The executive recruiter may have already told you, but get it from the "horse's mouth." If the employer confirms what the intermediary told you, then fine. If not, then you had better find out why the discrepancy exists.
There are positive as well as negative reasons for a position vacancy. The best positive reason is expansion. This is the best reason in the world to hire additional personnel. A retirement or promotion, with no available individual to promote into the position, would be fine too. Find out, though, if the retirement was planned or sudden. In other words, was the former job holder forced out?
Another negative reason is a position created because of retrenchment. Yes, companies sometimes will eliminate two or three jobs, and create one new one to accomplish the same work. Watch out for that trap! The pieces must fit, or avoid the opportunity-or so-called opportunity.
If someone left the position, or was terminated, try to find out why. You might even discreetly find out his name, and talk to the individual directly. An employee who has recently left the company is in a position to impart valuable information to someone who is considering joining the same. As Holiday Inn says, "The best surprise is no surprise."
Be leery when the opening is to replace an individual who does not yet know he is about to "get the axe." The reasons may be perfectly valid, but check them out to see if they are valid. Do not forget to use discretion when checking out the reason someone is about to be terminated. You certainly do not want to be the one who causes him to find out the bad news. He will know in due time. Sometimes companies even change their mind about firing an employee-when they see what they would have to replace him with, and how much it would cost.
2. How Many Employees Have Held This Position in How Long a Period of Time?
You want to avoid getting into a "revolving door" situation. If five people have held this position in three years, then the probability of your ever receiving a "gold watch" is small.
Sometimes many people have held a position over a short period-but now new top management is "calling the shots." If this is the case, you at least have an even chance of eventually earning the "gold watch."
3. How Does the Boss See This Position?
Is it a "dead end" job, or is there high visibility with lots of opportunities for advancement? Where have other employees gone from this position-Out or up? Does the boss have a high opinion of the importance of this position? Job titles can be deceiving.
4. What Are the Job Responsibilities and How Much Authority Does It Carry?
Ask to see a job description. See if it matches how the boss describes it. What functions report to the position? If you are going to be called a Manager, whom are you going to manage?
If you have to go through layers of red tape for the most minor decision, obviously this job does not carry much weight. On the other hand, if the position carries with it substantial responsibility and authority-then it should be considered a pretty important position by company top management.
5. What Is the Title of the Position?
Usually a level of importance which correlates to the position is denoted in the job title. Do not be fooled though, some companies are not that big on "titles." At others, if your card does not say "Vice President," this probably means you are an "assistant file clerk."
6. How Does the Boss See Himself Within the Company?
Will you be attaching yourself to a "shining star," or are you getting yourself associated with the "black sheep" of the company? This might be more important than you realize. You do not want to be guilty by association. If your potential boss appears genuinely happy and enthusiastic about both his work and the company, and has a generally high self esteem-then this is positive. If he is crying on your shoulder, while at the same time trying to coax you into joining his mess-forget it! The company may be great, but if you are not hired by "the guys wearing white hats," you may find yourself out on the street when top management finally cleans house.
7. What are the Compensation and Fringe Benefits
Since you probably want to know, there is a way to properly ask about compensation and fringe benefits. Once the interview has progressed to the point where you feel the interviewer has had an opportunity to ask you pertinent information, and you have done the same, you might ask, "What is the salary range for the position?"
There is nothing wrong in confirming the salary range on the first interview, but only when you have already completed the other basic trading of information. It would be nice to have the employer interested in hiring you-before you discuss salary. It is most important, however, to know both the range of the starting salary, and the salary range of the job itself.
Why waste your time with a second interview if the job does not pay a favorable salary? Also, you certainly do not want to accept a position where you will be starting at the maximum salary for the job.
Fringe benefits are also important They must be carefully weighed in determining just what starting salary you would settle for.
You obviously do not want to force the employer's hand as to what he would specifically offer you-but just for a general salary range of the job, and a general policy regarding fringe benefits. If you do not ask-then you will not know to the very end, when you are talking salary in specific terms rather than generalities.
