Why Should You Ask Questions?

I have occasionally begun interviews in this way:

ME: Thank you for coming today. We are interviewing only the best candidates who responded to our posting on LinkedIn and yours was one of the best. We have a great team in our department, and we hire only after careful consideration. I have created an agenda for our meeting today (I hand the applicant a copy of it). Take a look at this; it includes some of the questions I would like us to discuss. Don’t feel that you have to memorize these, or that there are any perfect answers. (Pause) Are there any items you’d like to add (if no, I move on)? All right. You will note that my first question asks if you have any questions about this position.

CANDIDATE: (Some candidates are befuddled and reply in the negative. The rare candidate will begin with a powerful and important question, such as: Tell me a little about your team. Or, what makes your team gel? Or, what is your management style? Or, what are your primary goals for this year? More on this later when we discuss mock interviews.

Most interviews do not begin this way, as far as I know. But, because I have been a marketing person for most of my career, I’m interested in the customer point of view, and I have always perceived the job candidate as my customer. If we have a great interview, a true conversation, and I don’t hire that person, I hope to leave her or him feeling good about the company and anxious to reapply, should another vacancy arise. And, if we come to terms on employment, I have created a positive impression for this person to begin working in our team.

In any event, you must prepare to ask questions for the following reasons:

Ask questions to show your interest in the position and the company

Show that you are an assertive person, not aggressive, but assertive

Show the depth of your intelligence

Show your energy

Speaking of energy, I have told students to begin by saying, “I am so excited to be here and I welcome this opportunity.” This sets the stage for a positive experience by priming both candidate and employer. When you say this with conviction and energy, you also set the stage for asking questions.

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset
34.238.143.70