Yes, when I was a recruiter, people would most definitely address off-putting topics, but I also found that some people avoided perfectly normally inquiries out of fear of seeming rude.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
4 Nosy Interview Questions You Should Ask
Yes, when I was a recruiter, people would most definitely address off-putting topics, but I also found that some people avoided perfectly normally inquiries out of fear of seeming rude.
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I really like question 4, but other than that, I don’t feel like I’d want to ask any of these questions during a job interview. They feel like things I’d ask if I got a job offer in order to decide if I want to take the job. Question 2 seems reasonable, but I don’t know how I’d slide questions 1 and 3 in without it just sounding strange. I get the idea of wanting to know if a position is new or just being filled, but prying into why the previous person left seems a bit pointed for an interview. If the interview were my only chance to ask, maybe, but I don’t understand why I’d ask questions the hiring manager uncomfortable during the interview if I can just ask those questions later if I’m being considered for the job. Then again, I haven’t really been in the industry, so maybe these questions would make more sense to me if I’d had more jobs in the past.
Since I have really only had unique jobs that were made up for me or that were seasonal, I have never been in the position to ask questions like these. Reading them, I can imagine why someone applying for a job would be nervous to ask them. After all, they are the ones that hired you and "you should feel lucky you got the job". This was a feeling that I had to learn to avoid when getting a job or even getting into a college and asking for financial aid. I learned that if you got the job or you are far enough in the process to consider asking these questions, they probably want you as much as you want them. You and the company are both making a commitment to one another not just the company to you. Asking questions like the first and second one in this article can help protect you from entering into a commitment that you didn't plan to. They will also help you get a feel for what the company is like and where they are at currently. I like the 3rd question because it even give the company the sense that you want to do your best and work hard for them. The fourth question I would have the most fun asking because I think it would be really interesting to hear all of the reason that people were attracted to the company and how their expectations worked out.
The only question I really like is question 4. It is a good way to find out about the company from the inside position without making it sound like you are desperate or want your interviewer to give you the hot gossip. Instead it shows an interest in your interviewer, giving you a personal connection to him or her. Three is not a bad question, especially if you’re already trying to get a higher position job, but if you’re interviewing for a seasonal position or as someone low in the company, asking what opportunities employees have for professional growth is really forward and makes it seem like you have lost sight of what position you are interviewing for. This can be more true in theatre when people change jobs rather frequently. While some people do stay at one theatre for a really long time, it’s more acceptable to move on in our industry. Overall, I don’t know if I would be comfortable asking 3 of the 4 questions.
As someone who doesn’t always have a good amount of questions at interviews, it’s nice to see some examples that could apply to anyone seeking a pretty serious job. Obviously for me the question about backfilling a position is pretty irrelevant as I have only been looking at summer stock-like positions, which all have a pretty steady turnover for positions at the lower employment levels. However, the other three questions address in this article are great for applying to most positions. I always ask the ‘what is expected’ question, if anything for further detail concerning responsibilities and any extra expectations for my position. I like the second part of this question because I often haven’t received much more than an end-of-job evaluation from any employment, and I feel that a regimented or at least slightly regular feedback program would be beneficial in any skill-developing position. The final question is also a great one as I feel it establishes a personal connection with the interviewer, while also giving you inside information about how maybe the company has changed over time.
All of these interview questions are so great. I feel like nailing the right interview questions can be one of the most make or break moments of the entire interview, as you know you want to make some of the questions a bit personal in terms of your interviewers experience in their position, but you also want to show that you care about the job, and the company, and a million other things. However, I think these are really good ideas for solid question that would both be beneficial to you having a better understanding of what the position means to you as well as a good way to let the interviewer know that you're serious about the position and are really just looking to find the best fit for your skill set and also do the best job for the company if you happen to accept an offer.
This was a great article, and useful too! I am most times worried about what questions I have for my interviewer as I have already done enough research to make me interested. These questions I feel are great at any interview. I think back to when I interviewed for several retail positions. I think that if I ended my interview with these questions I would have gotten a call way sooner.
I honestly wish I had asked some of these questions at college interviews as well. These questions for sure show the employer that you take this position and company seriously, however, it also will give the interviewee the chance to really see if the interviewer knows his or her stuff about the company and specific position. I think that it is just as important for you to like your interviewer as it is for the interviewer to like you.
Interview questions are always tricky because you do not want to come off too confident or nosy or the interviewer answered a lot of the possible questions you already had. Asking questions in an interview is always a struggle for me because I do not usually ask a lot of questions in general. Most of the questions I have are usually answered when they are describing the company and the job to me. I know that that is mostly my fault for not digging deeper to make up other kinds of questions. Though this article was mostly about normal office jobs and maybe does not apply all the time for internships, but I will definitely use some of these questions when I interview for internships next year. It is important to know everything you possibly can about a company before you start working there because you do not want there to be too many surprises once you are already working there because you cannot really get out of them at that point.
I think these questions make a lot of sense to ask in an interview. They show deep interest and a desire to understand more about the company. They are also questions that really are not specific to an industry and ones you could ask at a theater interview or a one for a law firm, etc. I think the questions are most suitable for a corporate world but can be slightly modified to fit a regional theater or any type of theater that is not a corporate enterprise (most theaters). My favorite question is the one about room for professional growth because it shows that you have a desire to keep growing and learning. I like to ask in interviews about skills and experiences I would learn and develop to show that I have a desire to use the job as a learning tool and not just be there as a laborer.
I’m not the kind of person that has to write down a lot of talking points for interviews. If I’ve done my homework and researched the theater, I feel comfortable just letting it be a conversation between me and the interviewer, and responding to what they ask in the moment instead of preparing scripted answers ahead of time. Except when it comes to questions, for some reason I can never think of good relevant questions to ask based on what we’ve talked about. I always have to prepare them in advance, and even then I worry about them not being the “right” questions or not being good enough. Although I know how valuable knowing good interview skills and good questions to ask and answers to give is, I think it is strange how many articles and tips there are about the right things to say in an interview. If the point of an interview is to get to know you, the candidate, better as an individual, how can interviewers do that when we’ve all been trained to say the same things?
I’ve done a few interviews lately for summer internships, in addition to the practice interviews we did a little while ago in PTM class, and I have to admit that the end of the interview “do you have any questions for me?” question has always stumped me. I remember specifically during my interview here over a year ago that I felt like I needed to ask questions when I was prompted even though I had done so much research about the school and had had so many opportunities to talk to current students that I literally could not think of a genuine question I had. I honestly feel like most of these questions are not at all relateable to an arts- focused career, except maybe number 3. The idea of asking for how you will grow as professional is pretty expected in an interview for a theater company, at least in my experience, since almost every internship I’ve applied to has asked for what my future goals are as a theater professional. I think the fourth one is a bit redundant since hopefully your employer is involved in theater because the are passionate and devoted to the art, and didn’t need another reason to join.
I think that interview questions are actually a really important skill that we ought to cover more at CMU. I'm reading the comments above, and it looks like almost everyone has trouble with that part of an interview, or simply doesn't come up with any. On my last interview, my interviewers were extremely pleased that I had come prepared with questions for them and asked them directly. They told me that there were many seasoned professionals that never asked questions and that that alone made me a more stand-out candidate. But they're right! It is so important that an interview stays a two-way conversation. The questions you come prepared with are the only input you have control over in the process, so make it good. It's also so easy to do and makes such a good impression. One of the biggest challenges, I know, is coming up with questions that they haven't already answered in the interview. That's why you have to make a long list. Not a long list of questions that vary in quality. You have to come up with a long list of good, solid questions, and then physically cross them off when the interviewer answers them. That way you are ready immediately when you hear, "Do you have any questions for me?" and don't give them the "Oh um...let me think. I think...I think no I think you answered them all." Being ready with questions shows your interviewer that you are well prepared, unafraid to be direct, and actually care about the job enough to imagine yourself in it and wonder about what it looks like.
I think these are great questions to ask. Often times, I find myself being unsure of what questions to ask on job interviews. There is a lot to think about when applying for or looking for jobs. Unfortunately, most of my jobs have been temporary summer jobs where pay is typically of the biggest concern. Looking forward, having income after finishing my master’s degree will be incredibly important for repaying debt. However, cash-in-pocket income isn’t always the most important. In my experience, and discussion with others, educational settings (universities) may offer low pay but great benefits. The questions here are great because they tell you more about the company and not just the job. While knowing about the company before going into an interview is important, there are some things you can’t find on their website. Knowing the answers to these questions could mean the difference in accepting a job.
I appreciate this article. Sometimes, well, most of the time, it is really difficult to know exactly what is polite, what is impolite, and what will cost you the job during an interview, especially when it is time for you to be asking the questions. To know that these are questions that this author, previously a recruiter, has heard and appreciates is good authority that these questions are appropriate to ask during an interview. However, it is not totally and completely trustworthy, as interviews are highly dependent on the interviewer’s perspective and opinions of what is too nosy or not. However, I believe that finding the right way to word the question is everything. You could still ask the same question, just in a different way and with a fitting tone. This is the way to go about an interview, and I wish the author had included that tip.
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