It is often hard to know what to expect at the end of interviews, but at the end of most interviews, interviewers often ask potential candidates if they have any question they would like to ask. A candidate who asks questions of substance is perceived as a more engaging candidate. Asking questions show that you care about being outstanding. Good candidates ask questions to form a picture of an organisation’s business; it gives them an insight to see if the career opportunity is relevant to their aspirations. Good candidates want answers to their questions because they are evaluating the company and whether they really want to work for that company. The problem is most candidates do not actually care about answers; they just hope to make themselves look relevant by asking “smart” questions, says Jeff Haden, author and writer for
Inc. magazine. Below are questions expected from good candidates.
1. What do you expect of me in the first 90 days (accomplishments)? Employers are excited about employees that understand the essence of time and accomplishments. Good candidates want to flow with the system as soon as possible, they want to fit in like a glove, and they just want to hit the road and moving. They want to make a difference, right away. Such question gives employers the open arm to show or tell candidates their organizational goals and plans for the first 90 days and how they want the employee to perform during the period.
2. What are the training and development opportunities? Employees should be interested in their progression potential when considering employment in an organisation. A study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC, explains that one of the main reasons people resign their positions is due to a lack of career progression and focus. Candidates know that training and development improves their skills and increase their chances of career progression; so, good candidates will want to know about training and development opportunities. Employees know that training and development help them reach the next level in their career irrespective of whether they stick to a workplace or not. Hence, it becomes important to assure potential candidates of such opportunities.
3. What is the company culture? Organisational culture is paramount, not just from the employer side but also the employee. Culture comes with creeds, values, morals and norms. Good candidates will want to work in an environment with a positive outlook, a management that is deserving of their respect, and one that has its values aligned with its practices.
4. What is your management style? What is the communication flow in the company like? How do they interact with employees? Studies show that one of the main reasons that employees leave and fail to meet their performance goals is a lack of rapport with their direct line manager. Management styles could be any of these forms: open door policy, hands on/hands off, or democratic/authoritarian etc. Good communication between employees and employers is a key factor to organizational success. Good candidates know that it is important to flow with their line manager. So it is important they know the kind of management style the organisation operates, so that they can make informed decisions about their potential relevance to the organisation.
5. How do you plan to deal with changes and challenges? Good candidates are commercially inclined and must have done exhaustive background checks on a company’s business history and model. They will know the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the business area and will want to know how the company plans to address them. Every industry has its challenges. Good candidates would want to know what perspective his hiring manager has and how his potential workplace plans to deal with them.
So the right answer to such good questions is the beginning to a new page for both the employers and the employees. There is always a right answer to a right question.
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This article was first published on 27th August 2013
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