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QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK OR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
In this point keep in mind – if it hasn’t clarified yet - the questions about some aspect you are worried about in terms of schedules or work place. Don’t make this kind of questions in a first interview, with the only exception of those cases in which there is a specific problem. For example: if you study at the university from 6pm and you need to leave work at 5.45pm.
It is recommend to ask questions about the details when you get to the end. If the position has any specific characteristic such as excessive trips or long schedules, they would surely tell you at the beginning of the process. Many companies include this information in the advertisements so they won’t lead possible postulants that aren’t interested.
About your future boss
In the introduction we mentioned the different steps of a search. Before getting to the end, you can ask what your future boss is like, even long before knowing the name of the company. You can participate in a selection if an advisory, in the first interview, when they only sketch the profile; you can already ask some questions about your future work environment, your boss, work mates and subordinates. In this era of globalization, different styles of company and management coexist. You can feel more identified with one or another.
Try to identify the style of your boss, age, education, likes and preferences. The most information you can get will be useful when it is time to make a total evaluation of the offer. Remember that many times you are in the office the higher quantity of hours you are awake.
About your future work mates
What the groups are like, if they are young or old, if there more men than women or vice versa, if they are university bachelors or not, if they study or not, if they generally have lunch together, if they always leave work on time or extra work is usual. If there is a hierarchic difference in the group, how long each of the employers has been working at the office, in the company and everything important you may think of. Remember the suggestion of the first paragraph of this chapter in terms of the extension of time dedicated for the questions. Administrate it.
About your future subordinates
The questions are similar to the previous point.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SALARY
If the topic hasn’t been discussed so far and this is the first interview, you should introduce a comment about it, for example, mentioning your current level and without saying a number of salary expectation (if it was not required) add that you expect an improvement for the change… and that you would want to know if this is included in the budget of the search.
If the interviewer didn’t ask you for your remuneration, this can obey to some special reason or, simply, to an omission. For you, the topic is not indifferent because if the economic level would be very far from your interests, you might not want to continue with the search process.
If the interviewer asked for your current salary, they asked you –besides- for your salary expectations, they took notes and didn’t inform you a thing about it yet, you can ask if your salary range is within the company’s budgets.
Sometimes, your interviewer will tell you that the economic topics won’t be discussed in a first interview. If they present the topic in this way, you will have to wait until the next interview to talk about the topic.
CONCLUSION…
In certain search processes and in certain interviews, at the beginning of it, they will tell you precisely the steps to follow, with their corresponding dates.
In other interviews, they will tell you: we’ll call you in ten days, if you have no news in that term it is because your case is ruled out.
If neither of the options happened, I suggest you to ask what is the next step and how will know about it.
And any other thing you may think of.
The most important thing is how you do it.
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