Smart Questions to Ask at Interviews According to Harvard Business Review Part 2
Harvard Business Review released an article with suggested questions for you to ask your interviewer at the end of an interview. This is Part 2 of 2. You can watch part 1 at https://youtu.be/3pfn2l0t_2s
00:00 Introduction
00:32 Questions to ask about the company
01:19 Questions about the corporate culture
02:08 Questions about professional development, career paths, and future opportunities
02:40 Closing questions
03:04 Questions to avoid
03:19 Outro
Smart Questions to Ask at Interviews According to Harvard Business Review Part 1
Hi, I’m Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter. People hire me for no BS career advice in a variety of different forms. And today I’m doing part two of a series. Well, Harvard Business Review released an article called “38 smart questions to ask in a job interview.” Yesterday I did part one, today is part two, I’ll have a link back to part one in the show notes.
So let’s start off with questions about the company. Now, one thing they point out is that there are questions you shouldn’t ask. And these are the ones you can ask because they make sense. What are the current goals that the company has focused on and how does this team work to support hitting those goals? What gets you most excited about the company’s future? How would you describe the company’s values? Now, I would also tell you to see if there’s a mission statement for the firm that you’re interviewing with. That’s going to give you a sense of the congruence between what this person says and what the actual corporate mission is. How has the company changed over the last few years? What are the company’s plans for growth and development?
Then there are questions about the culture at the firm? How do you typically onboard employees? And if the position will be remote, ask them specifically about
how remote employees are integrated into the firm’s culture. What do new employees typically find surprising after they start? Is there anything that I should read before starting that would help me have a shared understanding with my new colleagues? What’s your favorite office tradition? What do you and the team usually do for lunch? Do you ever do joint events with the departments or teams? What’s different about working here than anywhere else you’ve worked. How has the company changed since you joined?
Then they suggest questions about professional development, career paths and future opportunities. What learning and development opportunities will I have in this role? How does the team I’ll be part of continue to grow professionally? Are there examples of a career path beginning with this position? What are the common career paths in this department? How are promotions typically handled? Where have successful employees moved on to?
And then there are closing questions that they recommend. What am I not asking you that I should? Is there anything else I can provide you with that will be helpful? Is there anything I can clarify for you about my qualifications? What are the next steps in the process are in the hiring process?
Now, the questions to avoid are anything that you could find out from a Google search. They also add in what is the starting salary? Can you tell me about your health insurance? And what are your paid leave policies?
When all is said and done, there are many very good questions here that you should be asking on interviews that complement the ones that I coach people about. And I’ll just simply say, there’s a lot more of my website to help you. That site is TheBigGameHunter.us. Go to the blog, go exploring. Like I said, a lot there that can help you. Plus, you can schedule time for a coaching session with me, a paid coaching session, or a free discovery call where you can evaluate me for my ability to help you at the site. You can also find out about my courses, books and guides. Again, a lot to help you. Lastly, connect with me on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter. Have a terrific day and be great!
The 1 Question Every C-Level Candidate Should Be Asked
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. He is hired to provide No BS Career Advice globally. That can involve job search, hiring staff, management, leadership, career transition and advice about resolving workplace issues. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
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