HR Interview Advice - Interview the Interviewer

Introduction

Okay, so you have managed to hold your nerves in control and brave the questions of the HR. You are now at the end of your interview session. What next? The answer is, there are a few more steps to go. For instance, the HR person may ask you if you have anything to ask of him/her. How do you respond to that? It is quite likely that you are stressed out and nothing comes to your mind. This article deals with this situation and gives you a few intelligent questions that you may ask.

The Rationale

First of all let us try to understand why the HR person puts you in such a situation. Is he/she simply being nice to you or is there more to it? One possible reason is that the company wants to project an image of transparency. The company wants you to know that it encourages two-way communication between the top management and the subordinates, an atmosphere where everyone can ask relevant questions and expect to get answers. In other words, the company respects the employee’s need to know about matters that affect him, no matter where he is in the hierarchy.

Next, and more important, this situation checks your presence of mind and ability to form intelligent questions. So far you have been simply answering questions asked of you. How do you behave when you are in a position to ask questions? What kind of questions do you ask? It also shows how serious you are about the company and the job.

Let us get on to some questions now.

Some Useful Questions

Before you set out to ask questions, keep the above reasons in mind. It would be good to sincerely thank the HR person for such an opportunity. You can start with something like “I have really enjoyed this opportunity to meet you and your team at .. (the company name). Yes, there are a few things I would like to know, thank you for asking” However it is not wise to ask the HR a volley of questions and turn it into a counter interview. Consider the questions below and choose one or two from them that you find the most useful to you.

• What do you personally find the most enjoyable part of working for this company?
• May I ask why or how you joined this organization? / What brought you here?
• I would like to know about the work atmosphere here…
• Would you be able to tell me about this company’s vision/philosophy?
• How would you evaluate this organization’s strengths and weaknesses?
• I would like to know a little about my day-to-day responsibilities.
• Is this an immediate requirement? How soon would you be taking people on board for this position?
• I would like to know how my skills compare with the other people who have applied for this position.
• I am really interested in this opportunity and I feel I have the required skills for this position. What would I have to do next?
• Now that our interview is coming to close, is there anything you would like to know about my ability towards this job?
• Would you be able to tell me a little about what the company expects from its employees? What are the most important assets and skills for this company?
• Does the company follow a structured path in promoting the employees? How does it go?
• If the company finds me good at the job, how would it advance me? What would be the next step in my career growth?
• If I performed well in the current position, what are the additional likely opportunities for me within this company?
• Are there any special areas in this company that the top leaders emerge from?/ Are there special areas like say sales or engineering that have more prospects for growth within this company, or do the leaders come from a cross section of different areas?
• The company has decided to recruit for this position from outside. How does the company choose between recruiting from within or outside?
• How far does this particular position contribute to the bottom line?
• What advice would you give to someone selected for this position?
• What are the current challenges of this position/department within the company?
• Before I leave, can I have a formal/written description of the position? This would help me to review the activities and evaluate what is expected of me.
• Is this job likely to lead to other positions in the company? What is the usual route?
• Would you be able to tell me a little about the people I will be working with?
• Before I take your leave, let me check my understanding of the position. The designation is …., the responsibilities are …., it is in the ….. department, and I would be reporting to ……. Please correct me if I have got it wrong anywhere.
• How does this company promote equal opportunity and diversity?
• Would you be able to tell me who the company regards as its stars? What have been their most important contributions?
• How do the subordinates address their seniors in this company?
• Could you tell me about the management style of this company?
• If you selected me for this position, what assignment would I be starting on?
• Does this company have a formal mission statement? Am I allowed to see it?
• What are the most important parameters along which this company evaluates an employee’s contribution?