Job search is always an exciting moment. Someone is looking forward to new projects and tasks, someone is looking for growth and development. A change of work is not always associated with a desire to develop, it is often a way to get away from the negative that has accumulated at the current place of work.
To understand what to expect from a potential employer, you need to ask the right questions at the interview. A correctly formulated question will not only provide a clear answer about the subject of interest, but will also characterize the candidate on a more favorable side.
What questions to ask
After the main part of the interview is completed, the recruiter offers the candidate to ask questions of interest to him. Depending on what the reason for the job search was, it is worthwhile to formulate questions.
What questions should be asked at the interview with the employer, what areas of work will they concern?
In order not to rush into a quarry, not to spoil your impression of yourself, you need to prepare for an interview at home. Some of the points of interest can be written out on your own list and discussed with an authorized person at a meeting.
It is best to divide the questions into blocks:
- questions about functional responsibilities and features;
- questions about the company itself and its structure;
- questions about compensation and working conditions;
- the most recent are specific questions.
Functional Discussion
The questions at the interview to the employer must be clearly and clearly formulated, while making it clear that the interlocutor was heard. If it has been said several times about what will need to be performed at the workplace, then an incomprehensible moment of interest must be clarified by politely asking a question.
Questions to ask the employer at the interview:
- Tell me, is reporting submitted by me or is it prepared by the chief accountant?
- You have listed the amount of work for which you need work skills in the Visio program. I have no experience with her. Will there be someone to help me master it?
- Who will set the tasks?
- Which of the colleagues indirectly interacts both in the department and in the company as a whole?
- Are there any established bases and drafts?
Legacy from a previous employee
You can also discuss clients, the database that the previous employee leaves, the scope and timing of the infusion into the team. The availability of materials and information about customers, customer data and other working materials will greatly help in the work.
The candidate for the interview needs to make as clear a picture as possible about what the employer will expect from him. If the company’s expectations are too high, the employee will not cope with the functionality assigned to him.
Structure discussion
In this section, it is appropriate to talk with the HR manager about the structure of the company and the department. Often, what kind of subordination depends on the effectiveness of the work. What questions should be asked at an interview with an employer in order to get the most clear picture, examples will help to understand.
Example:
- What is the structure of the company and departments?
- What department do you have to interact with most often?
- Who is the head of the company?
- What are the values of leadership?
- Who will be the immediate boss?
The issue of values is very important. Often, an employee seeks to find a job, focusing only on wages and responsibilities. However, the corporate structure is very important.If the relationship between colleagues will be cold, and the management, in order to stimulate employees, uses only the “carrot” method, forgetting the “carrot”, then it will not work productively.
Corporate culture only seems like an unimportant moment. But even the dress code and established unspoken rules can say a lot about the company.
For example, a candidate in the marketing department who is used to working for himself and is not ready to wear a suit will find it difficult to adapt to strict ties and jackets accepted by the company.
Discussion of conditions
After functional duties, the conditions are in second place in importance for the candidate. The amount of wages, payment conditions - the main and burning issues. A change of work occurs most often due to an unsatisfactory level of wages.
To clearly understand how much an employer is willing to pay an employee for the functionality discussed above, you need to ask questions:
- What is the amount of wages?
- Formal employment or not?
- Is there a division by percentage and rate, in what ratio?
- What determines the percentage?
- Are there any rewards in the form of bonuses or bonuses?
- Is salary official?
- How many times a month money is paid and how (on a card, at the cash desk, on hand)?
Employee Clearance
Most of all the candidate's questions are caused by the reluctance of the employer to officially place the employee. Despite the fact that such fraud is prohibited by law, many companies seek to avoid additional taxes. For this, the employee is offered to use different forms of interaction. But most often it turns out that the employer does not conclude an official contract with the employee and offers to work, taking a word. In fact, it turns out that wages are not paid or are not paid in full, the employee does not receive seniority, and the state does not receive taxes.
Having learned about how the work is paid, it will be easier to understand whether there is enough strength to perform functional duties.
Questions asked by the employer during the interview may be awkward or uncomfortable for the company. This must be taken into account when communicating with a recruiter. If you feel any kind of awkwardness or there is a suspicion that the interlocutor is not saying something, then you need to ask!
What questions should an employer ask during an interview to find out if there are salary revisions? To do this, you can directly ask the interlocutor whether the level of remuneration is being reviewed over time, how often this happens, what criteria are used for this. You can also ask what the employee needs to do in addition to direct duties in order to receive bonuses and additional incentive payments.
You should not spend too much time on the issue of pay. This topic is delicate enough, it needs to be discussed carefully. Too much attention on the financial aspects of the work characterizes the candidate as an avid, motivated only financially person. But such motivation is not good for every position. Even direct sales managers should not be motivated only financially, otherwise there is a risk of fraud in order to obtain greater benefits.
Specific issues
What questions to ask at the interview to the employer is for the candidate to decide. For someone it’s enough to clarify the issue of remuneration, someone wants to find out as much as possible details about the position.
Among additional questions, one can highlight one concerning the emergence of a post.
Example: tell me why this position is open?
After asking a question, you need to carefully listen to the answer. If the interlocutor’s words sound a lot of denials - it means that the previous employee poorly performed his duties. It often happens that the employee was promoted, then we can conclude that this position is promising, there will be an opportunity for growth and development of both the individual and the professional.
Warranty Questions
Only the candidate himself can decide what questions can be asked at an interview with the employer. However, often recruiters, in order to avoid awkward questions or want to hide something, limit the area that you can ask about. If there is no such awkwardness, then you should definitely clarify about vacation, work schedule, lunch break, possible processing and compensation, extracurricular work or business trips.
Most candidates believe that it is appropriate to ask at the interview what chances are to get this vacancy, how the bosses will like it, how to quickly join the team. In practice, these issues are perceived by selection experts very negatively. Such a statement suggests that the candidate wants to achieve a position in the team in a not very honest way. In this case, it’s correct to ask about whether there are corporate parties, whether the team is resting together, whether there are any traditions (to celebrate a birthday or anniversary of work in the company).
How to demonstrate your professionalism
Employer needs to ask questions at the interview in such a way that not only get the necessary information, but also demonstrate their professional qualities.
For example, a sales manager may be asked about plans — long-term and short-term. This demonstrates the ability to look into the distance, strategic thinking, planning.
The accountant should ask about the number of postings that need to be made - in this case, the personnel manager will understand that the candidate has experience with a certain amount of work, which means that tasks will be completed on time.
Employee training
When formulating questions at an interview with an employer, you should definitely ask about training a new employee. The answer to this question will help to understand whether there will be a mentor or corporate training at first, as well as whether the company is engaged in the long-term development of employees.
The more time the company devotes to staff development and building loyalty to the company, as well as raising the level of motivation to work, the better the average business performance in relation to those companies that do not pay attention to this issue. And profit is an opportunity to review salaries after a certain period of time.
Social package discussion
Often questions at the interview to the employer pop up during the conversation. They can be recorded and then asked to the interlocutor.
Among such questions there must be one such thing: is there a social package in the company and what is included in it.
Companies that offer insurance to their employees often include only a few criteria in the package, often without dentistry. The presence of a large package of services in insurance, season tickets, the ability to visit the gym or pool, and the payment of tutors for employees are pleasant motivating factors.
However, you need to carefully look at the other side of such incentives. Companies in which the work schedule is not standardized, the volume of work is much higher than expected, and the work is associated with constant stress, they seek to "buy" employee loyalty. Whether this is good or bad, the candidate decides, asking the employer questions during an interview or when hiring.