Five Interview Questions You Should Always Ask

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Five Interview Questions
You Should Always Ask

These "five interview questions you should always ask" go beyond the obvious ones, such as job title, job description, and other such basic questions. In fact, it's unlikely you'll even need to ask those questions, as that represents the kind of interview tips and advice that is usually made clear to you.

With some preparation and thought, you should be able to easily come up with 15 to 20 first interview questions to ask. But these five, in some form, should always be asked.

Not only will they help you to ascertain if the job for which you are interviewing meets the criteria of your perfect job, but the answers collectively will give you a fairly accurate picture of what's really going on behind the interview.

1. What are the priorities that will need to be addressed immediately in this position?

A title alone tells you nothing. The job description won't reveal much either, except whether or not you're capable of doing what's required functionally on a daily basis.

One of the interview questions that should be answered is "Was everything left running smoothly"? Is it pretty much picking up and continuing daily functions as normal? Or is there damage control that needs to be done? If so, is there a time-line for the repair, and is it an achievable one considering your capabilities? Is it realistic regardless of who holds the position?

If you don't have any information already, this will begin to clue you in about both the boss and the previous employee. If you have been provided with some detail already, then the answer should track with what you've already learned.

2. How long was the previous person here? Why did they leave?

This is another revealing interview questions. Generally, in answering the first part, the interviewer will answer the second part as well. But if they don't, then ask it. And if the previous jobholder was there an oddly short time, you also want to know how long their predecessor held the position.

If the job is in disarray, and the last two people were there a short period of time and were fired, you don't need to ask any of the other questions here. Exit gracefully and then run! Because before long, you, too, will be terminated for not achieving whatever it is they want done - regardless of if the stated time frame sounded realistic or not.

3. Tell me about your management style

Is he a micro manager? Is he an information hound that needs to be kept informed of everything? Does he leave people alone to do what he hired them for, and simply keep on top of what's going on? Does he help you if you have trouble? Does he mentor, or does he berate his staff.

Obviously he's not going to come right out and tell you he's a micro manager! Instead he might say, "I like to keep a very close watch on what's going on in my department," or "I visit with each member of my department on a daily basis to make sure they're staying on track," or something similar. You'll find that the person will be fairly straight forward in sharing their management style with you. What you want to pay attention to is how they word it.

4. What types of people tend to Excel here?

Workaholics? Ones who are self-motivated and manage themselves well? People who work well in teams or committees? Employees who keep their boss informed of "where they are with things" on a daily basis? This tells you something about the pervasive culture in the company or department. Generally speaking, companies - or departments - tend to be made up of similar types of people that are in harmony with the company culture and philosophy.

An entrepreneurial person won't function well in a committee environment. While sales personalities can vary greatly, the top achievers are goal driven and motivated to achieve, rather than complacent. People who are accustomed to thinking for themselves will find themselves chafing in a company that has a more dictatorial style, while those who perform better when they're told what to do will find themselves adrift in a company that requires its employees to think for themselves.

5. How long have you been here? Why do you stay?

The answer to this question will give you an indication as to the feeling or health of the department or company. The way in which he answers the question will also give you additional insight into your potential boss, his management style, and what type of people excel in the department or company. These are informational questions, not challenges. Be genuinely interested in the answer, because you're gaining valuable information that has to do with your future.

When you leave the interview and process it within yourself, you will be matching what you learned with what you are looking for. Pay attention to the interviewer's body language and facial expressions. Is he relaxed? Does he fill in some of the spaces? Does he speak to you - or AT you? Does he answer the question briefly and then quickly fire off another one? These, too, are valuable cues, and after the interview, you will need to match them with the verbal information you received.

Your perfect job might land in your lap by grace and good fortune. But more than likely, you will need to look for it. It's there - but to recognize it, you will need to know what it doesn't look like, and that is where good interview tips and advice will be helpful.

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