Interview Process
Preparing for your interview
At the interview
Questions you may be asked at the interview
Questions to ask at the interview
What to expect at a second interview
Negotiating your remuneration package
Questions to ask at the Interview
At the end of the interview
At the end of interview you will be given the chance to ask the questions. When the interviewer has decided that he has got as much information from you in terms of your capability, whether you will fit in, whether you are likely to be a loyal employee etc he will invite you to ask your questions. After all an interview is a two way street and the interviewer wants to make sure that if they do offer you the position you are going to take it. So this is the interviewers chance to reassure you on any points that may concern you.
Remember, the interview is definitely not over yet so don’t feel you can sit back and relax. The questions you do and don’t ask here say a great deal about you and will still influence any decision about whether you will be offered the position. It would be fatal not to ask any questions at all, firstly because it looks unenthusiastic and makes you look like your not really interested in the position and secondly because there will definitely be questions that the interviewer has not covered and you will want to answers to for your own peace of mind. After all, if you considering changing position you want to make sure that you know as much as possible about the position you are moving to, as this is a major decision in your career.
There are lots of questions you will want to ask that show your enthusiasm towards the company and the position they are offering which will compliment what you are able to contribute to them. Asked correctly, they will make you look ambitious, intelligent and committed so it really is important that you give this your very best.
Compile a list of questions
The easiest thing to do is to compile a list of brief questions (no more than half a dozen). If you think you will forget them right them down on your notepad. The interviewer will not mind you getting this out of your briefcase.
Example questions to make a positive impression
Please find some examples of questions to ask that will give a good impression and which type not to ask. We will start with some of the questions to ask.
Why has this vacancy arisen?
This is a good question to ask because vacancies arise all the time for various reasons and the reason may be that someone has been promoted, or moved to another division of the company where the individual excelled in. Therefore a good indicator to whether the company are truly keen on promoting within.
Do you promote internally where possible?
This question shows that you are keen to progress within the company and if interested you could also enquire as to whether any overseas opportunities ever come up within the company. However, there is a fine line between coming across as ambitious and too ambitious, so you main focus should be the position that initially gained your interest.
What opportunities do you offer to gain extra training, qualifications or experience?
Be a little careful about asking this question if you have already stated that you are an expert in your field. There are however exceptions, for example you may be in an expert in providing tax planning, but regulations and qualifications are forever changing and therefore you need to be up to date. It again shows that you are committed to your employer and the profession and that you want to do the best for your company.
If I were offered this position, where would you see me in five years time?
This is a great one because it’s asking your interviewer to imagine that your in the job. This question also gives the impression of a long terms commitment to the company implying that you would want to progress with them onwards and upwards. The answer, of course, will give you a greater insight into how quickly people move up through the ranks in this company. You will want to know this when considering your long term options should you be offered the position.
Where does the company aim to be in five years time?
You want to know the answer to this question for your own benefit. However, you will impress your interviewer with this as it shows that you have an interest in the benefit of the company as a whole long term and not just in your own position.
Do you have any reservations about my ability?
You can use this statement in a broader term and it must be used in a confident manner but it could work along the lines of “I am very interested in this position and believe that I have the capability to do it very well, do you have any reservations about my ability to do so?” It seems like a pushy statement but it isn’t really it’s quite a reasonable question to ask. At the end of the day you’re selling yourself as the perfect candidate, this gives the interviewer chance to clarify any points he may have, he can only say “no” if he has doesn’t have any reservations. You are convincing him that you are the right person for the position if he has no reasons not to employ you.
When can I expect to hear from you?
This gives you a clear picture of when to expect a reply. They may have other interviews taking place over the coming weeks and because of this reason they will not be making a decision before all the interviews have taken place. However, keep close to your recruitment specialist as they will have a good grasp on the current state of play and be able to keep you up to date on progress and feedback.
What would the next stage be?
This gives you the opportunity to gain a clear idea of what to expect at the next stage, which in turn allows you some time to think and prepare.
Questions not to ask at this stage
Please find some questions you don’t want to ask at this stage;
Will I get my own office?
What holiday entitlement do I get?
Do I get paid if I’m off sick?
How flexible are the working hours?
What salary can I expect?
How long do I get for lunch?
Do I get a choice of company car?
You can see from this list where we are going with this; all of the questions are aimed at what you get out of this company, not what benefits you can offer to them. Of course all of these questions are relevant to you but as yet you haven’t been offered the position so now is not a good time to discuss them. Should you be offered the job there will be plenty of time to negotiate all of these.
