10 interview questions you should never ask (and 5 you always should) _ the daily muse

7/30/2019 10 Interview Questions You Should Never Ask (and 5 You Always Should) _ the Daily Muse

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4/19/13 10 Intervi ew Questions You Should Never Ask (and 5 You Alwa ys Should) | The Daily Muse

10 Interview Questions You Should

Never Ask

(and 5 You Always Should)This article is from our friends atLearn Vest, a leading site for women and their money.

So, do you

have any questions

forme?

This common refrain toward the close of a job interview can make even the best of us stammer whenthe tables are turned. But with the national unemployment rate over 8%, sharp interview skills are

more important than ever.

Whether or not youre currently looking for a job, try your knowledge: Do you have the rightquestionto ask your interviewer?

The goal,

of course, is to ask a few smart questionsthoughtful ones that show youve beenpaying attention and have done your homework when it comes to researching the

company and the specific job youre after. At the very least, you want to asksomething.

Most employers agree that, No, I have no questions, is the worst possible response. The

mostfrustrating thing for a recruiter is when you dont have any questions at all, says recruiter

Abby Kohut

ofAbsolutelyAbby.com.

www.theda i lymuse.com/ job-search / 10-interview-q uestions-yo u-should-never-ask-and- 5 - yo u-alwa ys-should/#.

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We asked professional recruiters to brief us on the top 10 most common interview questions to scratch off our

lists immediatelyplus five effective ones to ask instead.

Questio ns You Shoul d NeverAsk in a Job Interview

1. Anything Related to Salary or Benefits

Company benefits [and salary negotiations] dont come into play until an offer has been extended, says Kohut.The same principle applies to sick time and vacation days. Its best to avoid any question that sounds like you

assume you already have the positionunless, of course, your interviewer brings it up first.

2. Questions That Start With Why?

Why? Its a matter of psychology. These kinds of questions put people on the defensive, says Kohut. She advises

repositioning a question such as, Why did the company lay off people last year? to a less confrontational, I readabout the layoffs you had. Whats your opinion on how the company is positioned for the future?

3. Who is Your Competition?

This is a great example of a question that could either make you sound thoughtfulor totally backfire and reveal

that you did zero research about the company prior to the interview, says Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter ofCareerTrend.net. Before asking any question, determine whether its something you could have figured out

yourself through a Google search. If it is, a) dont ask it and b) do that Google search before your interview!

4. How Often Do Reviews Occur?

Maybe youre concerned about the companys view of your performance, or maybe youre just curious, but nix

any questions about the companys review or self-appraisal policies. It makes us think youre concerned withhow often negative feedback might be delivered, says Kohut. Keep your confidence intact, and avoid the topic

altogetheror at least until you receive an offer.

5. May I Arrive Early or Leave Late as Long as I Get My Hours In?

Even if you make it clear that youre hoping for a flexible schedule to accommodate a legitimate concern such a

picking up your kids from daycare, Barrett-Poindexter advises against this question. While work-life balance is

very popular concern right now, its not the most pressing consideration for a hiring decision-maker, she sayswww.theda i lymuse.com/ job-search / 10-interview-q uestions-yo u-should-never-ask-and- 5 - yo u-alwa ys-should/#.

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Insinuating early on that youre concerned about balancing your life may indicate to your employer that you ar

more concerned about your needs and less concerned about the companys.

Can I Work From Home?

Unless it was implied in the initial job description, dont bring it up. Some companies will allow you to wor

from home on occasion once they see what a productive employee you are, says Kohut. But an interview isnt th

time to be asking for special favors. Right now your top priority is selling them on you first.

6. Would You Like to See My References?

Interviewing is a lot like dating, says Barrett-Poindexter. Its important to entice with your value and attract

them to call you for the next date. Offering up your references too soon may hint at desperation. Plus, youdont want to run the risk of overusing your references.

7. How Soon Do You Promote Employees?

An individual asking this question may come off as arrogant and entitled, says recruiter Josh Tolan ofSparkHire.com.

8. Do I Get My Own Office?


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This is an uncomfortable one, says Tolan. Of course you may wonder about it, but will something like this reall

play into whether you accept a career opportunity or not? If so, he says, it may be time to rethink your priorities

10. Will You Monitor My Social Networking Profiles?

While a valid concern in todays culture, this is something best left unsaid. It gives the impression you havesomething to hide, says Tolan. Play it safe and dont post anything (especially disparaging things) about your

company, co-workers, or employers on Facebook, Twitteror anywhere on the internet, really.

And yes, even if youre not friends with anyone at work. These kinds of things have a way of getting around.

Questions You ShouldDefi nitely Ask in a Job Interview

1. Can You Explain the Culture to Me, With Examples of How the Company

Upholds it?

Asking for specific insight into the companys culture is key. Everyone will tell you that their culture is great, bu

examples prove it, says Kohut. This will help you decide ifyou want to work for them. At the same time, mosinterviewers are also trying to assess if youre a good cultural fit for the company.

2. How Have You Recognized Your Employees in the Past?

This is another example of a smart question that digs for specifics. You want to be sure that your new company

appreciates its employees, says Kohut, and that the company values morale.

3. What Do You Like Most About This Company?

By nature, most people like to talk about themselves, so this question helps warm up your interviewer, suggestsBarrett-Poindexter. It also provides critical insight into whether youd be happy working with this individual or

company. If your interviewers answer excites you, that can further reinforce your decision to continue the

interview process. If the response is lukewarm, it may give you something to think about before deciding toinvest in a future here.


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Find Jobs at Tripadvisor

4. Can You Give Me Examples of Collaboration Within the Company?

This is a great question for team players, says Tolan. It not only shows that you have a quality thats very

valuable to the company, but it also gets down to brass tacks when it comes to company culture.

5. What are the Most Important Thingswww.theda i lymuse.com/ job-search / 10-interview-q uestions-yo u-should-never-ask-and- 5 - yo u-alwa ys-should/#. 5/1


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Youd Like to See Me Accomplish in the First 30, 60 and 90 days of

Employment?

This question shows youre in invested in what you can bring to the company, and not just what the company can d

for you. Expect the answer to go deeper than just a basic skill set requirement, says Barrett-Poindexter. Hopethat the interviewer will wander a bit, providing personal insight into qualities he favorsperhaps even offering

nuggets of detail you can use to reinforce your value in the follow-up thank-you letter.

Looking for a job? Check out these companies that are hiring now!

www.theda i lymuse.com/ job-search / 10-interview-q uestions-yo u-should-never-ask-and- 5 - yo u-alwa ys-should/#. 6/1


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4/19/13

5 1 c o m m e n t s

S i n i n

10 Intervi ew Questions You Should Never Ask (and 5 You Alwa ys Should) | The Daily Muse

+ F o l l o w P o s t c o m m e n t

N e w e s t | O l d e s t

Arlene Hohneker

I think the most frustrating thing is when you are interviewing with the recruiter or agency and not with the

client themselves. I have temped for over ten years and I "know the drill". So when an agency accountmanager asks do I have any questions.. I am so temped to say no because I have been temping for solong. When I have specific questions that most recruiters should know don't know. .like : How soon doesthe client want the candidate to start? (because I can start as soon as they are ready) Another questionis: What exactly is the client looking for in a candidate aside from the skills and work history (clearly if therecruiter called me in the skills and work history are part but not the whole parcel). The recruiter reallydoesn't know the client's corporate culture all that well so asking about the client's corporate culture andtheir views on diversity wouldn't be answered.

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johnrit3e

@Arlene HohnekerI worked as an independent contra ctor for a few years, doing technicalwriting and editing on a per project basis -- in other words finding a new job every couple of

months or so. When dealing with recruiters, I would put myself in their shoes and try to maketheir job as easy as possible. Frequently, they would be competing with other recruiters toplace candidates for an opening and their compensation was dependent upon theirrecommended candidates being hired. Or they would be under great pressure to weedthrough tons of candidates and not send through any duds. So it was my goal to make themfeel good about me and put us both on the same side when it came to making THEMsuccessful. So I'd ask questions about what it was like to do their job. What they needed tohear to feel confident about recommending me. What reserva tions they might have that Icould address and eliminate. Their experience with this client. Their notion of the idealcandidate. What the pool of candidates looked like, Etc. One of the best interviewing tips Iever received was to get the interviewer talking as much as possible and to be interested inthem and their goals. It's amazing how often the will put you past other equally qualified oreven slightly more qualified candidates.

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dsa ipra sad

I was once interviewed and recruited by a Manager and I ended up reporting to anotherManager on the day of joining. To my horror, I realized that he wanted a different type ofcandidate. How can we avo id this kind of situations?

dsa ipra sad



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In my experience, the interviewer always does some ground work about calling the right candidate as far issalary is concern ed. They never call a candidate with out asking their current salary, which means they wilnot pay you less that what you are currently drawing and chances are they never give more than a 30 to40% raise over your current salary unless the candidate has some niche and rare skills that the organizatiodesperately needs.

dsa ipra sad

Whether we like it or not, it all boils down to the candidate talking to an Individual who likes to be pleased andimpressed subtly and not obviously. And the candidate has to put on a decent show. And it is best toconvince yourself to put on a decent show than just fake it. Don't show desperation, don't askembarrassing questions, exercise a lot of patience and wait for the right time to ask. This is like resistingthe urge to lick your fingers and enjoy the food at a high profile business lunch.

1 Like

Spark

It's just a waste of time for companies and hiring managers to completely ignore the person being interviewed

Of course you want to know the salary, hours, work environment etc. If the interviewer doesn't tell them thenthere is nothing wro ng with asking. In fact, why waste their time and yours by dancing

aro und the issue? I may be the perfect person for the job - and as I look at it I'm also va luable to them - sothey shouldn't be afraid to answer the most obvious questions. If they want me then quit wasting my time.HR doesn't have all the power here. Sometimes they're despera te to find the right person and might letthem slip by if they're unwilling to discuss what everyone obviously wants to know.

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Honestly - I couldn't care less about your company unless you're considering hiring me. And ifyou want my services treat me like an adult and let me know if I I'll honor your company by

joining them.



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1 Like

ELRG

So a company will ask me my current salary or 'salary requirements' but *Im*

not allowed to talk about salary?That advice is ancient and outdated. If a companywants me, they are going to start talking figures to get my attention. In fact, the entire"dont say" list is cookie-cutter copy-pasted from the hundreds of bad interview advicearticles written over the past 20 years.

Curioustotry

This says quite a bit about the "Don't" and as an interviewer I do not have aproper answer for the 5 questions. By saying it, I am curious to try all the

Don'ts and ask the interviewer all the 10 not to ask questions. Thanks for these andwould try them in my next interview.

whatever

I totally disagree, if you have to dance aro und any subject as taboo, you are betteroff waiting and getting a job with someone where you are both comfortable each

other, then take a chance you don't hear the "dog whistle" when they blow, then fire youthinking the next guy will?

Fra nkly, you don't know what you are walking into, so to think you are going to guessabout what might impress them as a "smart interview" question totally misses the point?

If you put the job description accura tely, why should I have any questions? What did youleave out, are you asking me to make improvements to the job pro cess before I haveeven seen it?



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Of course people don't say anything, they think you will be insulted that they did not understand everythingyou explained to them, that's why they are silent? That thought does not fit the "university template", butlets face it, a lot of people just don't have marketing skills necessary for getting hired, but are more thanskilled at doing great work?

I've read these "help articles" for years, they are va riations of course, but the same themes, and you can't

help but wonder if the human resource culture and education coming out of universities and other placesare really effective at business, or at preventing people from taking necessary risks that make theeconomy move?

Look at the unemployment rates, AND your retention rates, you can't ignore it?

1 Like

Core Values Institute

Its foolish to ask about anything other than "exhibited va lues". Traditionally all employers havehired people for what they know and fired them for "who" they are. Dont even begin to ask about previousexperience until you are sure that they are the right "who". Don't waste anyones time. Even if they have allthe knowledge in the world, you shouldn't hire them if they're not a "va lues" fit.

know that we are the average of our five closest friends... if you want to know someone, know their friends.



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4/19/13 10 Intervi ew Questions You Should Never Ask (and 5 You Alwa ys Should) | The DailyMuse

si nogree n

A simple and useful question to ask is something like Can I take a look at anexample of the work that would be expected of me. For some reason people often

describe the job but never actually show it. By asking to see examples, you get to see whetheryoud really like the job and can tell the interviewer exactly how it fits in with your skills etc. Itcan prompt a more informal discussion what software was this done in, how long did ittake etc.



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It also sort of gets a foot in the door, a bit like saying enough of the chit-chat, I want to get

down to work.

I think its good to throw in a question that will challenge them about whether they are,ultimately, friendly, flexible and trusting. If you say something like Looking at other peoplestime in the company, how do you think my day-to-day role would be after a year. It givesinterviewers a chance to say that people are working from home after a year etc. It alsoseems to relax things a bit if they can talk about real people.

Eldon Carvey

The five "must" questions are all particularly good. I personally especially iike #3;it will both tell you a great deal

about the place, and, perhaps most importantly, lends a degree of emotional intimacy to theinterview that is both mutually non-threatening and demonstrates the questioner's empathiccapacities.



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Thank you!2

Guest

This is all a show. Doesn't matter what you say, or how to say. Robotizing people. Putting everythin in the

bracket, like in box. You cannot say this but you can say this. The interview should be friendly, open. No

matter what you say or what they say, they gonna hire someone who knows someone nowdays or find

someone who can work for them with cheap labor. Bottom line is they want to catch you andsuck your

blood out.

Spot on

very well


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1 Like

SAP Contractor

Hm, some great questions here - if you are looking for a permanent position. But if, like me,you are a freelance consultant the questions I ask before even speaking to the end clientinclude:



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1 Like

1. How much are they paying per day? If it's too low, I walk away.

2. Can I work 4 days a week? It's normal for them to say 'not at first, but perhaps later' whichis fine. If the answer is a firm 'no!' then they're not flexible, so they are not for me. As I've beenfreelancing for 10 years on basically 4 days a week (normal days, not 4 x 10 hours), it worksfine for me.

It's about trust - do they trust you to do the job and do you trust them to keep their word. Ifthe answer to both is 'yes' then the contract will work out just fine...

1 Like

UrNeighbor

I agree with Guest about salary being one of the first things that should be out in theopen... also I take issue with #5, asking about flex hours. People have families and lives,the need to know what kind of flexibility the job offers is extremely important and should bemade ava ilable early on.

Also, paid time off and sick days should also not be taboo - that's part of compensation andwork/life balance. The fact that the article says it may seem that you're more concern ed aboutyour needs than the company's is absurd! Of course the job seeker is concern ed about theirneeds more than the company's! Likewise the company is concern ed for itself, and the pointof the interview is to see if there's a good match between what each can offer. Interviews areNOT one way streets - the job seeker is interviewing the company to see if they want to workthere. Why waste everyone's time getting to the point of an offer only then to find out that thecandidate is actually not interested in the benefits/environment offerred?

berry

Good ideas and well worth writing on the back of your hand if you have alreadydone your research and know as much about their company as they do !



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Guest

I totally disagree about the salary issue. Before I even go in for an interview I must

know if the salary



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[range] being offered is what I need to survive. I don't understand why asking about salary is so taboo?Companies want to know what I need so why should I not ask about the salary range for the position? Toomany times I went in for interviews only to find out that they were paying far less than what I needed orwhat is the going rate for someone with my background. I certainly am not going to waste my time ormoney (commuting to an interview), only to find out after 3 or 4 interviews, that the salary and benefits donot need my requirements.

On a related issue, I asked this same question of my Connections and Groups on LinkedIn and over 95% ofthe respondents agreed that asking about salary prior to an interview was totally acceptable.

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Ann ie82

Really, you need to know the salary band before you waste anyone's time going for interview. Ifit's not enough move on. But beyond that, the interview is not the time to try negotiating around

the salary you've been told.

go away

I completely agree. My logical brain says that if an interviewer were honest and open,and opened with the heres the pay ra nge, the paid time off, and the benefits

speech, right off the bat, that would put both of us at ease. It really is a racket, putting on adog and pony show, when the primary thing that you need to know is, can I survive on theirpay ra te. Why is it so taboo to talk about pay, when money is what feeds you and pays yourrent??

Sri

I think this article is about at the time of interview what you should ask and what not.Prior to interview you can clarify your questions but at the time of interview you should

think before you ask.

Elliott B moderator

I get that. It's hard though, because while no one wants to waste anyone's time, I also don't wantthe company to think I care more about the money than I do about the job during my firstinterview. I avoid the question, but try to gauge salary from reviews of the company to get a very



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1 Like

some guy named mike

Be yourself. If you're a doofus, ask doofus questions. You don't want to be seen as thoughtful,

and then be given a thoughtful job you have no ability to deliver on. If you're analytical, askspecific probing questions. You don't want to work for a company that can't answer them. Ifyou're self centered, ask what's in it for you. If that's what's really on your mind, then ask if yourneeds will be met. Don't try to come off as Mother Teresa if you're going to be miserablyunsatisfied with their treatment of you.

Your relationship with a company is like any other. The most va luable part is honesty. Sure,you have to sell yourself, and accentuate the positive, blah blah blah... but if you're going toput on some mask prescribed by a career blogger, and perform your interview from a script,you run the risk of ending up with



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a job you hate, and a job that hates you.

If you can't be yourself, however perfect or insufferable you are, then working that job will be amiserable experience for everyone.

another guy named mike @some guy na

Good points! Plus you could be having a great day on your interview or a total brainjust bored or not in the mood, it is all so relative how you come across. Besides, the incould be a total know too, so it's not just "What you should / never", what about them



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Victoria Bonus

All of the 'Not to ask' quesions are great, but there are several terrible suggestionsof questions to ask! Don't ask ANY questions in a first interview that put an employer

on the defensive, including 'What is your culture and how do you uphold it?" or "How have yourecognized employees in the past?" Those are terrible inteview questions!



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johnrit3e

@Victoria Bonus Disagree... IMHO an interview is not just for you to impress the hiringmanager, he or she needs to impress you as well. Yes, this is a discussion to decide whether

they want to hire you, but it's also a time for you to determine if you'd want to spend the nextsevera l years of your life working for this person and at this place. I've turn ed many aninterview around by making the interviewer do some work to sell me on wanting to work there.Makes you seem more va luable and less desperate, and it gives the interviewer a chance tosay what he really likes about his company, talk about himself some, etc. (I've also been ahiring manager and liked people who had the courage to ask tough questions. Figured they'dend up being employees who would help drive change and speak up when they had creativeideas.)

Ann ie82

@Victoria Bonus I agree. the question should focus on demonstrating you are thinkingabout how you can make a contribution. Thise look too much like the candidate is thinkingabout what he can get out of the company. I like "What are the biggest challenges facing therole?" ""Do you think I have the skills required?"...if they say you are missing X you at least

then have the opportunity to correct that view...

Elliott B moderator

@Victoria BonusAny ideas for better questions? I often struggle in this area



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1 Like

Jean Daniel

Another question that is appropriate is "Please describe how innova tion gets handled here - isit an R&D responsibility, or is the a pro cess where all employees can contribute? How isinnova tion recognized?"



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Another one that comes to mind is "In an economic context like we have seen over the last decade, it isimportant for organizations to be complex-adaptive, or to coin the title of a recent book, antifragile. How welldo you feel this organization is able to cope with and leverage turbulent change in your market?"

2

Stefano Capacchione

I agree with Andrew, a list of questions not to ask is in itself harmful. I agree that in certain situationsquestions should be avo ided but the real reason for asking questions should be because you need or wantto know the answer. An interview has to be a two way process, it is just as important that a companyconvinces you they are right for you as it is to convince them you are right for it.

The problem with having this specific list is that you are asking the "right" questions to guarantee you getthe job. The way to guarantee that should be by asking questions throughout and making every interview aconversation, not an interrogation. If this has happened the feel free to answer "No more questions thanks,I think I've asked about everything I need to know" at the end because the interviewer will have learn t a lotabout your thoughts throughout. If the questions that you truly want to know the answer to are the "wrong"ones then maybe the company is the wrong company.

Make sure you prepare, research the company in depth, know exactly what you can offer the companyand know exactly what you want from the interview and for your future career.

Elliott B moderator

I always feel like if I ask a question that is "approved" it makes me seem like I am just followingthe steps of the interview. Anyone have good questions that are safe, but also stand out?


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Rick Tonoli

Here's a typical question I like to ask (coming from a Software Development point of view):

4



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"Tell me about a pro ject that has failed, how you dealt with it and how you learn t from that

failure".

...and this is why: For me it's important to know that there's a culture of admitting failure, tolerating it, and learn ing from it. It's equally important to see if the company actually knows thedifference between a successful pro ject and a failed one, in other words they've identifiedsuccess criteria for a pro ject and they don't end up flogging the proverbial dead horse.



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1 Like

acavoulacos modera tor

@Rick Tonoli That's great question! And so true... being able to talk about failure and learnfrom it is a critical skill in any team member.

Rick, how would you think about failure vs. mistakes? I think of them as being quite different,and am always curious to see if interviewees understand that difference.



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Rick Tonoli

@acavoulacos I think I'd apply the word "failure" more to projects and "mistakes" topeople? Failure is also more of an end result than mistakes, you make mistakes,

enough of these results in failure.

The culture of a company should be one that tolerates

individual mistakes (but not repetitive ones) and allows themto learn and gro w from them. It should also be one that canaccept failure as an end state of a project.

In the end though it may just be semantics, its just essentialthat we CAN fail and/or make mistakes and learn from it.

acavoulacos moderator

@Rick Tonoli "The culture of a company should be individual mistakes (but not repetitive ones) and allo

" --> '

Kelly Vizzini

Great advise, passion for the company for which one works is a good indication the cosomething right.

If your interviewers answer excites you, that can further reinforce your decision tocontinue the interview pro cess. If the response is lukewarm, it may give yousomething to think about before deciding to invest in a future here.


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Don

I was once interviewed for a teaching post and as part of the process had to submit a twopage letter laying out my qualifications for the very specific post, what I hoped to achieve etc.

The first question I was asked was 'Which job are you applying for?' It was clear the letter hadgone unread and from then on I went thro ugh the motions until a tactful moment arrivedwhen I could withdra w my application because I was increasingly certain I didn't want towork for this guy.

They were unprepared, late and disorganised. One member of the interview panel wasdressed in a short sleaved pale blue sports shirt with a clip-on lime green tie and tra ck-suitbottoms. When he asked 'Do you have any questions?' I had to bite my tongue to avo idsaying, 'Yes, what the hell are you wearing? '

A year later OFSTED put the school into 'special measures'.

agricola

"Tell me a little bit about the geogra phic layout of our

primary team in the office"? Hope you're not going for a job with the

Plain English Campaign.

Mike Clarke



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4/19/1310 Intervi ew Questions You Should Never Ask (and 5 You Alwa ys Should) | The Daily Muse

I run my own "small business" and I wouldn't hire any of the people invo lved in the blog post. If asks me about office space, that's fair enough they are going to spend 40hrs+ a week in it if the

job so why shouldn't they know more about the environment before making a decision.

As for flexible hours, i'd rather know before I extended an offer than once i signed a contract w

mirabang

thank you for the advice

happytoday

I am quiet excited today about the interview tips. keep up the good work.



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karl

Tell me a little bit about the geographic layout of our primary team in the office.

Marcy, i would have me tthat with a blank stare while I spent 10 minutes figuring out what you

meant!

Power4things

Unless youve just cured cancer and youre interviewing at Pfizer, I wouldn't askANY of these, even the 5 that the author thinks you should. OK, maybe #3 and #5.

I agree you have to coach people on what not to ask, because otherwise they will embarrassthemselves right out of a job; you'd be amazed at what people think is "OK" to ask. As agenera l rule, you want to give the interviewer the subtle impression that you are so excitedabout this company that you would work 16 hours a day from a wobbly desk in the hallwayfor a handful of pistachios.

Avo id any administrative-type questions, such as hours, pay, references (almost no onegives 'em or uses 'em anymore), promotions, etc. Culture? You'll get a tour of the office, you'llfigure it out soon enough. Even the desk-and-office questions, or proximity to the boss, aretoo transparent, and in any event you are a long way from negotiating office geography.Natura lly, the interviewer may vo lunteer anything to you, and the jumping directly to HR-type issues is usually a sign they are very interested or have actually already made apreliminary hire decision.

You should definitely do your homework on the company, its management, history,business model, product and competition, and ask insightful questions about those. Never,ever, start a question with "Why ...?" it sounds like an interrogation - and that's the

employer's prerogative.

Dave Naranjo

On my very last job interview I definitely screwed up two or three of thequestions. Do you have any questions for me? I answered no. Well, i had no

questions. That job was so boring. So I started my own business. :) Pro mote yourbusiness on over 100 college campuses. Go to 1 0 0 Colleges.com.

mordecai

Yes I had a similar situation when the CEO asked me about my astrology symbol! Really?!http://www.noholtzbarred.com/its-a ll-up-to-the-stars/

Nndwamato Reuben Mathoma

http://colleges.com/http://www.noholtzbarred.com/its-ahttp://www.noholtzbarred.com/its-ahttp://lymuse.com/http://colleges.com/http://www.noholtzbarred.com/its-ahttp://lymuse.com/


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What kind of questions in an interview session can I expect and if possible how can I answer them.

1 Like

Andrew Rudin

I liked your list of questions to ask much better than your list of questions not to ask. I think it's wrong to beprescriptive about forbidden questions, People only get confused when they read them. Is it wrong to ask ifyou can work from home? Not necessarily, if that's important for the candidate to know. True, there might beother ways to ask the question.

The tendency for bloggers to create lists of forbidden or "dumb" questions prompted me to write a recentblog, "What Makes Dumb Sales Questions Dumb," on CustomerThink. In the blog, I said that questionsthemselves are rarely dumb, but timing, context, and intent can make them seem that way. It's muchbetter for people to focus more on avoiding situations make questions seem dumb, and less on avoidingasking specifically worded questions.



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Marcy Twete

Regarding the "do I get my own office" question, I agree wholeheartedly that you shouldn'tphrase it in that way. But I also think it could be a va luable question to ask framed something

like, "Tell me a little bit about the geographic layout of our primary team in the office." Will yoube sitting next to your boss or your team? Or are they spread aro und the office? It can say alot about the culture of a place if everyone is spread out, or if they're next to each other inopen cubes.

This kind of question will help to determine what your geogra phic location will be if it'ssomething you va lue, but framed in a way that you'll learn something about the team and

company's culture as well.

Thanks for the great advice!

omanes

I think it's ok to talk about the layout or the type of work environment fro m either a phcultura l standpoint. However, asking about getting your own office or if you have to syour boss is silly because you can give the impression that you are being apprehensivshow concern about being beside your boss, they will think that you're not trustworthlike that should not make someone nervo us.

EmmanuelMeki

Thanks so much for the tips from all of you.

debaki pandey

thanks for all

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