Nothing you can tell the interviewer will ever equal the impact of what you can ask.
YOU CAN TELL PEOPLE ALL DAY LONG HOW QUALIFIED YOU ARE, HOW TALENTED YOU ARE AND WHAT A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO THE COMPANY YOU WOULD BE.
But no statement is ever as impactful as a well-timed, well-executed question. If you want a recruiter or executive who interviews you to tell a colleague afterwards, “I had a great conversation with that candidate. He had really thought a lot about our business,” these are the types of questions you should ask during a job interview.
Be sure to ask these questions at the upcoming Military Spouse Virtual Career Expo, where you can chat one-on-one with recruiters looking to hire military spouses. Registration is free, but seats are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot!
1) CREDIBILITY-BUILDING
- “I’ve found there are typically three barriers to breakthrough sales performance: coordination of the sales function with marketing and manufacturing, customer selection and product quality. In your case, do you think any of these factors are holding back your sales growth?”
- “What do you believe are your own greatest opportunities for increasing sales effectiveness?”
2) WHY?
- “Why did you close down your parts business rather than try to find a buyer for it?”
- “Why did you decide to move from a functional to a product-based organization structure?”
3) PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING
- “I understand you joined the organization five years ago. With all the growth you’ve had, how do you find the experience of working here now compared to when you started?”
- “What was your path to this company, and why did you see it as a good fit for you?”
4) PASSION
- “What do you love most about working here?”
- “What is the average time of service for the people who work here? Have you seen a lot of turnover since you’ve been here?”
5) VALUE-ADDED ADVICE
- “Have you considered creating a platform for your top account executives, so that they can share success stories and collaborate better around key client opportunities?”
- “Is there a system in place for utilizing best practices in order to help aid employee growth and success?”
6) FUTURE-ORIENTED
- “You’ve achieved large increases in productivity over the last three years. Where do you believe future operational improvements will come from?”
- “Do you see any shifts in the market on the horizon, and how do you plan to address them?”
7) ASPIRATION
- “As you look ahead to the next couple of years, what are the potential growth areas that people are most excited about in the company?”
- “I realize no one can see the future completely, but what are the long-term goals of the company? What will define success?”
8) ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
- “What are the most common reasons why new hires don’t work out here?”
- “What kinds of people really thrive in your organization?”
9) DECISION-MAKING
- “If you were to arrive at two final candidates with equal experience and skills, how would you choose one over the other?”
- “What do you consider to be vital characteristics of candidates?”
10) COMPANY STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
- “Why do people come to work for you rather than a competitor?”
- “Once here, why do you think people stay with the company long term?”
If you want to be noticed by recruiters, don’t talk more. Instead, ask better questions. You’ll soon find yourself answering the best question of all: “How soon can you start?”
Now that you know the questions to ask, put them to the test at the upcoming Military Spouse Virtual Career Expo, where you can chat one-on-one with recruiters looking to hire military spouses. Registration is free, but seats are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot!
This article has been modified to meet updated editorial standards at Military Spouse, which may include the augmentation of material that reflects the expertise and experiences of our staff.