture, the manager’s leadership style, and whether that organization is the right fit for you.”
Knowing the importance by now, let’s come down to our favourite 5 interview questions to ask an employer put together by The Ladders,
Next time your interviewer asks, “So, do you have any questions for me?” I triple-dog-dare you to answer with one of the following responses :
- Do you see any gaps in my qualifications that I need to fill?
- Are there any reasons I’m not fully qualified for this position?
- Is there anything I’ ve said today that might hurt my chances of being hired here?
- Now that you’ve had a chance to meet and interview me, what reservations would you have in putting me in this position?
- What have I accidentally said or done during today’s interview that’s inconsistent with your perfect candidate for this job?
Once you attempt to ask these questions, you will know why this strategy works! Be smart, be apt and be awesome in your next interview, job hunter!
You would also like to check these top 10 interview questions.
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