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SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SEARCH
We don’t suggest you to make crossed questions in order to confirm the information, among other things, because if your interviewer is an experienced person, he/she will notice that you are controlling him/her. Anyway, many of the questions suggested here could be useful in that sense.
Is the position occupied?
If the answer is yes:
-What will happen with the person who currently occupies the position?
The answers can be different. If the current person is promoted or transferred to another position, you will be able to deduct that in that company the collaborators really make a career.
If the person will be fired, you won’t know at the moment whose responsibility it is, but you will be able to detect how the company treats the people they want to fire, from the facts in themselves to the tone of voice and the words they use to explain the situation.
If you are in front of an interviewer who tries to make you play a part on the situation, giving you details of what happened, limit yourself to listen and don’t take part for any of the people involved on the facts. First of all, because you don’t know what really happened. Then, because they can be evaluating you by your given answers. If they insist on asking you for your opinion, say that you can not give an opinion based on the provided information and try to relate what happened with some other situation you went through and the what you did in that moment.
Is the position occupied?
If the answer is no:
-What happened with the person who occupied the position previously?
The possible situations are: that the person quit, that they were transferred or they were fired.
The comments are similar to the previous question. It is important to know how long the person or people who previously occupied that position were there. For example: if you are in the case of a position that was occupied for three people in the last year or year and a half, I recommend you to find out why did they have such high rotation. Maybe the situation has a good explanation or the explanation they give you is not convenient. Evaluate these cases very well. You may have problems with your future boss or with the team with whom you have to work.
How long has the position been available?
The answer will give you many leads, if the position was vacant for two months that is a normal term. Many times, the searches last two or three months on being concluded, for diverse reasons.
If the position is vacant for a long time – for example a year -, the causes can also be diverse: the company doesn’t have the objectives clear, they made changes that delayed the incorporation or the profile is very difficult to find in the market. If this were the reason, it is very useful information. This detail will be very useful when it is time to negotiate the salary or other conditions of the hiring.
How long will the decision of hiring the new collaborator take?
If you are in the first interview, the question would be: “what are the estimated terms to solve the search?”.
The answers will vary, according to the degree of advance of the selection process, but the final sense is the same: knowing determined terms for the process.
How many employees were in charge of the position in the last five years?
It is related with the previous questions and it will indicate you what is the style of the company. A high rotation can indicate a bad organization environment or a wide internal mobility. Try to discover what the management style of the organization is. You can use for that questions like:
Companies have different reasons for rotation. This sign, in an isolated way, is a unfavorable indicator, but don’t take it on a an absolute way, it can have an explanation. Take as a red light and inquire.
What are the five tasks of most important positions in the company?
If you are at the beginning of the search, you will only be able to know a global information about the position and know the most important aspects.
When the definite interview comes along, you can ask for the total description of the position.
In one instance or another, ask about the things that are not clear to you. Respect the rules the interlocutor states when they explain that for some reason they can’t give you more information.
What expectations do you have in relation with the employee you will hire?
As in the previous questions, the words will depend on your interlocutor and the degree of advance of the search. Analyze the answers and compare the expectations you may have about the job, what your personal plans are and how they are related with the expectations that your future employer may have of the new employee. Be very sincere with yourself, the success of your incorporation will depend on that.
What is expected from the new collaborator?
You can have schedule limitations or simply different conceptions about the dedication to the task. Either you want to study or any other particular situation. It will be very useful for you to know what is expected from the position in advance and compare it with what you are willing to offer. If they match, go ahead. If not, continue with the search. Like we have said along the book that the position must be for you; we recommend you to rule out inadequate jobs.
What perspectives do you have about the position?
Once again, check your expectations with the things the company offers. The future success will depend on the initial assembling.
The organizations with developed Human Resources areas will have a career plan for different positions, at least for five years. In others, it won’t be written and won’t be stated, but your future boss will surely be able to say in a first instance if the position has or not growing perspectives, what that growth implies and up to what point it can reach.
There are companies in which they will tell you that you will be able to get to the presidency; in others, they will tell you that the line to the presidency passes by the X area and you will know if you want to get in that line or not.
Not everyone wants to make that type of career, others prefer less exposed positions and have, as a counterpart, more free time. The options are diverse, as diverse as people are inquired.
Our only recommendation about it is that you should be sure of what you want and compare it with the things they offer you.
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