What questions should you ask during a job interview?

What questions should I ask at a job interview? Whether you are an experienced interviewer or a hopeful candidate, you’ve most likely found yourself asking this question at some point.

Here at European Recruitment, we endeavour to cut the jargon and give straightforward, honest advice to help both sides have a successful interview.

From a candidate's perspective

A job interview is not simply an opportunity for an interviewer to interrogate you, but instead offers you both the chance to find out if this role might be the best fit for you. To walk confidently into an interview it’s important to have prepared some questions of your own.

The first thing to consider is the type of information you’re looking to find out? Would you like to learn more about the job role itself? The company values? The team? It’s important to remember that the interview process is for both you and the employer and you must consider whether the company is right for you.

Asking good interview questions will also show the interviewer that you are engaged and have done some prior research.

We have all found ourselves in a position where an interviewer has asked us if we have any questions, only for us to come up blank. It’s usually once we leave for home that we think of those all-important questions which we’ve forgotten to ask. Planning some of the key questions you intend to ask in advance can help to make this process far smoother and less stressful.

We have carefully curated a list of important interview questions, which we recommend weaving naturally into the conversation throughout the interview, as opposed to a rapid-fire series at the end. So, when the inevitable happens and you are asked whether you have any questions, why don’t you ask the following:

• What expectations do you have for this role in the first 6 months?
• What skills and traits do you think the candidate would need to be successful?
• What does success look like for this role?
• How is the work-life balance for an employee?
• What is the last person who held this role moving on to?
• How will I be trained?
• What are the biggest challenges that someone in this position would face?

From an interviewer’s perspective

As the interviewer, it’s important to choose your interview style and tactics carefully. Too formal and you could put off a potential candidate. Overly casual and you may give the wrong impression of the business. Striking the balance right with candidates is tough, but our expert advice is here to help navigate you through the process.

By asking candidates the right questions, you are able to gain a much clearer idea of their skills, experience and also see if they will fit naturally into the existing team. Conversational and problem-solving skills can also be identified throughout the interview, helping you to gain a much better understanding of the candidate’s skill base.

We recommend asking a mixture of skill fit and culture fit questions so that you can get a feel for the candidate’s skills and personality.

Our team of experts here at European Recruitment have put together a list of questions that will help to give you a well-rounded view of the candidate:

• Tell me something about yourself that isn’t on your CV.
• What makes you want to work here?
• What career accomplishments are you most proud of?
• Tell us about the last time you dealt with a heavy workload and how did you handle it?
• What are your weaknesses and how will you overcome these?
• What are your long-term career goals?

For more advice and guidance on how to conduct an interview, please get in touch with a member of our team.

Alternatively, if you are a candidate looking to further your career, please also get in touch. We’re always more than happy to discuss your best options in more detail.