Unique Interview Questions to Ask Employer

During a job interview, it is rare that you find a candidate with pre-planned questions of their own. Most of the time, the candidates are too pre-occupied with thoughts of becoming successful. They refuse to consider whether the job will be right for them.

Some other times, they lack a basic idea of what they should ask the recruiter.

These nine insightful questions will give you all the information on whether the job is suitable for you.

1. How will my performance be measured in this position?

This question gets right to the nitty-gritty of the details of the position. It helps to seek more information on the meaning of the job to the company. It also sheds some light on what you need to accomplish to have the management to approve of your performance.

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Now it could be possible that this got explained in the job description. It is always better to get the details of the job from somebody in management rather than depending on some old generic job description. 

2. What are some of the challenges that people in this position face?

Quite an insightful question to ask before you dive into something you may end up not liking. This question seeks to unearth some of the grey areas that come with your position.

However, it could be pretty apparent that they may not tell you about specific challenges. It is best always to ask them anyway; they could have some essential tips on how to excel at the job. This question can also allow you to discuss how you handled similar difficulties in the past.

It would be best if you asked genuine questions involving the challenges surrounding the position. The answer provided to you by the recruiter will help you in preparing for the role in a better way.

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3. What does a typical week or day in the job look like?

This question helps you understand what you should be expecting to work on the job on an average day. It helps the candidate get elaborate answers on the day-to-day activities of the job.

With this question, you will find out whether you will be doing more office work or fieldwork. The question seeks to expose the nature of the position on a weekly or daily basis.

4. How long did the last person in this role stay on the job?

This question is a great way to understand the general attitude of past employees to the position. Naturally, you get to get definite answers to these questions. In some cases, the recruiter may be honest with you and tell you what it is about the position.

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If none of the past employees has stayed in that position for a considerable amount of time? There could be something wrong with that position. This problem could be a stressful work environment, unrealistic expectations, inadequate compensation, no training, excess work, or other type of adverse situation.

If you get told that several people have been leaving quickly, you may want to know the cause of the disturbing trend.

5. What are your expectations of me in the next six months?

The question helps you understand how fast the company or organization wants you to pick up. The answer you get gives you a screenshot of how quickly the company’s work pace is. It could go either way.

The company could expect you to dive right into the mix of things. This way, you are expected to get up to speed and meet everyone at different levels of competence to become a useful member of the company.

On the other hand, you may hear that your first six months will get spent on training. Whatever, the answer that you get given, it gives you the work pace of the organization. The question can also get used to elicit information about essential projects you may not have known about.

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6. How would you describe the culture of the company? What kinds of people succeed here, and what type do they not realize?

This question seeks to help you understand the nature of the company. If the company’s culture is very formal and comes with lots of ranks, you may find this problem, especially if you prefer an environment free and relaxed.

The company culture may not be suitable for you if you prefer an environment where everyone relates to the same level. This way, you would know if they are a competitive establishment and if this fits your work style.

They could be a marketing company while you fancy operations and maintenance. However, regardless of the nature of the company, if it is not suitable, you could still accept it anyway. However, it will be best if you get told what to expect in the company rather than be taken by surprise later.

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7. What are some of the things that you like about this company?

By asking this question to your recruiter, you can get lots of insights about the company. If people enjoy working for the company, they will typically have certain things about working there. If they sound sincere, you will know this.

However, if they tend to give you a long silence or a blank stare before they answer, know that there could be a red flag. Observing the body language of the recruiter puts things in perspective.

Are they comfortable with the question? You watch their body language as they speak to determine whether they are comfortable answering the question or not. If they are not pleased with the question, this could be a red flag. 

8. Asking questions about something you want to know

This question is pretty important. Most candidates tend to ask bland questions to impress the recruiter or to tell the recruiter how smart they are. While this is important, do not fail to use this chance to get a great insight into the company.

A job interview is a two-way street and not a one-person show. It would be best if you asked about something you want to know about the company, such as staff motivation techniques, medical insurance, training programs, and so on.

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9. What is your plan for the next step(s) of the interview?

This question helps you get useful information from the recruiter on how soon you should be hearing back from the recruiter. With the item, you may get an answer from the recruiter to let you know how long you should wait for them.

Most of them tend to say something like, “If you do not hear from us in two weeks, it means you were not successful.” This way, you know when to continue your job search rather than waiting for a missed job and missing other opportunities in the process.

Conclusion

These nine essential questions are some of the different items you should ask your recruiter to help you get useful insights. They are proven questions that help you make some career-defining decisions.