The job interview would be much less stressful if we had a copy of the questions in advance. But there is a simple way for the candidate to regain control of the interview: you can ask questions yourself. Not only will this give you a valuable insight into the job, but, depending on what you ask, it could indicate to the recruitment manager that you are a serious candidate. "LinkedIn's research shows that 41% of interviewers believe that asking informed questions is one of their best decision indicators for a candidate. Therefore, you will certainly want to be really curious during your interview," said Blair Decembrele, career expert at LinkedIn.
And how you ask questions is almost as important as what you ask. "Certainly you can ask relevant questions throughout the interview," she said. What to ask? If you need clarification on a certain point or if the recruitment officer asks you if you want to add something at the end, here are some examples of relevant questions to ask, according to Decembrele: ·
"Can you tell me what the most important values of the company are? "Where do you see the company in the next year? "What about the next five? "What is the work environment? "What is the culture of the company, is it a more autonomous or collaborative company? "What was the last challenge the company faced and what did management or employees learn? "How do you measure the company's success? "What kind of training, if any, is offered to employees? »
If all this sounds intimidating, think about it this way: even if they interview you and the company is recruiting, you interview them to determine if the position is right for you. "Don't be afraid to ask specific questions about your job," says Decembrele.
"Also make sure you are not afraid to ask difficult questions such as your recruitment manager's long-term vision for your role or the areas of opportunity for you and your team".
However, as a precaution, I suggest that you leave out of the conversation the aspects concerning remuneration during your first interview.
But don't hesitate to ask for what you want and need professionally and don't be afraid to negotiate. To give you a frame of reference on what you want to ask for in terms of compensation, check out Glassdoor, which offers an approximate salary range for most positions, as well as the LinkedIn compensation tool, which provides information on compensation and benefits for people in similar positions. Also avoid asking from the outset for anything that might suggest low work value at home, such as time off, recuperation (35 hours) or opportunities to work from home.
But according to Decembrele, you can still discuss the benefits offered by the company at some point early in the hiring process.
While there is no guarantee that asking intelligent questions will get you the job, it could still make the difference between you and any other candidate.