Do You Have Any Questions?

You have been called for an interview for your dream job. You have subjected yourself to being deep fried at the interviewer’s mercy. Finally, you see signs of the interview coming to a close. They all look ready to call it a day. After you have finished answering the entire range of questions that the potential employers have asked, you are ready to run too. You silently wipe the invisible sweat off your brow and are getting ready to get up from the chair when the hiring manager asks you, “Do you have any questions?” That is an opportunity you could use to your advantage to help gather information that will help you decide whether or not this is the right role or organization for you.

I have seen several candidates vigorously shake their head and vehemently add that they have been interviewed by so many people by now that every nagging doubt has been buried deep under heaps of information. They will get up and run out of the office building the way teenagers like to practice running as far away from parents as possible. Every little behavior of yours during an interview is an opportunity to influence the perceptions of the decision makers. This question is an opportunity to ask questions that show the employer that you are “detail oriented, well prepared, motivated…” – just go ahead and say all those great adjectives that get people hired.

What could you ask questions about?

About the Organization: Please do not ask questions that are answered on the company website or in the briefing sheets/ job description. Else you can ask questions that show that you have researched the company adequately and now are looking for more in depth information about the company’s strategy, product portfolio, recent changes in partnership or announcements eg: What factors went into deciding the choice of the new product range, factory location or joint venture. What changes to the competitive scenario do you expect? What is the company’s approach towards developing internal talent? Is the company planning to diversify into xxx area?I always find it illuminating to answer someone who has done some reasearch into the organization, the role and knows something about the person or the team that is interviewing. There is enough and more information available about every company on the web. So look for news items, blog posts, financial information, product launches, competitor analysis and analysts reports on the sector, the product range or the company before you go for a job interview. It is important to do the homework not just because you need to impress the panel but to know for yourself enough about the potential employer to make an informed decision.

About the Role: The job description should be able to answer some of your questions. I would always recommend that you understand more about what would be key deliverables for the role in the first year and what could be some of the outcomes expected in a 30-60-90 day horizon. Find out who the stakeholders are who you would need to work with and the people or team who would be supporting you in delivering the results. Find out if the role has a requirement of dealing with stakeholders who are external to the organization eg Government or trade bodies, Chambers of Commerce, media. If you have not managed a geographically dispersed team before, it maybe good to have that information in advance so that you can decide whether you want to use this assignment to learn about managing such teams or to decline the option if the risk associated with it is too high. It is a good idea to know if the role requires you to travel. The extent of travel required can often be a reason for early trouble in a role. You may want to know about the roles previous incumbents have moved to so that you have a good idea about the career path that you could have. It maybe good to know when you would be expected to start should the job be offered to you.

What should you NOT ask during an interview. I have just one guideline – until the job has been offered to you do not get into discussions on compensation and benefits. Once the hiring manager decides that you are the best fit for the role, the comp and benefits discussion will follow. So hold the deeper questions till then. Some candidates are just dying to know whether they have got the job or not. Most employers will interview multiple candidates and each one will meet more than one interviewer. So till all the results are compiled no one can realistically answer that question. So don’t waste your time asking it either.In short, during an interview use the opportunity to ask a few but relevant questions that demonstrate your in-depth preparedness for the meeting. Besides, the questions should help you gather enough facts and figures to be sure that the role in question is what you want to do at this stage of your career and that this will keep you adequately challenged and motivated. During the interview when someone asks you, “Do you have any questions?” make sure you have a couple that you need information on.