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How to Interview Potential Employers

Management Craft: How to Interview Potential Employers

"How to Interview Potential Employers"

So, what questions should you ask? Here are a few examples. Each job and situation might call for different questions:

1. Always ask the hiring manager: What do you like best/least about your job? What are your career aspirations? How do you tend to manage people? What are your hot buttons? What stresses you out? Do you have fun at work? Of which accomplishment are you most proud? What is turnover like in the department? Why do people leave the department? Describe the work culture. What type of person is most likely to succeed/fail? How many people have you promoted? How did you get into management? What do you like most about managing people? (not all at once, mind you, sprinkle the questions into the conversation, or perhaps over several conversations)

2. Ask people OTHER THAN the hiring manager: What’s it like to work for the _____(the hiring manager)? Does he or she enjoy his or her work? Describe what it is like to work in the department. What do you like most/least about working here? Why have people left the company? What type of person is most likely to succeed/fail in this department? Do you have fun at work?

3. You will also want to ask about the company. Describe how the company is doing relative to its goals. What changes and new products are planned (they won’t always tell you this)? Who are the company’s competitors? What challenges does the company face in the near future? What kind of reputation does the company have in the marketplace? Who are the target customers?

4. Ask about the job. Over the next year, what would a home run look like? How have past incumbents struggled/succeeded? How has this job changed recently and are there more changes needed? How will you measure the success of the person who hold this job? Describe a typical day/week.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 03, 2005 at 8:09 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.