‘Is there anything you’d like to ask me?’ Many interviewers will ask you that just before closing a job interview, and they’ll be expecting you to have some questions prepared. Not having any questions ready creates the impression you’re not particularly interested in the vacancy or haven’t bothered to research your potential employer. This could naturally mean bad news for your application.
However, you can capture the interviewer’s attention and tick a few boxes with the following questions:
Can you tell me a bit about the company culture?
Asking this doesn’t mean that all you care about is chatting by the water cooler or whether they’ll take you on in time for the next office party. What it does show, however, is that you’re interested in how the company operates. It’s important to understand how the company functions if you’re to work within it. You need to know the company’s communication channels and whether they match your own style. Are meetings interactive, or should you only speak when you’re asked to? Are informal chats around the office space ok, or should you book time in with senior management?
What constitutes success?
Be ready for the interviewer to ask you this. Know, however, that you can put the same question to them too. The question provides an insight into your potential employer’s values and into how they operate. Is success, for them, all about making profits? Is it about meeting targets? Is it about earning recognition within the field? With this question, you can also determine whether you can help the company to accomplish its goals.
What do you like most about working here?
This is a chance for the interviewer to talk about the values that are important to them and also about what led to their success. They might talk about perks of the job, they might mention successful projects or they might speak of a pleasant working atmosphere. If the interviewer waxes lyrical about the place, it’s a potentially good sign, whereas if they struggle to say anything nice – well, that tells you everything you need to know.
What are the opportunities for promotion?
Avoid asking when you’d be promoted and about specific salary increases, but do enquire about whether there’s scope for promotion at the company. The employer will see you’re determined to succeed and that you have ambitions. More importantly, they’ll understand you want to be in the job for the long run. Even in the age of zero-hours contracts and temporary vacancies, employers still want people they know they can count on.
What happens next?
You shouldn’t leave the interview without asking this, since it will help you to prepare for the next stage of the selection process. Very subtly, the question also conveys a quiet underlying confidence that you’ve passed the interview. Employers like confident people. Try to steer clear of coming across cocky or overconfident, however.
No one likes negativity or apathy, so prove your interest in both the vacancy and the employer by asking questions like these when prompted. You can even ask one or two of them during the interview instead of waiting until the end, but avoid dominating the conversation with your own queries. Interviews are a chance to create a good first impression. Make your mark by being prepared.
Images by Claus Rebler, Paxson Woelber and Luz Adriana Villa A., used under Creative Commons licence.