The most disheartening thing that happens near the conclusion of any interview is when I ask the candidate if they have any questions, and the first words out of his/her mouth are…….”how much does it pay?” No words end an interview quicker than these. The funny thing is, these are the same people who have no clue about anything related to the company they are interviewing for……just ask them. Not a good impression to leave, because if you as an interviewee show you only care about the money, you will almost certainly not fit into the culture of the company, because you probably don’t care.
A vital component to any interview is to ask good questions. I would think it would only be natural to have a genuine interest in the details of the job, the environment of the department you'll be working in, your potential supervisor's management style, and the overall mission and culture of the organization. Otherwise, you're either indicating that you're not very interested, or just haven't taken time to think much about it. In any case, a lack of good questions is not giving the right signals to the interviewer.
Prior to any job interview, make sure to do your homework. Become familiar with the company and industry so that you have an idea of what they do. Ask open-ended questions so the interviewer has a chance to go beyond a “yes” or “no.” Also be cautious about asking questions for which the answers are readily accessible on the company’s website or in information online. Doing so will not leave the intelligent impression you would want.
I already mentioned this, but it is worth repeating again: NEVER ask about compensation or benefits. Let the interviewer bring up that subject. It will work highly to your advantage if you do so.
As far as the questions to ask, let those depend on what you truly want to find out (within the confines of professionalism).
It really comes down to what you need to know. Keep it to just a few so you don’t use too much time, or become an annoyance. Some good questions to ask may include:
Why is the position open?
What are the biggest challenges or obstacles the professional in this position will face?
What would a successful first year in the position look like?
How would you describe the culture here?
How would you describe your management style?
Thinking back to the person whom you've seen do this job best, what made their performance so outstanding?
When do you expect to make a hiring decision?
What do you see ahead for your company in the next five years?
What do you consider to be your company's most important assets?
What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth?
How do you see the future for this industry?
What is the overall structure of the company and how does your department fit the structure?
What have been the department's successes in the last couple of years?
What are the most immediate challenges of the position that need to be addressed in the first three months?
And there are many more. Again, it all depends on what will help you learn more about the position, and what will aid you in making an educated decision if offered the position.
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