Job Interview Question

What questions do you have for us?

By the end of the job interview, when they ask if you have any questions for them, you probably feel like you’re toast.  You’re just done, and you want to go home.  That’s the way most people feel, so the most common response to this question is, “I don’t have any questions, I think you’ve covered everything.”

That’s bad, bad, bad.  It’s one of the things you should never say in a job interview.  It makes you look uninterested in the job.

The best questions to ask are those that make it clear you’ve been listening to what their main problems and concerns are.  Clarify, elaborate, or dig deeper.  There are lots of good questions to ask.

You can ask about the timeline:  “How soon do you want to have someone in the role?”  That shows you are motivated to get started quickly.

You can ask about the last person who was in this role.  If the person who had the position before was promoted, ask, “Is that a traditional track for this job?”  If the person who was in the role before wasn’t meeting expectations, ask, “Can you tell me how they weren’t meeting expectations so I could understand?”

If you’re speaking with your direct future boss, ask about the biggest challenges of the job and can he see you meeting those challenges?

If you’re speaking with the Human Resources Manager, ask about the company, the growth of the department, where it fits in relation to the rest of the company, and so on.

If you’re speaking with upper management, ask questions that demonstrate your understanding of the industry as a whole and this company’s place in it and its plans for the future.

This is not the time to ask about anything that would benefit you, like salary, vacations, or perks.  At this point, they’re like your customer.  It’s all about them right now, not you.  Remember that the job interview is a sales process and you have to keep selling, or keep showing them all the different reasons why you’d be a good fit for them until they say, “yes, we want to hire you.”  

You don’t have to keep asking an endless round of more and more questions.  Just ask a few more questions that show your interest, enthusiasm, and concern for their problem (which is the job that isn’t getting done until they put someone in that role).

Continue the conversation and ask questions to find out more details that will help you move in the direction of uncovering more of their motivations, needs, and wants you can so you can better position yourself as the candidate they want.

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Job Interview Question

Is there anything I haven’t told you about the company that you’d like to know?

Toward the end of the interview, hiring managers will ask some version of, “Do you have any questions for me?”   Your answer is ALWAYS going to be “yes.”

You always want to have a list of questions to ask in the interview.  If you don’t have any, it makes you look like you’re not that interested in the role.

Here are some examples of great questions to ask:

Why is the position open?

Either the person before you failed so miserably at the role they were fired (in which case you want to know so you don’t make the same mistakes), or they were so good at it they got promoted (in which case you want to know so you can see what worked and get a head start on being successful yourself).  Or maybe the company is growing, so they’ve created this new role to deal with that.  The answer you get will tell you a lot about what’s going on.

When do you want to have it filled?

A few candidates will be afraid to ask this question, but don’t be.  It is not too bold.  You’re just getting information that will help you be professional in your follow up.  After you send your thank you note, you need to know when you should be calling to check on the status of the job.  You need a timeline so you’re not left hanging, wondering what’s going on.  Hopefully, you’re following several job leads and have lots of interviews scheduled.  You don’t want to turn something else down because you’re waiting on this one.

How does this role fit as a part of the whole of the company?

This is a great way to find out about advancement opportunities without coming right out and asking about them.  And you can find out about what other departments you’ll be working with.  It might uncover some company culture or organizational issues you need to know before you start.

Where did the person who was in this role before go?

Were they promoted?  Where were they promoted to?  Is that the advancement track the company generally follows?  Do they like to promote from within?  All this is great information for you.

Were they fired?  Why were they fired?  Is there something they did or tried that should be a warning for you?

What is it you like about the company?  (Alternative questions:  What do you find most impressive about the company? Why do you like working here?)

The answer you get from this question should uncover a lot about the corporate culture, and whether this organization is a good fit for you.  It might even uncover some perks that you wouldn’t have discovered otherwise….like maybe there’s an on-site gym or childcare, or maybe there are stock options you didn’t know about that would have an effect on your salary negotiations later.

PS - Really, I hope you ask questions all the way through the interview, as part of a give-and-take conversation.  It’s more relaxed, it builds better rapport with the interviewer…it’s just all-around better for you.  30 60 90 day plans are great tools to facilitate that kind of conversation, help you be more impressive as a candidate, and uncover more information that helps you sell yourself for the job.

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Job Interview Question

Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.

If you get asked to describe a time you went above and beyond the call of duty on the job, be thrilled because this is a great behavioral interview question that has the potential to make you look like an amazing candidate.

You should ALWAYS have one of these stories. It’s always a great thing to talk about how you not only met, but exceeded the expectations of your employer. That’s value.

Before you go into the interview, as part of your job interview prep, think about what story you’d tell in this situation. You should always try to choose one that not only describes a past success but also speaks to your potential success on this job.

Good choices would be ones that highlight skills you need on this job or tasks you’ll need to accomplish, although stories that highlight good character traits are also helpful. Relate your story to the job you’re trying to get in some way.

Your answer or your story should talk about a difficult situation that you overcame in some way. Conflict and resolution always makes for a good story. And you should always tell it along the lines of “Here was the situation….we needed X done, these were the tasks that needed to be done, these were the actions I took, and these were the results.”

That’s the STAR method. STAR stands for the Situation or Task you faced, the Action you took, and the Results you received. It’s just a process to follow to make sure you get all the necessary elements in your answer. I’ve also seen it called CAR: Circumstance, Action, Result. Same thing.

Do not be afraid to brag. This is your shot. In fact, this is also an excellent time to pop open your brag book and do a little show and tell. Show them the note you got from a customer or your supervisor that congratulated you on a job well done. Show them the graph of the stats that improved dramatically after you took action.

Brag books are excellent communication aids for job interviews. They’re visual, which gives you another interesting element in the interview. Not everyone takes the time to put them together and bring them, so they’ll help you stand out. And they provide powerful evidence that backs up your story: I can do what I say I can do, and here’s proof.”

Combine a great story with the brag book, and you’ve got a solid point in your favor in the interview.

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Job Interview Question

Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.

Even though a good STAR story is the backbone of answering Behavioral Interview questions, here’s one interview question where it’s actually a good thing NOT to have a great story for. Asking you for an example of a time when you folded under pressure is a situational interview question that’s even worse than “Describe a difficult situation and how you handled it.” At least in that one you can come out looking like you’ve overcome something. In this one, there’s not any way to make yourself look good.

Because think about your choices with this question:

Did you not want to conform to the policy because it was unethical—but then you did? You may think of yourself as the martyr in that situation, but you’ll just come across as someone who is OK with being unethical. That’s not the image you want to project.

Did you not want to conform because you knew best? Saying that you knew more than your previous boss is a bad tactical error in an interview because then you’re badmouthing them—and that’s always a no-no. That answer sets you up as an adversary for your future boss even before she hires you—and she won’t. Not with that attitude.

The truth is that the vast majority of directives, instructions, etc. at work you just won’t be able to have any influence on. The few things that you can influence are still limited. You can try to communicate, grab more information, educate, and so on. But in the end, you’re going to have to execute or you might lose your job.

But this question does get asked in interviews, so how do you answer it?

The interview wants to know how you would really react in a difficult situation. What’s your communication style? Did you confront your boss? Did you avoid the whole discussion?

Your best answer probably sounds something like, “Sorry, I can’t think of a time when that happened.” If they press, you might say, “I might ask questions or express concerns over a policy because I believe it’s part of my job to support the team and that includes spotting potential issues before they become actual problems…but in the end the decision belongs to my supervisor and I always respect that.”

With that answer, you’ve shown you’re a critical thinker, a team player, and respect the chain of command. What potential boss wouldn’t be comfortable with that?

Get more help with shining in behavioral interviews.

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Job Interview Question

Do you prefer working in a team or alone?

Even though asking if you prefer working independently or as part of a team is a standard job interview question, it’s also a bit of a tricky one. I can’t think of any job that doesn’t at some point require both work styles. So even though you probably do prefer working one way or the other, you will shoot yourself in the foot if you say so. It’s better if you are comfortable with both, and very important that you indicate that. But there are subtle distinctions in the wording you use that can make the difference between an adequate answer and a standout answer.

The standard answer that most people give: ‘I work well either way—I’m great as part of a team, and I’m comfortable working alone” is an OK answer, but you can do better. The way to be strategic about this question is to really know the typical working conditions of the job you’re going for and how much of your time will be spent on a team or by yourself. That requires some research on your part—but that kind of job interview prep is an essential part of creating your 30-60-90-day plan, which you should be doing anyway.