How to Interview an Employer
When you are invited to an interview, it is easy to be somewhat intimidated by the process. After all, an offer for a job is on the line based on how much they like your answers, but in doing so you end up missing a huge opportunity to give the employer an interview of your own, and see if they are really for you.
When you are invited to an interview, it is easy to be somewhat intimidated by the process. After all, an offer for a job is on the line based on how much they like your answers, but in doing so you end up missing a huge opportunity to give the employer an interview of your own, and see if they are really for you.
Ask What the Interviewer Likes About the Company
Interviews come in all shapes and sizes, including panels, one to ones or more unique recruitment tasks, but ultimately the people who are interviewing you are human, and can shed some light about company culture. Ask about what convinced them to join the company themselves and what they like about their work, and you will receive some fascinating and often fairly candid answers. This can be a telling point about whether the company is right for you.
Consider What it is Like to Work With Them Day to Day
A common question asked in interviews is about a “typical” day in the office, and these questions can provide some very interesting responses. For most offices, there is no such thing as a typical day, and so the answer will end up opening a dialogue about working habits and how much autonomy you have to complete your tasks. Feel free to ask about holidays, and working hours and the opportunities available to be flexible with your working time. Not only can these be enlightening but, in the event, that you are offered the job, they are starting points for negotiation on your working hours and whether you have the option for flexible working.Ask About Company Culture
Company culture is very different at different places, and so asking about office culture in and out of working time can lead to some fascinating answers. Ask about dress code, whether there are employee events and what the office is like. Interviewers will often use more unique aspects of a company’s culture as a way to promote the company to candidates they are keen on and so you may learn about dress down days or opportunities to travel or team nights out. If you see photos or posts about such on a company’s website or social media, ask about that too, as well as about how the company recognises the successes and achievements of its staff.Ask About Future Plans
Employers are generally making an investment in the future when they make a new hire, and it is not boastful nor presumptive to ask where your position or department will stand going forward. Feel free to ask, and whilst you may not hear every single detail, interviewers will be keen to highlight your value to the company and how they are expanding. Often new job roles will come as the result of an internal restructure or transformation, and you are well within your rights to ask about how the role came about, particularly if it is mentioned during the course of the interview anyway.Make Sure it is Everything You Want
Interviews for jobs are a chance not only for a prospective employer to put a name to a face and look at whether you are the right fit for a team, looking at aspects of you that are beyond your skillset. This also works the other way around, and an interview is a great way to see what the job offers beyond money, be it in the form of a strong team culture, options to work flexibly or the chance to be creative in your work.What is important to you in an interview? What questions have you asked in a job interview? Let us know on our Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram pages.
