Jackie, who was driving, rolled down the window on the driver's side. Not known for her patience, she stuck her head out and yelled, "Think it through!"
Her comment made me laugh but also made me think. Most irate drivers are inclined to shout curses out the window rather than legitimate advice. But the driver of the other car did need to think through his decisions rather than acting out of anxiety and increasing the risk of a collision.
Questions serve three functions for the job candidate:
- To help you assess whether you really want the job.
- To help you understand what the employer needs.
- To build a working relationship grounded in give-and-take communication.
Most important, they need to be prepared to ask the right questions. By that, I mean questions that will give you the information you need to make a good decision. While it's important for questions to arise spontaneously within the context of the interview, it's also essential to use preplanned questions to show interest and gather additional information.
All-Purpose Questions
Certain questions are suitable during almost any interview. For example, no matter how thorough the interviewer's explanation of the available opening, you'll undoubtedly long for more information about job responsibilities, performance measurements, management style, organizational culture and resources. While the following list of questions isn't all inclusive, it should provide some ideas to get you started:
1. What are the major responsibilities of this position?
2. Is there a job description? May I see it?
3. Can you tell me why this position is open?
4. How often has it been filled in the past 5 to 10 years?
5. What did you like most about the person who previously held this position?
6. What would you like to see the person who fills this position do differently?
7. What qualifications would you expect the successful candidate to possess?
8. What do you see as my strengths/weaknesses for this position?
9. What are the greatest challenges facing the person in this position?
10. What are your immediate goals and priorities for this position?
11. What kind of support does this position receive in terms of people and finances?
12. How much freedom would I have to determine my work objectives and deadlines?
13. How would my performance be measured and how is successful performance usually rewarded?
14. What career progression do you see for someone in this position? Do you normally promote from within?
15. How would you describe your management style?
16. Can you describe your organizational culture?
17. Do you have a lot of turnover? (Why or why not?)
18. How many people would I be supervising? How long have they been with the company, and what are their backgrounds?
19. Why are you looking at external candidates for this position, instead of promoting from within?
20. What do people seem to like most/least about working here?
21. Would it be possible to meet the people who work in the department?
22. Do you encourage participation in community or professional activities?
23. Do you have a management development or internal training program?
24. What are the company's plans for growth in the next 5 years?
25. How does the company intend to remain competitive?
Your questions must be asked in a spirit of honest and open inquiry. Your tone matters. For example, when asking, "Why is this position open?" you can convey suspiciousness or curiosity simply by changing the inflection of your voice.
Employers have weak spots, too, and sometimes seemingly innocuous questions draw blood. I remember interviewing with an outplacement firm president who was looking to replace one of her consultants. Knowing that the consultant had moved over to a competing agency, I remarked, "I heard your consultant jumped ship to the enemy."
Unfortunately, I exposed a sensitive issue. My comment unleashed a long-winded, defensive explanation of the consultant's reasons for leaving that made it clear their parting of the ways had not been amicable. After that, my task was to tactfully reestablish the rapport between us that my offhand comment threatened to annihilate.
Consider Your Values
Once you've covered the basics, it's important to ask about the concerns closest to your heart. After all, everyone works for the money, but money probably isn't your sole career motivator. Edgar Schein, a management professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management, developed the concept of "career anchors" to address the internal side of career development.
"The career anchor is that one element in a person's self-concept that he or she will not give up, even in the face of difficult choices," says Schein. By understanding your career anchor (what really matters most to you), you can develop a question strategy that will reveal the information you need to make a good career decision.
Unfortunately, many people believe that having a "good job" (as opposed to having just any job) is a luxury they can't afford. In reality, it's a necessity you shouldn't try to do without. "Even in a terrible economy, you have choices," says Patricia Berg. "If it's a bad match, you'll be looking again in six months or a year-with another obstacle to overcome."
In other words, kid yourself now about what really matters to you and you'll probably have to play catch-up later.
Schein's research into managerial careers identifies eight typical anchors. While I recommend that you take the inventory in Schein's book Career Anchors (Pensacola, FL: Pfeiffer) to determine your personal career anchor more definitively, the descriptions and suggested questions that follow should get you started thinking in the right direction.
Technical/Functional Competence
If you have a technical/functional competence career anchor, you refuse to give up the opportunity to continually develop and refine your skills. This competence is often critical to the career development of Information Technology (IT) professionals who know that their marketability is only as great as the demand for their technical skills.
People with this anchor need to ask specific questions about the company's commitment to training. For example:
- Would you describe your organization as sales-, marketing-, finance- or engineering-driven firm?
- Where does this position typically lead?
- Do you have a technical ladder?
- How do you encourage professional growth? (Don't ask specifically about tuition reimbursement; save discussions of employee benefits for salary negotiations.)
- Do you have a training program?
- How do you feel about employee participation in professional activities?
- Is there a budget to attend professional conferences?
- What kind of support does the company provide for research?
You might also try exploring the possibility of creating what you want. For example, an R&D scientist with an MBA wanted to move into product development, but the company he was interviewing with had never supported this career path before. To determine the feasibility of this plan, he asked, "Would you support a career path that would help me move into the product development area?" The company agreed to keep his career goals in mind.
General Managerial Competence
If you have a general managerial competence, you won't give up the opportunity to climb the traditional career ladder. You probably want to make a contribution at the macro level and consider specialized functions to be either a trap or mere stepping-stones to larger opportunities.
If you fall into this category, you're more likely to tie your success to organizational success. It will be important for you to establish yourself in a function central to the company's vision of its future. Essential questions for you might include:
- How long has this position existed in your organization?
- Does the company foresee any growth for this department?
- What level of support is available to accomplish the department's goals?
- Where does this position typically lead?
- How will my performance be measured?
- How will successful performance be rewarded?
- How do other executives view this department/position?
People with an autonomy/independence career anchor need to define their work their own way. They may need flexible working conditions and hours and often welcome incentive-based pay. If this sounds like you, focus your questions on the company's management style and philosophy as well as on specific reporting relationships:
- Who does this position report to?
- How would you describe that executive's supervisory style?
- What kind of appraisal system do you use to measure performance in this position?
- Is your company environment formal or informal?
- Do you operate in a centralized or decentralized manner?
- How much freedom would I have to set my own goals and deadlines?
If your career anchor is security/stability, you won't sacrifice employment security unless forced to. You tend to be more concerned with a job's context than its content (where you work, not what you do), and are happiest in a promotion system that rewards loyalty, seniority and dependability. Civil service or government jobs, large corporations and tenured academic positions are traditional employment homes for people with this career anchor.
Although structural changes in the workplace have made this a more difficult career anchor to achieve, it's still possible to find some secure positions. The market may be tight in academia, for example, but the acquisition of tenure is still considered a job for life. With taxes being one of life's certainties, accounting also has a measure of job security that's lacking in many other professions and industries. Accounting's stability is expected to continue into the next century.
If security is your first priority, it makes sense to look to fields and industries that are stable. However, it may pay to remember that just because a field is secure today doesn't guarantee your future tomorrow. Even civil service jobs aren't as stable as they once were.
To find a stable organization in this volatile employment environment, ask the following questions:
- How would you describe the culture of your organization?
- How stable has your organization been?
- Has there been much turnover in this department? Why has it occurred?
- Why is this position open?
- Can you give me a history of this position? How often has it been filled in the past 5 to 10 years?
People with this career anchor have an overriding need to create new products or services. Because they're motivated by an "I-can-do-it" attitude, they do well with new products and services and with start-up ventures.
A writer with a prestigious Chicago advertising firm who fit this profile was up for a promotion to creative director of a Midwest branch office. During the interview, he impressed the CEO, but he also began to question whether the organizational culture really was conducive to creativity. For example, he discovered that employees weren't allowed to personalize their cubicles with artwork or photographs. Beards and mustaches were taboo. Self-expression didn't seem to be tolerated, let alone valued. Since part of the job involved the recruitment and development of creative personnel, the writer felt the office atmosphere would make it difficult for him to recruit the kinds of talent he needed. So, despite the six-figure income he was offered, he turned the job down.
Some possible questions for entrepreneurial creative types:
- Can you describe your organizational culture and management philosophy?
- Do you encourage creativity?
- Can you give me some examples of the way that the company rewards creativity?
- Who would I supervise in this position, and what are their backgrounds?
- Who would I report to, and can you tell me something about his or her background?
- What are the most immediate challenges facing this company?
If you're in this category, money isn't as central to you as the desire to make a contribution. Since you really want your work to make a difference, you may tie your career happiness to the organization's mission and values.
Some questions you might ask:
- What is your organizational mission?
- How do you hope to accomplish it?
- How does this position fit into the organization's mission?
- What kind of qualifications do you typically look for in this position (company)?
- What do people like most/least about working here?
If you fit in this group, you want to solve seemingly insoluble problems, win out over tough competitors and overcome difficult obstacles. Think of daredevil Evel Knievel, whose career only had meaning in challenge. Some of the greatest competitors in the world fall into this category. Some important questions:
- What are some of the most difficult problems I'd face in this position?
- How much manpower and financial resources will I have available to meet those challenges?
- How committed is the organization to solving these problems?
- Does the corporate culture encourage risk taking?
- Can you give me some examples of a time when risk taking was rewarded?
- How much freedom will I have to do things my own way?
People with lifestyle anchors seek integration and balance. They may be most concerned with a company's attitude toward family and community responsibilities.
Many of their questions center on issues of time, resources and expectations:
- How many hours per week would a person in this position typically expect to work?
- Can you estimate the amount of travel required?
- Do you have company picnics? Softball teams? Christmas parties?
- What challenges will the person in this position face in the short term? Long term?
- Are there enough resources to accomplish those objectives?
- Do you encourage community activities?
While it's important to use questions to determine whether a position suits your personal needs, it's also critical to explore how well you fit the company's requirements. Unless you understand what the employer needs, and demonstrate your commitment and ability to do the job, you won't get an offer.
Many questions can serve double (or even triple) duty in this regard. Nevertheless, you should develop a line of questions that focus specifically on learning the employer's wants and needs. That way, you can "sell" those skills and areas of experience that will be most impressive.
Lifestyle issues are a priority for many executives. In fact, "family issues" is the number one reason cited by managers for turning down a job offer in a new location, says Dwight Foster, executive managing director for D. E. Foster & Partners, a New York search firm. Bill Walters, executive vice president of Milwaukee-based Barnes, Walter & Associates, estimates that four out of six finalists drop out of contention because they don't want to move. Family issues are the primary factor behind the refusals, he says, followed by the preference to avoid high-cost areas that erode living standards.
Feedback questions usually work well because they allow you to probe how the employer feels about you. Follow up a question such as "What skills and qualifications are you looking for in this position?" with "What do you see as my strengths and weaknesses for this position?"
Once you understand the employer's specific concerns about you, you can develop a strategy to deal with them.
Another feedback strategy is to follow up your response to an employer's question with "Does that make sense to you?" "How do you feel about what I just said?" or "How would you like someone in this position to handle that situation?"
This tactic has the added benefit of helping you build rapport with the interviewer. Through such open give-and-take communication, you demonstrate your commitment to solving the employer's problems and plant the seeds for a good working relationship.
Similarly, questions such as "What would you like me to accomplish in this position?" help promote a "we" conclusion. This makes your desire to help clear and sends the employer a strong signal that you like what you hear and want to join the team.
Thoughtful questions also indicate to prospective employers that you've done your homework and learned as much as possible about them. However, don't go overboard and turn the interview into a trivia contest.
Mark Satterfield, formerly a human resources director with Kraft Inc., remembers interviewing a marketing assistant for a major cheese manufacturer who wanted to know how hydroponics figured in the company's future plans. Not. You can steer the conversation in an interview by asking the right questions. Each time you answer a question, regain control by asking the employer one of your own. If you are asked to describe your skills, you could follow your answer by asking, "What kind of skills are you looking for?"
Satterfield was not sure what hydroponics were, he had even less idea what role it played in the cheese business. Although it did turn out that a small division of the company was experimenting with growing plants in nontraditional environments, Satterfield's opinion of the candidate dwindled.
"Of all the questions he could ask about the company and the job, he chose a question notable only for its obscurity," Satterfield says. "Asking a question solely to see if you can trip the interviewer seldom wins points."
Dollars-and-cents questions also destroy rapport. Unless you're at the salary negotiation stage, you should be focusing on the question of fit. Until fit has been established, you have no bargaining power, and money statements are likely to be viewed as premature demands.
One of the worst interview sins of all, though, is to say you don't have any questions. This response shows a lack of interest in and enthusiasm for the employer. Even if the interviewer has addressed most of your concerns, there's always at least one question you can ask. Perhaps you'd like to know more about the company's hiring process and time frame, for example.
Or, you can take a more lighthearted approach to ask, "How do you like me so far?"
Closing Moves
When your questions have been asked and answered, it's time to initiate your closing moves.
Start by expressing your appreciation for the opportunity to interview, and restate your desire to work for the company. If you're confident that there's mutual interest, you might want to try an aggressive closing strategy similar to one used frequently by professional salespeople.
The "Ben Franklin Close," you ask employers to share with you their evaluation of your suitability for the job. With the interviewer's permission, take a blank sheet of paper and separate it into two columns by drawing a vertical line down the center. At the top of the left column, write the word "Strengths" or "Positives." Name the right column "Liabilities." Then, ask the employer to provide some feedback in both areas. Don't dispute the findings at this point. Simply document them.
When the list is complete, work on neutralizing or refuting the negative findings. If you honestly believe the employer's concerns are unfounded (but can't quite prove it), you might suggest a "trial purchase." With this less aggressive closing strategy, you offer to work on a temporary or contractual basis in order to prove you can do the job. If you perform effectively, the understanding is that you'll be given a permanent position.
This strategy carries a high risk for you. If you currently have a full-time position, it may be impossible. If you're unemployed, however, it's a great way to earn some extra income while building credibility with an employer.
Another popular (but gutsy) sales strategy that can translate well to the job-interviewing arena is the "Assumptive Close." In this scenario, you assume that the employer wants to hire you. To close the deal, you ask, "When can I start?"
You can also try a "Benefits Close." In this variation, you review and summarize your best selling points, then follow up by asking the employer, "Where do we go from here?"
Most employers will admire you for trying to close the deal, even if they're not yet ready to make a final decision. They may reject your first initiatives, but you'll still stand out in their mind afterward as a highly motivated and assertive professional.
Final impressions are lasting impressions, so do your best to make them count. Creative closing moves can accomplish that goal beautifully.
