Questions to Ask

1. Can you tell me more about the position and the type of person that you are seeking?
2. Why has this position become available?
3. Is this position hourly or salaried? If salaried, is this considered to be a management position, and if so at what level of management?
4. What made the previous person in this position successful/unsuccessful?
5. To what positions have the successful people in this position advanced to?
6. What experience, training, attributes, operating style, accomplishments and personality factors should the “ideal” candidate for this position have?
7. What skills in your opinion are the most important to be successful in this position?
8. What are the three most important attributes for success in this position?
9. What needs to be accomplished in this position in the next 6-to-12 months?
10. What are the opportunities for growth and advancement for this position?
11. With whom will I be interacting most frequently, and what are their responsibilities and what is the nature of the interaction?
12. Since I’d working closely with clients in this position. I imagine that I’d occasionally have to deal with a client who isn’t entirely satisfied with my service. How would these situations, should they arise be handled?
13. How, when and whom will review my performance, and will this include a salary review?
14. What type of salary progression can be expected in the first three to five years?
15. Are you interviewing other candidates for this position?
16. What have you liked in others that I might not be able to match?
17. Are there any general strengths and/or weaknesses to the group as a whole?
18. At the moment, how would you say that I stack up against the others?
19. What particular things about my background or experience and style interest you?
20. Is there anything in my background or experience that would prevent you from considering me as a viable candidate?
21. What concerns do you have that I might not be able to achieve the objectives you’ve set for this position?
22. What is the estimated time frame for making a decision on this position?
23. If I am not considered eligible for this position, are there other positions that I might be qualified for now or in the future?
24. What training and educational opportunities are available through the organization? What are the requirements for them?
25. Who would be my peers and whom would I be reporting to?
26. What type of assignments/projects would I be working on first?
27. How does the supervisors and management prefer to operate in terms of assignments, delegation of responsibility and authority, and general operating style?
28. What is the management style within the department and does this style flow throughout the local office and the organization as a whole?
29. What principles and beliefs have influenced the management style?
30. How does management receive employee suggestions and innovations?
31. What is the anticipated growth rate for the company over the next three to five years?
32. Could you tell me about the projected growth plans and goals for the department/division/organization?
33. Are there any more questions that I can answer for you?
34. If accepted when would you expect me to start?