Contrary to what most people think, job interviews are not a one-way street, that is, the interviewer shouldn’t be the only one asking questions. Asking questions also allows you to extract crucial information to help you give better answers yourself. And remember, you’re not just applying for a job, you’re also trying to determine if the company or role is an ideal fit for you.
Asking questions also lets you demonstrate several positive traits to the hiring manager, including:
- Intelligence
- Critical thinking
- A genuine eagerness to learn about the position and company
Below are a few examples of smart questions to ask in any job interview.
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What Part of My Resume Attracted Your Attention?
Asking this question gives you the opportunity to zero in on your winning qualities and cut out a lot of unnecessary chatter, focusing on the skills or traits that make you valuable to the organization and industry you’re in. It also allows you to expound what you wrote in your resume, perhaps by citing examples of how a certain skill set helped your previous employers.
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Why Is the Position Open?
While it would be inappropriate to ask about specifics, asking why the position is open could still give you an inside look into the company’s workforce management practices. Depending on how the interviewer answers this question, you could get some insight about the company’s turnover rate, the working environment, and management styles of the bosses.
But more importantly, this question shows you’re more discerning about employment opportunities, sending the impression that you’re also interviewing the person looking to hire you.
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What’s the Best Part About Working for this Organization?
You want to hear from employees themselves what they think about the company and what they love about working there. The answer will most likely be positive, but what matters more is how they talk about the company and whether or not it’s authentic.
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What’s a Typical Day at this Job Like?
If you want a better look into the role besides the usual job description, ask about what you would do on a typical workday. Ask about the daily routine, length of accomplishing standard tasks, and other day-to-day responsibilities.
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What is Your Company Culture?
Company culture is one aspect of a job search many people tend to ignore due to their focus on wages and benefits. But if you want to know if your working style, work ethic, and values are compatible with the organization, you need to know what its company culture is first.
Need more job interview tips to improve your odds of winning the job? Learn more about what questions to ask as an interviewee by talking to the staffing services consultants of Star Staffing! Our staffing experts are ready to assist you on your job search. Visit our contact page today.
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