It’s okay to try to impress your hiring manager with well-answered questions but aside from making your interviewer know you prepared well for the interview, you should also equip yourself with meaningful interview questions to ask an employer. A good interview session should serve as a platform for the future employee to improve their knowledge about the position or company they are about to work with.
When as an interviewee you ask a hiring manager insightful questions, you demonstrate your professionalism, commitment and thoughtfulness. Unfortunately, many candidates trail off when asked if they have questions to ask the hiring manager.
Why You Should Have Questions for Your Hiring Manager
Think about what impact your answer ‘No’ will have on your hiring manager. You should never say ‘No’ when you hear “Do you have any questions for me?” The major reason being that the question is also a part of your test. The ‘No’ answer practically blows away all your hard work from the beginning of the interview. Take the “Do you have any questions?” as your interviewer’s way of gauging your interest in the company and the job you applied for. So when you ask a question, you give the impression that you’ve done some meaningful research both on the company and on the job description.
However, you should avoid asking questions that have already been answered during the interview. Pay attention and organise your questions strategically. Your question should help you understand the culture of the company, the department you are about to work in, and your job description if hired. To guide you on what to ask your employer in your next job interview, here are 25 unique interview questions you can memorize.
25 Unique Interview Questions To Ask An Employer Or Boss
Questions about the Company
1. Can you give me your perspective on the company culture?
2. As a hiring manager, you’re constantly selling the positives of the company. What do you find is the biggest concern new employees have when considering a role with the company?
3. What’s the Process for Reviewing and Evaluating Employees?
4. Can you share some of the challenges the department faces and how you’re working towards a solution?
5. How would you describe your management style?
6. How would you describe your ideal employee?
7. Who are your leadership role models?
8. In terms of your communication style, do you tend to hold weekly staff meetings, quarterly one-on-ones and the like, or do you tend not to schedule your meetings in such a structured way?
9. Do you prefer for your team to set goals and, if so, do you measure and evaluate them on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis? Likewise, how do you measure and track success?
10. What’s your general approach to addressing problematic performance issues? What can we expect in terms of your style when dealing with interpersonal conflict, and what’s your philosophy surrounding “mistakes”?
11. Is the leadership team appreciative and inclusive?
12. How has the new CEO change (assuming they had one) impacted your department?
13. Tell me a little bit about the boss’s leadership style.
14. How does your staff unwind after a stressful period or celebrate success?
15. How do you like to give constructive criticism?
Questions about Your Job Description
16. What are the primary goals or challenges I would be tasked with right away?
17. What are your expectations for the new candidate in the first 6-months of employment?
18. Based on the team dynamic, what skills or traits do you believe a candidate will need to have to be the right fit and be successful?
19. At the end of year one, what does success look like for the person you hire into this role?
20. What is the biggest challenge you believe the person who takes up this role will initially face?
21. What opportunities will I have to learn and grow?
22. What are the expectations about managing workflow?
23. Is there anything I have said that makes you doubt I would be a great fit for this position?
24. What would you add or subtract to your current team in order to strengthen performance or productivity?
25. Is the company’s leader more of a laissez-faire leader, or does he prefer providing ongoing structure, feedback and direction?
See Also: 20 Motivational Quotes From The Richest Africans
Interview Questions You Should Never Ask Your Employer
Just as it is very important for you to ask your future employer or boss questions, it is also very important to avoid asking lame questions that may dampen your reputation. When preparing interview questions for your boss or employer, you must avoid asking the following questions.
26. Questions about Salary: It is your duty to do your research on the salary scale of the company before heading on to the interview. Even when the salary is your primary concern, your recruiter, boss or employer should see your interest and experience for the job.
27. Questions about Benefits: The company should have stated so if there is any benefit attached to the job on their website. If not, let the recruiter or your future boss decide to share the details with you.
28. Will You Monitor My Social Networking Profiles? Although this is a valid concern, this question is best left unasked because it gives the impression you have something to hide.
29. May I Arrive Early or Leave Late as Long as I Get My Hours In? – Although you want clarification on the flexibility of the job, this kind of question creates the impression that you place your personal life above the company which may not be acceptable.
30 Questions about Time Off: This is one other question that makes the employer wonder if you have the interest of the company at heart. No employer would want to hire anyone whose commitment is questionable.
