So you recently left your job because you were unhappy and unfulfilled. And you were unhappy because it wasn't the right fit; the culture was all wrong, so were the people, your boss, the expectations, the position, the team, and the growth opportunities. None of the problems that drove you nuts you anticipated when you began…because you didn't ask the right questions during your interview.
To get you thinking, I've come up with a list of key questions to ask the interviewer in your next interview. Time is precious… don't waste it on a job that doesn't suit you!
Who did this job before me, and where are they now?
How long does it usually take someone in this department to master their job?
How will I be trained and coached? And, typically, by who?
Will my training be formal or informal?
Who will I be reporting to? And how long have they been in the position?
What are the performance expectations of this position over the first six months?
What is the performance appraisal process like? And how frequent are they?
Do this department's goals reflect the company's mission?
What's valued more here: the value of what I do as an individual or within a team?
What are the company's three salient values, and what are you looking for in an employee to match those values?
What do you dislike about working here?
How do you typically get promoted in this company?
If I ask 5-10 random employees on my first day, "What is it like to work here?" What will they say?
How is the team's performance measured and rewarded?
Why are you hiring?
Is this department's employee turnover higher or lower than the rest of the company, and is the company's turnover higher or lower than the industry?
How long have you worked here?
Has this been your only position with the company?
Is it normal for employees to be available outside of normal working hours?
How has the company adapted to Covid-19?
Your Question:
Good Jobs are difficult to get. Do I really want to risk annoying the interviewer by asking these questions?
YES!!!
If you don’t ask these questions:
You end up taking a job that didn’t match your values, goals, or wishes.
Which makes it improbable for you to perform at a level to grow, be promoted, or even survive in the job.
This means you will eventually be demotivated, fail in the job, underperform, and get fired or ‘counseled out’ anyway.
And if you get fired or ‘counseled out,’ you won’t get a good reference from the job.
Which makes it even harder to get your next job (as no one in your last job can/would vouch for you).
So…Ask what you need to ask!!
PS: The interviewer is a representation of the company. If you aren’t satisfied with their responses, attitude, behavior, and overall defensiveness resulting from your questions, consider yourself warned!!!
