\u200bWhen applying for a job, it\u2019s easy to feel like you hold none of the cards. The company has an open position and tons of interested candidates; you\u2019re trying to attract their interest and prove you\u2019re the best <\/i>one.<\/p>\n
Even though it might seem like you don\u2019t have any power, the reality is very different. Put yourself in the employer\u2019s shoes for a second\u2014it\u2019s hard to find qualified people willing to work for the right salary, in the right location, and with the ideal work style. If you\u2019re a good fit for the job, culture, and team, you\u2019re actually pretty rare.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean you should treat the process any less seriously or spend less time preparing. It means two things: first, you should give yourself a little confidence boost by reminding yourself they probably want you just as much as you want them (if not more), and second, that you can and should interview them back.<\/p>\n
What does that translate to? \u201cInterviewing them back\u201d entails asking questions that reveal their company culture, the true nature of the job, and what opportunities might come from this role. Essentially, you\u2019re trying to figure out if this position is right for you.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t worry if you\u2019re not sure what to ask. These five questions will help you obtain honest and accurate info\u2014and, as a bonus, they\u2019ll help you feel like the thoughtful, experienced candidate you are.<\/p>\n
There are no wrong answers here; it all depends on how you like to be managed. Maybe the interviewer says, \u201cDani is a pretty hands-off manager. She likes to give her team members high-level goals and let them figure out the details. Of course, she\u2019s there if you have questions or need support, but in general you\u2019ll work autonomously.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you love doing your own thing, that\u2019s great news. If you\u2019d rather have more direction and oversight, it\u2019s something to take note of.<\/p>\n
Recognition is an important factor in feeling motivated and engaged. If the response is, \u201cWell, we don\u2019t do much,\u201d or even \u201cTo be honest, the team could be better about celebrating its victories,\u201d you might want to add that to potential drawbacks of the job. (Unless you know that recognition isn\u2019t high on your list of priorities, in which case, it might not be that big of a deal!)<\/p>\n
On the other hand, if you hear something like, \u201cWe give a monthly MVP award to someone who went above and beyond. And each team has their own unique traditions to recognize special achievements and milestones,\u201d you know the company probably does a good job of commending both individual and team-wide wins.<\/p>\n
If the hiring manager is constantly replacing people who have moved on, that\u2019s a red flag. A team might look great from the outside\u2014but you don\u2019t want to find out after the fact that a toxic culture exists, unreliable expectations are held, or that there any other factors that cause people to flee.<\/p>\n
Of course, a \u201cnormal\u201d tenure will change based on the position, team, location, etc. If most of the team members are relatively new to the work world, they\u2019ll probably look for a new job\u2014either at the same company or elsewhere\u2014fairly quickly. However, if you\u2019re working with people at higher rungs on the ladder who have been in the workforce for a while, high turnover spells trouble.<\/p>\n
This question is helpful for a few reasons. It\u2019ll give you an inside look into the type of work you might be doing and how you\u2019ll be collaborating with your coworkers. It will also tell you the hiring manager\u2019s approach to important projects. Was the team successful because they pulled several late nights in the final stretch? Did the team lead come up with a detailed plan with mini-timelines to make sure they were on track from beginning to end? You\u2019ll get a sense of the problem-solving methods the team uses and whether they\u2019re compatible with your own.<\/p>\n
The most important part about your interviewer\u2019s answer is how honest they\u2019re willing to be. Just like they want you to give an authentic response to the \u201cbiggest weakness\u201d question, you\u2019re looking for a genuine answer. Every team is lacking in something<\/i>\u2014usually a few things\u2014so if they say, \u201cWe\u2019re strong across the board,\u201d or \u201cI can\u2019t think of any area where we\u2019re missing anything\u2014you know they\u2019re either unaware of their team\u2019s weaknesses (never a great sign) or aren\u2019t being fully transparent.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s good when a real answer is provided. It\u2019s even better if the weakness happens to match up with one of your strengths. For instance, perhaps the interviewer says, \u201cIt\u2019s a really formidable team, but we don\u2019t have anyone who\u2019s skilled at documenting our processes and results and making sure we can scale what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
You, on the other hand, happen to be highly organized, and happy to write documentation to boot. That gives you powerful ammo later in the interview when you inevitably get the question \u201cWhy should we hire you?\u201d or \u201cWhat makes you a good fit?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u200bIf you can, try to ask every hiring manager the same questions. This lets you compare their answers and figure out which company or position is the closest to what you\u2019re looking for. And to make sure you don\u2019t forget who said what, write down your impressions and any important moments as soon as you can after the interview ends. Reviewing these notes will be incredibly helpful during the decision-making process.<\/p>\n
The final (and most important) takeaway: You have power during this process; after all, you deserve to find the right fit. Feel empowered to ask the questions that are important to you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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