Do you make the best use of job interviews? Job interviews are more than just an opportunity for employers to find out more about candidates – you can use your next interview as an information-gathering tool to assess whether the employing organisation is a good fit with you. The job interview questions below will help you find out about five important factors that generally aren’t addressed in detail in job advertisements and role descriptions:
- the daily focus of the position
- drivers of success in the role
- opportunities for advancement within the organisation
- corporate culture and
- organisational management style
so you can make a fully informed decision if you receive a job offer. And they have the added bonus of positioning you as a leading candidate by highlighting your interest in the role, your career focus and your professionalism. Daily focus of the position It’s important to know as far as possible exactly what you’ll be doing day to day; what the specific duties of the position are and how they’re balanced. These interview questions will give you a clear picture to help you decide if the role is right for you:
- Can you describe a typical day in this role?
- What would be the position’s initial challenges?
- What are its major ongoing challenges?
Drivers of success It’s important to know how your performance will be measured and which factors will determine your success in a role. It’s also important to know how and when performance evaluations are undertaken. These interview questions will give you an insight into the employer’s expectations of the successful applicant and in conjunction with the questions above will add to your understanding of the exact nature of the role.
- What are the key performance indicators for the role?
- How does the organisation evaluate performance?
Opportunities for advancement within the organisation Nobody wants to be stuck in a job that goes nowhere! While it’s important to steer clear of giving the impression that you’re planning to use the position of interest as a career stepping stone, it’s perfectly appropriate to ask some carefully phrased interview questions to gain a clearer picture of career opportunities within the organisation.
- What training and development opportunities does the organisation offer staff?
- Does the organisation promote from within whenever possible?
- Where do you see the organisation going in the next 3 – 5 years, and how would that affect the role?
Corporate culture and management style It’s important that the corporate culture is a good fit with your own values. The following interview questions will help you to determine the extent of that fit.
- What do you like most about working for the organisation?
- How would you describe the corporate culture and management style?
