Questions for Job Candidates to Ask Potential Employers During Interview

Questions for Job Candidates to Ask the Interviewer

  1. What, as the hiring authority, is your vision of this job, and, in your mind, what are the key responsibilities? ________________ (Recruiter) has told me what they see as the key responsibilities. I would like to hear what you see the responsibilities of this position to be.
  2. Can you share with me the structure of the department or division and how it fits into the total organization?
  3. Considering the people in your department or company, tell me what your most valued employees are like. What are the three things you believe makes them the most successful?
  4. Explain to me what you perceive the corporate culture to be and what type of person best fits into your organization.
  5. As the hiring authority, tell me about your management style and what traits best match with your personality to produce the most productive working environment.
  6. What are the three or four most significant problems or obstacles that your company faces and how do you plan to solve these issues? Growth? Financial stability?
  7. What are the biggest issues that I will face if I were selected for this role?
  8. Is your company or department facing any disasters?
  9. What are the specific projects I will be working on during the first six months?
  10. During the first year, what are the key contributions you would expect from my performance?
  11. What makes you enjoy getting up each day and coming to work?
  12. In three to five years, what career options might be available for me and what, specifically, would I need to do to get there?
  13. In terms of resources, what will I have available to me to work with (i.e. People, equipment, budget, etc.)?
  14. What are three or four things that could cause a person to fail in your department?
  15. As the hiring authority, what did you like most about the individual who did this job before me, and what are three or four things that made them the most successful?
  16. Now that you’ve gotten to know me, do you have any concerns about my ability to perform in this role?
    This questions does two things:
    • It exposes misunderstandings and concerns (of which you  will need to address directly with your strengths)
    • The employer hears the affirmation of your positive qualities and “fit” with the company

If I were to accept this position and come to work here, how do you see this position impacting my career?

At this point, you must make it very clear that you want this position!