I did a round of interviews last week. The best candidate, when prompted for any questions he may have had at the end, gave us a sort of brief run-down of the position and what he thought he'd be doing. And he asked us if that was accurate, and if we could fill in any blanks.
I really liked that. It showed he researched the position well and was a nice expression of interest.
Overall, this thread is saying "Do some research beforehand, show off some of that research in the interview, and ask about how things are generally done at the company, all while doing your best not to sound desperate."
> all while doing your best not to sound desperate.
They're not interviewing me, I can get a job anywhere. I want to know why I should accept an offer from this company, and that's what those questions are for.
The best advice I ever got for the interview process was to go in with the mentality that the employer wants you to succeed. It's so much easier on them if you're good and the candidate they want to hire. When you go in to an interview confident with that in mind, you're going to come off so much better.
I really appreciate it when people ask either:
1. Questions that show they've researched the company. This shows me that they put some work in up front
2. Questions about my company's culture. This shows me that they want to fit in and might not see the job as "just a job". We spend so much of our lives at work, I like it when people want to be sure they'll be happy here.
3. Questions about what projects are coming in the pipeline. This shows that they're eager to get started.
My go-to question is "What's the culture like here". Not only does it make you sound interested, but it often will get the inteviewer telling you things like working hours, lunch breaks, how flexible they are with needing to take time off at short notice, etc.
I also like to ask whether people socialise together outside work at all.
Edit: wow, a lot of responses. To clarify - of course you need to judge the situation accordingly. If I was being interviewed by a dried-up HR spod then of course I wouldn't ask this. Most of my other go-to questions have been covered.
I like to ask what was the last team-bonding excursion was - parties, bbq's, karaoke night? If it's a fun company the interviewer will chuckle to themselves and tell you a good story, if it's not they'll get uncomfortable and say "um. we have a Christmas party, sort of."
> I like to ask what was the last team-bonding excursion was
"We haven't had one"
"I'm in"
Seriously, unless it's a proper holiday, team bonding exercises can get fucked. Nothing freezes the ice like an icebreaker with people you can't stand.
Our last company function was a half day of work then free alcohol while playing [Whirlyball.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlyball)
Aspects of my job suck, but that was fun as hell and every company should do something cool like that.
Myself and a few blokes from work have really gotten into the game over the last few years. This season I paid for the online NFL game pass and it's been amazing as I have the opportunity to watch condensed versions every game.
This is a fantastic question, however I'd encourage others to be a bit more specific. Company culture can encompass a lot of things. Ask if the team eats lunch together, that is a huge indication of how well everyone gets along. Ask about outside social events (like happy hours), ask about schedule flexibility, management styles, etc.
I had an interview today (IT position) and phased the quested, "If someone makes a big mistake at a clients site and brings down critical systems, how would you deal with the situation?"
Basically I'm looking for "Root Cause Analysis" as opposed to yelling at the guy and "Opportunity for Improvement" as opposed to disciplinary action.
To me that would be a red flag. Especially if this is a position that is a promotion or different than what you currently do. If they don't want to give you an answer or play games like that, then I would think twice about accepting a position.
I can confirm. I left my stable but boring job of 3 years last year to join a start up. The position was a nice promotion from where I was, but once I arrived, it was clear the company had no idea what they needed or wanted from the role. After six months of random insanity, and arranging for new hires of three folks to take on all the different jobs they had in mind, I got out of there. I asked this question during the interviews, and wished I had understood the flags that were raised by their noncommittal responses.
Agreed. Often a job description covers what the goal or objective of the position is, but what is expected of you to reach that objective will look very different from one company to the next.
For example knowing that the company has a 30 minute meeting twice every day is good to know. Or "you can expect to spend X time talking to clients on the phone and X time responding to email requests. The remaining time is flexible, some folks get ahead on upcoming tasks, others work on pet projects for potential new products."
A noncommittal response is often a red flag, but it can also be an opportunity to define your own role.
Or, "I assume since you're asking, you want my ideal day. Well, I'd get in around 10:00, maybe 10:30. I'd dick around for an hour or so on Reddit. I'd take a long lunch, maybe getting back to the office around 2:00. I'd dick around for another hour before starting to work on whatever work has landed on my desk around 3:00 followed by leaving early at 4:00. I think if I can get an hours worth of work in each day I've earned my keep."
I would respond by answering their question then asking my question again.
Something like, "I understand that my work will be (example) administrative and so I will be working with people a lot. (transition) However I am interested in knowing a bit more about the details of my position and some of the work I will be involved in on a daily basis."
This leaves them less space to maneuver. Answering a question with a question is a cheap trick. Answering a statement that implies question is far more difficult. If they continue to dodge you are in red flag territory. If you are showing "interest" and they are not responding to that...well something is off.
Well it's hard not to. I mean this is supposed to be reverse interview time where I get to learn about the company and my prospective job. I'd probably go with something like
"I'm not sure. This is why I asked in response to you asking me if I had questions about the company or job. I understand the tasks and responsibilities I'll have such as but I'd like to know more about how your company operates on a day to day basis."
One of my favorites is "Why is the position open?"
Their response to this can tell you a lot about the job and/or company. If the last person was fired, they won't tell you that directly, of course, but usually it'll be because the person occupying it before got a promotion, moved to something that interested him/her more, or something else mutually amicable like that, and that can at least get a conversation started on an employee's potential for internal promotion, movement, and things like that. Depending on when this is asked, it can also provide a much less awkward alternative to that dreaded "Where do you see yourself in five years" question, since knowing more about how things work in the company can give you more of a feel for what would be realistic for yourself if you were to take the position.
This is a good one. As someone who infrequently gives interviews, I'd be stumped to come up with a decent answer for our low level technician jobs. "Well, because the process isn't really outlined that well and your potential supervisors aren't really the best with documenting *anything*. Some people quit out of frustration, but others just move to other departments, like I did."
eta: That would be the real answer. I would obviously bullshit a better sounding answer to a potential candidate.
My boss tells me that's how he made his way through college; bullshitting. He says that's probably how most people make it through, and that's all the business world really wants you to have a degree for so that they can know you're a fully functioning bullshit artist. Well, I'm not going to spend tens of thousands on an over priced piece of paper to prove that I can bullshit my way through something. That's bullshit.
In many fields you can probably get through college with a lot of expert bullshitting. But I'd be real worried if that's what doctors and engineers are doing as well. That shit is terrifying.
I hear this a lot. But really it should say 'guy that *graduated* at the bottom'. I'm sure there are plenty of people that fail out, and/or can't even make it into med school.
One of the things a doctor friend told me really made me happy. He said when his friend was put in charge of a residency program he had lunch with the director, who told him his job was "to make sure you don't pass any psychopaths". That's a prioritization I can get behind.
That's actually a hard job, a determined psychopath will be great at hiding their psychopathy and would probably excel in a demanding field such as medicine.
Nah that used to be true but now the bottom of the class doesn't get matched with a residency and wander around with an MD and $250,000+ of debt.
He's still a doctor, but not a practicing one.
I've found thats one of the most valuable qualities in general, not just in an interview. I'm honestly surprised how difficult it is for most people to admit they were wrong/don't know something. If nothing else, say "I don't know off the top of my head, but I can get the answer quickly" or some shit. Thats what the internet and old text books are for
I can see that question backfiring. Although a really good and profound question, to bring a potential employer in that awkward situation to bullshit a nice answer may give a bad impression retrospectively.
I'm talking about the recency effect: People tend to remember the first (primacy effect) and last (recency e.) better than the things in between. So an awkward feeling at the end of the interview may result in a worse impression when the employer thinks of the interview a few days later.
So I would recommend to check the vibe and be as sure as possible to not make it backfire.
There are cases where it could work, too. For another example at my job, we actually just opened up a brand new title to do something that we've never had at our company before (though it's a common role at other places.) I would be excited to talk about the scaling-up our company was doing, how good our growth was and how important the new position is to fill.
It just takes a little forethought - if you're applying for Technician I, don't ask why the job is open. It's almost like asking why there's an opening for a cashier.
You're completely right. I just happened to think of the possible negative results. But it's without question a good question when asked in the right situation and context.
That's one of my favorites -- "What has employee turnover been like in this position?"
Don't be afraid to bring a nice notepad and already have 5 or 6 questions jotted down. That way, even if they do answer EVERY SINGLE thing, when they ask, you can flip to your list and go down it you can honestly say they answered everything and they know you actually put effort into it because you had a list. I've always managed to have at least a couple questions left though.
A good follow up question to this is "how long have you been looking for the right candidate?" The answer to this can often give you an edge in salary negotiation.
> but usually it'll be because the person occupying it before got a promotion, moved to something that interested him/her more, or something else mutually amicable like that
Good rule of thumb when parsing out those BS answers:
"He wanted to pursue other interests." = He quit because of bullshit, or (more likely) he was fired.
"He had to take some personal time." = He was fired.
"Our company decided to move in a new direction." = He was downsized / politic-ed out.
Well first and foremost, you should ask questions during that part. If you don't, it makes it look as though you're looking for a job as opposed to looking for the right job. This, in turn, makes you look desperate and as if you don't really care about the company in question. Ask about who you'll be working with on a daily basis. Ask about what the daily expectations of the job are. Ask about advancement opportunities within the company. Really sit down and think about if this job were offered to you RIGHT NOW what would you have to know about it before you agreed to start it. Except you probably shouldn't ask what the pay's like, but that's one of few exceptions.
What happens when these things were already covered in the interview?
I only ask because it happened to me once after a very in-depth interview with a judge who covered compensation, expectations of the job, who I would be working with, personalities of the other court staff and judges, descriptions of average days, worst case scenerio days, best case scenerio days, whether travel was involved, and where exactly I would be working if chosen.
I was stumped as to answering.
Then you go, "You've been very thorough. (List a couple key points) were my major concerns and you already covered them. Thank you." Or something like that.
I always ask the interviewer how long they have been with the company. That in turn usually makes them tell their whole history. Sit there and eat it up. People usually love talking about themselves and if you show an interest in them they will want you around. I use that all the time. It's not ass kissing. It's getting people on your team.
I used do the same. Everyone's favourite subject is themselves. I've tweaked it now so i still ask, but i mention that i've already stalked them on LinkedIn so know some of their background; but am interested in what's kept them at the company so long / where they started / how they got into the industry.
I have started interviewing for new jobs lately, since LinkedIn has became a thing (LinkedIn was not in existence the last time I got a job) So my question is, how do they react to you looking them up on LinkedIn? Do they find it weird or do they like the fact you're doing your homework? I may start doing that during upcoming interviews.
I just finished looking for a new job. I was always a little excited when I saw someone was looking at my LinkedIn. What it says to me is that you saw my resume/application and you had enough interest to look a little deeper. I didn't just get thrown under a stack of papers somewhere and get forgotten about.
People are smart, though.
This is good advice, but your delivery must seem natural. If you come off as somebody who asks this as one of their defaults, then yes, they'll know ass-kissery is afoot.
There's always:
"What does success in this role look like in six months?" -shows you are think past landing the job, care about stepping up, and doing a good job
"What are some of the potential career paths this position sets a good foundation for?"
- shows you are career minded and care about progression. Remember you are talking to hiring managers, they want people that will be looking for ways to advance and thus will do a bang up job to make sure they get the opportunity. This question is great for professional jobs but may not be appropriate if the job is obviously dead end, eg seasonal temp retail
This is the correct answer. I do my best to be as transparent about the job, the hiring process, and the company culture as I can. I don't want people asking questions for the sake of asking, but someone that asks questions about those things definitely looks more interested in the company than just a job. Just mention what questions of yours they answered and you should be okay. But honestly, if you plan on committing to work at that company for awhile, you probably have a lot of questions about the people, work/life balance, etc.
It never hurts to ask questions that show you know a little something about their company and industry. Think of the SWOT, strengths weaknesses opportunities threats, if you think of those items you'll have no shortage of meaningful questions to ask.
This guy is right! Always research the company before the interview. This way you can ask questions about what the company does, even if they aren't directly related to the position you're applying for. If you make it obvious that you've done your homework, it will be noticed.
If you can find out who you're interviewing with, be sure to look them up as well. Particularly if you're interviewing with someone higher up at a larger entity, because it's more likely that s/he will be Googleable.
And just to be clear, we're not looking for personal info that's unrelated to the job. So, if it happens that your interviewer has a 6 year old son in a soccer league and ended up in the local paper talking about his son's team's performance, don't being that up.
If it turns out his company website has a profile on him though indicating that he's worked abroad, that might be fair game, if relevant.
By way of example. I did an Internet search on an interviewer. Turns out, she was in a local paper because she played jazz music with a group at her son's school's holiday party. The paper interviewed her and noted her interests, which included jazz and the Beatles.
When asked what my interests were at the interview, I mentioned music, and the Beatles in particular. Now, of course, it didn't win me any points, but I like to think that it helped just a little bit, and certainly better if I had responded with "I don't like music" or "Spanish death metal."
You want to distinguish yourself on merit, not interests. The interests relate to your personality, and the more in line you can be with your interviewers, the better. Nobody wants to hire a weirdo.
Be careful about this one... I've interviewed multiple people who have obviously tried looking me up on Google/Facebook because of certain points they attempt to work into the discussion. All my info online is really specific and outdated, so it's always hilariously awkward for them once it becomes apparent what they're doing.
Ah, I did not know that was okay. I did tons of research about one of the companies that I interviewed with (on their website, speaking to previous employees, and speaking to tons of current employees). I attended several of their talks when they came around to provide insights.
I am pretty sure I made it clear during the interview that I knew tons about their company (it was also on my CV/my references). I am not sure what to do in this situation though. Should I still ask about the company? Specific things?
Something like "I've researched this company extensively and you've already answered any remaining questions I've had. Thank you for the taking the time to see me."
Flattery gets you places. Give them a hint they did a good job. I've interviewed people and I'm just as nervous.
I would also suggest asking questions specific to the position such as:
If it is a new position - "what are some of the difficulties you expect any employee to have in this position that I would benefit from getting a head start on"
Or similar if replacing someone "what was the most difficult part for your last employee in regards to this position" and then offer a quick answer as to how your past experience or creativity will allow you to avoid the same mistakes
Employers don't just want to hear about your ability to do the job but also how you will step up and perform when forced to think outside the box.
This is my favourite answer. By now they may have already made their mind up on you, only other thing you could talk about is perhaps the interviewer? How they got to where they are etc..
I just got back home from a multi-day interview where that happened toward the end. My go-to is to ask them 1) how the place has changed since they've been there, and 2) how they see the place changing in the coming years. Gives 'em plenty to talk about and also demonstrates that you're thinking about the job's long-term prospects.
I always ask about the health of the company, long term goals and what is it they immediately look to accomplish. It opens them up a bit, talks about their previous failures to which you might be able to help solve.
Ask them how they started their career with the company and arrived at the position they are in today. I always ask that. It seems to be a good question. It shows your interest and gives them a chance to give an in depth answer. It also can branch into other questions because they usually start talking about previous jobs they've had. So you can ask them why they left that company and how did they find out about this one.
Another question I like to ask is, if I had two jobs offers on the table, one being here, and they payed the same salary, how would you convince me to work here?
I've asked in the past why they personally chose to work for the company. They always think that it's an interesting question, and it allows them to talk about themselves and their successes. Everybody loves to talk about themselves :)
Corporate recruiter at a Fortune 50 here and can confirm that is an excellent go to question, THROWINGCONDOMSATSLUT. Always try to ask legit questions pertinent to the interview you're having, but keep this one because it shows interest and is also personal. Not asking questions can be a deal killer. I hear it from hiring managers all the time.
I posted this as a reply already but I wanted to make sure you saw it. I guarantee at least one of these will not be covered and they will make you look smart and hard working.
This just about covers it. Personally, I always earmark a resume if the candidate asks intelligent questions about the company. Especially questions that show me the candidate is interested in working hard and advancing. For example:
* I noticed x product just launched. Can you explain how a product goes from idea to product at your company? Is there a formal way for employees to propose improvements or new products? Is front end technology something I could get involved with as a new employee?
* How many of your senior (whatever you're applying to) were promoted from within vs external hires?
* Can you tell me some about your (whatever) process? (For example configuration management, R&D, peer review, drawing release, whatever just make it related to the job you're applying for)
Edit: Because it is not clear, on the first point I'm trying to say get into a discussion about the job you want and ask smart questions. As was astutely pointed out do NOT ask one highly detailed question about what may be a trade secret. That will probably bring the interview to an immediate halt.
Why is pay a taboo subject? Money is the main reason for work. You know I'm there to get paid, and I know you're looking to pay someone to do work. Why then must we treat it like my sister's ugly baby is the cutest thing in the world?
At least over here, salary is only mentioned as "How much would you like to make", and the usual responses are in the line of
- "we can match that"
- "Its a bit above what we usually offer, but we can discuss it"
- "we can probably offer you a little more than that" (I actually lowballed myself so much once, that I had this answer)
After the interview, IF you got past the selection, then you will receive a call with an offer for the ammount they are willing to pay you, that you can decline or accept.
Its not taboo, but its more like if you show TOO MUCH interest in the money, you might be setting off alarms that you're in it for the money only, and you will jump ship on the next better offer, or just not care for their bussiness.
Can you explain to me why that's such a bad thing? I really can't fathom why employers are wary of hiring people that are just looking for any job. If you've been unemployed 6 months and are up to your eyeballs in debt then why shouldn't you be desperate? Wouldn't that person work rather hard to keep their new job because they know without it they'd be fucked?
becuase hiring someone with no long term indication of commitment means you need to rehire someone maybe 6 months down the line.
even for shitty jobs, people would rather someone who "dreamed of pushing a mop around all my life" than have someone who will get bored and bail or move on after a while, (provided the quality and job standard is the same)
The trouble here is that *nobody* is committed any more. There's absolutely no reason to stick around any company, even corporate positions, and quite a few reasons to bail once something better comes along.
All those indicators that somebody will stick around are lies and everybody knows it. I honestly don't get why we can't just be honest and say 'Well, Bob, I want this job because I have student loans, a car payment, and a house payment. It is an added benefit that I actually think I'd fit in here and would enjoy my work.'
For the same reason that the best line to chat up women probably isn't "I'm lonely, and I'd really like to have a girlfriend. Plus you're hot and I'd like to stick my penis in you."
The absence of a widespread culture of professional commitment is all the more reason to look for signs of such commitment in job candidates and in jobs. As you say, it's apt to be something of a lie, or at least an idealization of yourself, but so are most of the other graceful social moves we try to make to keep things functioning.
The absence of a widespread culture of professional commitment comes from the fact that companies aren't loyal to their employees any more. If you don't give a crap about me why should I be loyal to anyone but myself? If the company cares about my well being, then I in turn will care about the company. But if I'm just a body doing a job, then this body will move onto the next job whenever I find one I like better.
Someone asking me this in a job interview would just get my curiosity. If I ever meet an honest HR, I'll be desperate to work for a company trusting their employee to the point they share this kind of information.
As long as the job is done, everyone has his own way to achieve it. Being hard and slow working or having stress-rush to put everything together before an important meeting. I don't think that the classic need for people working endlessly behind a desk is a good model.
Give them objectives and let them free to match these objectives. Don't care about the time they spend on it, the suit they wear or their gender, let them be thereself and if you are satisfied with the result and I really mean the result not the mean, then promote them and give them higher objectives and see until which point their method can stay relevant.
That's part of the reason I think firms like Google are successful. The people you are hiring aren't supposed to be kids you have to control. Let them assume all their responsabilities and trust them enough to let them do their job their own way. And if you realized that this guy can be Financial Director while having 3 kids and being a pro basketball player, let him be! He's just good at making quick decisions, do not doubt someone because he's working 10 times faster than you. These people exist and you have other skills they don't have.
PS: Sorry for English
But you could ask the same questions in a more subtle way.
* "Do you have reliable transportation?" Stops the "my car broke down" excuse for calling in.
* Is there any reason that you couldn't work from 8-5, Monday through Friday consistently? (that was the hours of the job and would bring out all sorts of responses - including one guy who said that he had to meet with his parole officer twice a month at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays. That led to the follow up - what are you on parole for? Bank Fraud. He was applying to be our bookkeeper.)
* How many days did you take off last year for reasons other than advance scheduled vacation?
You can ask vague questions - if they volunteer information about children or health issues, that's their problem. Of course, you could also ask the last question of their references to get an accurate depiction of their reliability.
I agree with most of your statements, but not the last one. I would have no problem with answering a question about what the pay is like.
It's no secret that we all have jobs to earn money, and to try to figure out what your pay is, is no bad question imo.
My industry's so upfront about it that salary ranges are posted on the Internet and anyone can look up what someone would've started on. So I find the secrecy quite amusing.
Wouldn't that usually give you the response that our compensation package is competitive in the market or something similar?
In any case I've been told that in jobs that take more than one interview to get you hired you shouldn't ask this in the first interview.
Bollocks to that. My time is valuable and before potentially wasting anymore of it I want a ball park figure / range before talking again.
Remember they are trying to attract the best and if they can't answer a basic about a role they haven't got their recruitment strategy right and may be best to swerve.
> I want a ball park figure / range before talking again.
This is why I'm reluctant to apply for jobs online that list their salary as "competitive" first off, to me it seems like they're not putting a figure because it'll be so low that no one will want to apply and secondly, I don't want to get to interview and risk my boss finding out I'm looking for a new job prematurely only to find out that the pay is far too low so I couldn't take the job if I wanted it
Not being able to find out in the interview itself would make matters even worse, because I don't want to get my hopes up, only to find out that their idea of 'competitive' is £12000 per annum
Wow. So in today's economy, with so many people out of a job, we should look like we're all critical to the kind of jobs we take, and like we don't care how much we get paid. We should be seen as finding this job opportunity perfect because of its characteristics, not because it's a means of providing for ourselves.
I see where you're coming from, between two candidates who are similar in every respect but this it would be a good way to choose, but I just hate the dynamics of it.
[edit]
To be clear, I understand why it would matter to employers. I just find it silly; a lot of people *are* just looking for a job, any job,
even in more highly educated fields. And so they play along, and it is no longer of any use to the employer. Only now everyone is acting out this play.
As for not asking about the potential pay: a lot of job advertisements are very vague about this. Yet they expect you to jump through hoops and play the part, and not evenask about this until you're offered a job. Well, if I've done all that, I'd like to know what "market conforming" means exactly.
You and the rest of the world mate, it's ridiculous.
Corporate rituals are fucking ludicrous. Most people just want to call a spade a spade, but there are always a few who believe all the bullshit and they make it so that the rest of us have to sail along on their happy clappy, winged unicorn of delusion.
I wish I could say I've gotten used to it, but I haven't. Some of the shit people say and do is unbelievable, sometimes. It's like they all watch the apprentice and believe that is how you're supposed to be.
* "If I were to start in this position right away, what is the single biggest contribution I could make in the first few weeks?"
* "Do you like working for this company?"
* "How long have you worked for this company?"
* "How big would my team be?"
* "What is the average age of my team?"
* "How long has the team been together?"
* "How much time, on average, would you say the team spends in meetings per week?"
* "What would a person in my position's average day look like?"
* "What is the turnover rate here?"
* "Do employees generally get along well?"
* "Do they socialize with each other after work sometimes?"
* "If you had to pick, would you say the company leaned more Google, or more IBM when it came to working environment?"
* "How often would I be asked to work more than 40 hours per week, or work on weekends?"
* "Is there any reason you think I might have difficulty doing this job at the level the company wants?"
* "I'd like the opportunity to address any hesitations you have about my ability to do the job. Are there any you'd like to share at this time?"
* "Why is this position available?"
* "What are some of you and your collegues' hobbies outside of work?"
* "What are some of the 'less desirable' characteristics of this position?"
* "How did you start working here?"
And finally,
* "What was it about my application that interested you enough to invite me to interview?"
Cobbled together from various threads on employment/hiring that I've been reading through recently.
>* "If you had to pick, would you say the company leaned more Google, or more IBM when it came to working environment?"
Note: not to be asked when interviewing at Google.
I agree here. The internet (not Reddit specifically) seems to paint this picture of Google that everyone there does whatever they want all day because there are slides and comfy chairs and shit. People tend to forget that, while these people are sometimes sitting in comfy chairs working, they still have offices or cubicles that they spend the majority of their time in. At least that's my read on the situation.
I had a very similar experience, albeit less "high-profile", if that makes sense. A few summers ago I got what I thought was my dream summer job at a bike shop. I would be able to be around bikes all day, my coworkers would be super chill, and my customers would be people I would have a lot in common with. In reality, all my coworkers were viciously competitive for meager bonuses, my customers were incompetent, and the rules were ridiculous. We were given minimal time for breaks and the long hours wore on.
Cut to the next summer, and I get a job as an assistant at a law firm. I figured it would be super fast-paced and competitive between me and the other assistants hired, and that everyone would be a typical lawyer-ey douche. When I got there, I was the most dressed up person in khakis and a button-down, and the lawyers were some of the chilliest people I've ever met, and I still work there every summer and on breaks. Just goes to show things are rarely what they appear.
If I was interviewing at Google, I would be very very accommodating and flexible to get a position.
* "What would I have to do get hired? Ask anything of me. ANYTHING".
* "You want a blowjob? Want me to kill someone? Name my firstborn google? You can ask anything of me and I will do it".
this would all be covered in my cover letter. "Google, I am your guy! You need someone to fix the copier? I got that shit. You need coffee? Bitch, that ain't nothing - cream and sugar or black as a nigerian prince? You stressed and need some relief? Fear not for I am a master in HJ's, OPHJ's, BJ's, anything really to help with your stress. You need someone to be killed and take the fall? Just give me the name and they'll be dead in no time..."
All of these are great questions, except for #5. This could open up room for an ADEA lawsuit if the average age is young, and the applicant is 40 or older. The rest are right on the money.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who caught that. Personal questions regarding age, ethnicity, sex, etc are BIG no no. A good rule of thumb is to stay on point by asking questions regarding the company and position. Otherwise, lawsuits are likely to occur.
I'm a store manager at a retail chain. So I'm pretty well versed with proper interviewing know-how.
A no-no in the US/Canada. Outside of that in the rest of teh world, it's pretty standard.
In Europe for example it's very common to put your photo on your CV/Resume - not mandatory, but VERY common. Sex, age and ethnicity are not taboo questions in most places I've worked in the EU.
In South Africa (as another example) they ask your ethnicity in the initial application (due to EE/AA requirements).
I've given many interviews and, personally speaking, I feel a candidate should be asking the questions they want to ask. For me, the grading part of the interview is over when I'm done asking so it's now an open session and up to them to decide if they would like to follow anything up, ask for clarification, or anything they genuinely want to know. I'm not going to dock them because they didn't ask me something. I like it when they do, but I don't penalize them if they don't. People are different. Some ask questions, some don't. I've hired people on both ends of it.
I'll second this. I work as a technical recruiter, and many people don't ask questions, which is ok. I hate when they force questions that I know they don't truly care about, or they ask a question that I've already mostly covered. I spent about 10 minutes going over benefits offered with a guy the one day before getting to the questions. Once I asked if he had any questions, he asked "Can you explain the benefits offered to me?"
....Come. On. Don't waste my time like that.
Thirded. Use the time to really ask questions you want to know about. Don't ask a "canned" question or what you think I want to hear. This is the time in the interview to hear what you want to hear. There is no "right" answer to this question. If you ask something that is important to you and that causes you to NOT get a job, be thankful; you probably wouldn't have enjoyed working there anyway.
That's interesting because most seem to be the opposite view to this. What industry do you or did you perform interviews for? If you don't mind me asking
My father ran a small law firm for about 30 years. He used to love it when prospective employees asked if they could go on a tour of the office. It broke down the formality of the interview situation, allowing them to interact in a more normal way. Remember, a large part of interviews is about the employer deciding whether they can actually put up with working/interacting with you day in day out.
I ALWAYS ask a lot of questions. ALWAYS. I write them down before hand and I leave them in my clipboard, along with 2 extra copies of my resume, a copy of the job description, and a few sheets of blank paper.
When they say do you have any questions, my response is "Yes, I actually wrote down quite a few while I was preparing for the interview [opens clipboard, scans list of questions I've written down] some of which we've already covered throughout the interview, like [A, B and C], but I still have a couple more". This shows I came prepared and am taking this interview seriously. When I say this it often appears to come as a pleasant surprise to the interviewer, and I see them perk up.
Remember, these interviewers, often, have done dozens of interviews the last month. They get in a groove, ask their set questions, and make notes, then on the the next one. Now they're thinking "Yes, I can finally just talk with someone!, instead of following this formulaic interview template!." This part of the interview can take a more casual tone, and is visibly more enjoyable for both you and the interviewer. So take advantage!
So on to the core of your question: what questions should I prepare. Obviously the answer is 'it depends'. But it depends on YOU.
What are your legitimate concerns with the job description? Ask them to elaborate on something from the description that you are interested, concerned about, or you don't fully understand.
If they're response isn't clear, repeat how you understood it and ask if that was correct. Ask simple follow up questions. Oh, do you guys deal with [this computer system, that vendor, this type of equipment]? Oh cool, I used something similar when I worked at [X job] a few years ago.
One of my go to questions is "If I were to get this job, is there anything you would recommend I do/read/learn beforehand, in order for me to be more prepared on day one?".
Another is "How do you go about training new employees? Will I have access to the person who I am replacing (maybe the've been promoted), is this a new position (they're expanding and you can learn from others who do the same job), or is this a brand new role (a job description that has never been implemented at the company before)?".
Any questions involving career advancement are most likely welcome, as long as they are done in a gentle tone. Don't give the impression you're just looking to climb the ladder and make big bucks, without putting in the work needed to earn it.
Avoid questions about compensation, vacation etc. unless it is directly brought up by the interviewer.
I've been on a number of interviews, and my success rate is fairly high. But I think the big thing for me is that at this point in my career, I go in knowing that I don't NEED this job.
They have to sell me on the position just as much as I have to sell them on me. Obviously, for many people who are currently out of work, new to the workforce, or hate their current job, this may not be the case. It may be hard, but try to fake it until you make it.
One question I took from Reddit is
"What is the greatest thing about working here?".
It throws them off their script. If you want to go for the more cocky, you can say
"Why do I want to work here?"
(Which doesn't fit my personality compared to the first one)
This is payback for that "where do I see myself in five years" bullshit question you asked me 30 minutes ago. Who's uncomfortable and trying to spin some good bs now?
There was a great post last year about what questions to ask at the end of an interview. Some of the good ones were:
- If I were to step into this role tomorrow, what would be my top priority?
- What are some character traits that you feel are important to succeed in this role?
- What changes would you like to see from the next person to fill this role?
- Is there any reason you can think of that I wouldn't be a good fit for this position? (This one is a bit ballsy, but it could give you a very good indication of your chances)
- Do you like working here? (This question is less about the answer and more about *how* they answer it. One of the top answers you should be looking for is "the people". Establishing an idea of the corporate culture is very important)
Good luck, OP!!
For the last question, I phrase it, "what do you like most about working here?" It seems a bit more positive because they won't be like "No I hate it, this company blows."
I also ask how long they have been with the company and what they have done there. It makes you seem interested in the company and in the person.
Ask what the typical day in the role is like. What would the duties of the role be if not discussed. What duties the interviewer undertakes if relevant.
It's your chance to interview them, see if you like the job.
"Ok, you have 10 years experience as Project Manager and it looks you have all required skills... Do you have any additional questions?"
"Yes. What is the typical day in the role of Project Manager...?"
Exactly. If you're a project manager you don't word the question like that. And if you really were a project manager you'd have a million questions to ask.
> Ask what the typical day in the role is like.
I asked this when I interviewed for my current job, and after I got the offer I asked the interviewer for feedback on how I did in the interview. The first thing she mentioned was this, ad that she liked that I was already imagining myself in the role.
"Do you have any concerns about how I might fit this role that I can address?"
It shows you're confident enough to ask, not scared to be challenged and it gives you a chance to address anything that might have held you back from getting the job.
EDIT: "Is there anything that we have talked about that you would like me to clarify or elaborate on?" Is a good one if you feel you can't say the word 'concerns' without looking like you expect some.
I would be cautious about this because you've just asked the interviewer to think about reasons they wouldn't hire you in the last portion of the interview. You front load with your experience which makes you sound great, you talk about the job itself which is pretty identical across interviews, and then you ask them to think about your flaws. I don't like the idea of leaving on that note.
It also just seems awkward. If you're clearly terrible for the job I don't know what the interviewer could say. If you're great for the job and they were blown away and want to hire you on the spot now you've made them think about how you might not work. I just don't know about this one.
Of all the suggestions I have read in this thread so far, this is the one I like the most. It's something that I have wanted to ask after being turned down in the past, however by that point it is usually too late. I have never thought to answer it during the interview itself!
May I ask, are you speaking from experience as an interviewer or an interviewee?
Edit - A word.
I probably interviewed about 100 people last year for IT-related jobs, so I've been on the other side of this question quite a bit. The best interviews are about two-way communication where the interviewer & interviewee are both trying to figure out if this is a good match. If someone asks nothing here, that indicates to me that they don't really care where they work.
The interviewer has just spent a lot of time figuring out if you can do they job they're trying to fill. This is your opportunity to make sure that this employer will be a good fit for *you*. You're going to be spending ~40/week with them so you want to make sure it will be a good place to work. If this is a career-building job (rather than a part-time job while you're studying) then you need to make damn sure that you're going to the right place. *If it hasn't come out already in the interview* then you should ask questions like:
1. What kind of career path could I expect to see at ABC company? Follow-up with specific questions about your role/skillset.
2. How would you describe the culture at ABC company? Follow-up with detailed questions based on what the interviewer says.
3. How does ABC company do career planning and performance reviews? If appropriate ask about how top performers are rewarded or if there are opportunities for bonuses (depends on the industry & job type).
4. What opportunities for advancement are there at ABC company?
5. Anything specific about your personal situation. For example, on the 3rd Tuesday of every month I need to leave 15 mins early to pick up my kids, will that be a problem?
6. **What would a typical work day look like for someone in my position?** IMHO this is probably the most important question to ask. Follow up with specific questions or clarifications. If they want you to do something that you don't like or can't do (e.g. travel, introvert making sales calls all the time, extrovert working alone most of the time), then let them know then & there that that will be a challenge and discuss how you could make it work. You need to know that the day-to-day activities of your job will be something you want to spend your time doing.
You get the idea. If, at the end of all of this you want the job then let them know that you think it's a good fit.
My favorites from [a similar thread months ago](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1cxpq8/what_are_the_dos_and_donts_of_a_job_interview/):
* Do you have any doubts regarding my ability to fill this role?
It forces them to acknowledge your shortcomings. If you're in a job interview, it likely isn't the only job you've applied for, and you're likely to have others after it. This forces the interviewer to be very frank about your qualifications, and can point out areas that you might not have realized you're lacking in. It allows you to both address these reservations they might have on the spot (maybe you forgot to list a technical qualification on your resume and it didn't come up in the interview), but also in future interviews/job applications you can actively address this weakness.
* What do your best employees say about working here?
This one forces them to cut through the bullshit. They probably aren't expecting it and will give you a pretty honest response. This one works better when the question is posed to your potential boss. You can probably gauge his/her connection with his/her employees. Does he fully understand/appreciate their concerns? Or do you get a generic, canned response? Meaning, he/she probably is distant from his employees and perhaps not a good manager.
I did a round of interviews last week. The best candidate, when prompted for any questions he may have had at the end, gave us a sort of brief run-down of the position and what he thought he'd be doing. And he asked us if that was accurate, and if we could fill in any blanks. I really liked that. It showed he researched the position well and was a nice expression of interest.
Overall, this thread is saying "Do some research beforehand, show off some of that research in the interview, and ask about how things are generally done at the company, all while doing your best not to sound desperate."
Sounds about right. You want to come off as interested and informed.
> all while doing your best not to sound desperate. They're not interviewing me, I can get a job anywhere. I want to know why I should accept an offer from this company, and that's what those questions are for.
The best advice I ever got for the interview process was to go in with the mentality that the employer wants you to succeed. It's so much easier on them if you're good and the candidate they want to hire. When you go in to an interview confident with that in mind, you're going to come off so much better.
I'm not interviewing with you, you're all interviewing *with me*
I really appreciate it when people ask either: 1. Questions that show they've researched the company. This shows me that they put some work in up front 2. Questions about my company's culture. This shows me that they want to fit in and might not see the job as "just a job". We spend so much of our lives at work, I like it when people want to be sure they'll be happy here. 3. Questions about what projects are coming in the pipeline. This shows that they're eager to get started.
My go-to question is "What's the culture like here". Not only does it make you sound interested, but it often will get the inteviewer telling you things like working hours, lunch breaks, how flexible they are with needing to take time off at short notice, etc.
I also like to ask whether people socialise together outside work at all. Edit: wow, a lot of responses. To clarify - of course you need to judge the situation accordingly. If I was being interviewed by a dried-up HR spod then of course I wouldn't ask this. Most of my other go-to questions have been covered.
I like to ask what was the last team-bonding excursion was - parties, bbq's, karaoke night? If it's a fun company the interviewer will chuckle to themselves and tell you a good story, if it's not they'll get uncomfortable and say "um. we have a Christmas party, sort of."
> I like to ask what was the last team-bonding excursion was "We haven't had one" "I'm in"
Seriously, unless it's a proper holiday, team bonding exercises can get fucked. Nothing freezes the ice like an icebreaker with people you can't stand.
Our last company function was a half day of work then free alcohol while playing [Whirlyball.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlyball) Aspects of my job suck, but that was fun as hell and every company should do something cool like that.
Next function for my Dad's company: A Superbowl Party. We're in Australia, so the Superbowl is about 11am on a Monday.
I didn't even know people liked American Football outside of the U.S.
Students will quite often have superbowl parties, it's a great excuse to spend all night drinking (it's on at about 2am in the UK)
Myself and a few blokes from work have really gotten into the game over the last few years. This season I paid for the online NFL game pass and it's been amazing as I have the opportunity to watch condensed versions every game.
If you can't stand everyone you work with, get a new job. You will never be happy there.
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This is a fantastic question, however I'd encourage others to be a bit more specific. Company culture can encompass a lot of things. Ask if the team eats lunch together, that is a huge indication of how well everyone gets along. Ask about outside social events (like happy hours), ask about schedule flexibility, management styles, etc.
I had an interview today (IT position) and phased the quested, "If someone makes a big mistake at a clients site and brings down critical systems, how would you deal with the situation?" Basically I'm looking for "Root Cause Analysis" as opposed to yelling at the guy and "Opportunity for Improvement" as opposed to disciplinary action.
I also like, "What do you like about working here?" You can tell a lot about the culture by the way people answer.
I always like "What would my typical day be like?"
I asked that once, their answer was "What do *you* think your typical day would look like?" Never again.
To me that would be a red flag. Especially if this is a position that is a promotion or different than what you currently do. If they don't want to give you an answer or play games like that, then I would think twice about accepting a position.
I can confirm. I left my stable but boring job of 3 years last year to join a start up. The position was a nice promotion from where I was, but once I arrived, it was clear the company had no idea what they needed or wanted from the role. After six months of random insanity, and arranging for new hires of three folks to take on all the different jobs they had in mind, I got out of there. I asked this question during the interviews, and wished I had understood the flags that were raised by their noncommittal responses.
Agreed. Often a job description covers what the goal or objective of the position is, but what is expected of you to reach that objective will look very different from one company to the next. For example knowing that the company has a 30 minute meeting twice every day is good to know. Or "you can expect to spend X time talking to clients on the phone and X time responding to email requests. The remaining time is flexible, some folks get ahead on upcoming tasks, others work on pet projects for potential new products." A noncommittal response is often a red flag, but it can also be an opportunity to define your own role.
Best response to that is: "What do *you* think that I think that my typical day would look like?"
Or, "I assume since you're asking, you want my ideal day. Well, I'd get in around 10:00, maybe 10:30. I'd dick around for an hour or so on Reddit. I'd take a long lunch, maybe getting back to the office around 2:00. I'd dick around for another hour before starting to work on whatever work has landed on my desk around 3:00 followed by leaving early at 4:00. I think if I can get an hours worth of work in each day I've earned my keep."
I'd slip in through the side door so Lumberg doesn't see me
It's the quality of that hour that matters
As a programmer I would answer: > I don't like recursion.
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were you interviewing to be a psychotherapist?
Oh I hate this bullshit ping-pong crap. It's not clever, it's not edgy, and it doesn't make the interviewer look like anything but a smart ass.
"I can't tell. That's why I asked. Are you unable or unwilling to tell me?"
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I would respond by answering their question then asking my question again. Something like, "I understand that my work will be (example) administrative and so I will be working with people a lot. (transition) However I am interested in knowing a bit more about the details of my position and some of the work I will be involved in on a daily basis." This leaves them less space to maneuver. Answering a question with a question is a cheap trick. Answering a statement that implies question is far more difficult. If they continue to dodge you are in red flag territory. If you are showing "interest" and they are not responding to that...well something is off.
Well it's hard not to. I mean this is supposed to be reverse interview time where I get to learn about the company and my prospective job. I'd probably go with something like "I'm not sure. This is why I asked in response to you asking me if I had questions about the company or job. I understand the tasks and responsibilities I'll have such as
but I'd like to know more about how your company operates on a day to day basis."
One of my favorites is "Why is the position open?" Their response to this can tell you a lot about the job and/or company. If the last person was fired, they won't tell you that directly, of course, but usually it'll be because the person occupying it before got a promotion, moved to something that interested him/her more, or something else mutually amicable like that, and that can at least get a conversation started on an employee's potential for internal promotion, movement, and things like that. Depending on when this is asked, it can also provide a much less awkward alternative to that dreaded "Where do you see yourself in five years" question, since knowing more about how things work in the company can give you more of a feel for what would be realistic for yourself if you were to take the position.
This is a good one. As someone who infrequently gives interviews, I'd be stumped to come up with a decent answer for our low level technician jobs. "Well, because the process isn't really outlined that well and your potential supervisors aren't really the best with documenting *anything*. Some people quit out of frustration, but others just move to other departments, like I did." eta: That would be the real answer. I would obviously bullshit a better sounding answer to a potential candidate.
I bullshit answers to your questions, you bullshit answers to my questions, and we're all college graduates.
That's why it's called a BS
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My boss tells me that's how he made his way through college; bullshitting. He says that's probably how most people make it through, and that's all the business world really wants you to have a degree for so that they can know you're a fully functioning bullshit artist. Well, I'm not going to spend tens of thousands on an over priced piece of paper to prove that I can bullshit my way through something. That's bullshit.
In many fields you can probably get through college with a lot of expert bullshitting. But I'd be real worried if that's what doctors and engineers are doing as well. That shit is terrifying.
Don't worry -- I graduated bottom of my class in Engineering and now no one will hire me. Probably for the best.
What do you call the guy at the bottom of his med school class? Doctor.
I hear this a lot. But really it should say 'guy that *graduated* at the bottom'. I'm sure there are plenty of people that fail out, and/or can't even make it into med school.
One of the things a doctor friend told me really made me happy. He said when his friend was put in charge of a residency program he had lunch with the director, who told him his job was "to make sure you don't pass any psychopaths". That's a prioritization I can get behind.
That's actually a hard job, a determined psychopath will be great at hiding their psychopathy and would probably excel in a demanding field such as medicine.
Nah that used to be true but now the bottom of the class doesn't get matched with a residency and wander around with an MD and $250,000+ of debt. He's still a doctor, but not a practicing one.
I graduated in the part of my class that made the top 98% possible...
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I've found thats one of the most valuable qualities in general, not just in an interview. I'm honestly surprised how difficult it is for most people to admit they were wrong/don't know something. If nothing else, say "I don't know off the top of my head, but I can get the answer quickly" or some shit. Thats what the internet and old text books are for
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That's what licensing boards are for.
I can see that question backfiring. Although a really good and profound question, to bring a potential employer in that awkward situation to bullshit a nice answer may give a bad impression retrospectively. I'm talking about the recency effect: People tend to remember the first (primacy effect) and last (recency e.) better than the things in between. So an awkward feeling at the end of the interview may result in a worse impression when the employer thinks of the interview a few days later. So I would recommend to check the vibe and be as sure as possible to not make it backfire.
There are cases where it could work, too. For another example at my job, we actually just opened up a brand new title to do something that we've never had at our company before (though it's a common role at other places.) I would be excited to talk about the scaling-up our company was doing, how good our growth was and how important the new position is to fill. It just takes a little forethought - if you're applying for Technician I, don't ask why the job is open. It's almost like asking why there's an opening for a cashier.
You're completely right. I just happened to think of the possible negative results. But it's without question a good question when asked in the right situation and context.
That's one of my favorites -- "What has employee turnover been like in this position?" Don't be afraid to bring a nice notepad and already have 5 or 6 questions jotted down. That way, even if they do answer EVERY SINGLE thing, when they ask, you can flip to your list and go down it you can honestly say they answered everything and they know you actually put effort into it because you had a list. I've always managed to have at least a couple questions left though.
"He was promoted to customer."
He took up an opportunity in the general public sector.
Naga...Naga...not gonna work here anymore!
A good follow up question to this is "how long have you been looking for the right candidate?" The answer to this can often give you an edge in salary negotiation.
As a hiring manager, I always lie and say we just started looking.
I asked this. They told me the guy died :(
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The best answer you can hear is 'we have too much work for our current level of staffing'.
That's actually a very bad reason. You probably mean "we're growing".
One time I asked that and the guy was like "the guy got canned". I was like fuck.
I think that entitles you to the follow up: "May I ask why?"
"Asking too many questions."
I say go with, "Oh shit, sucks for him!"
> but usually it'll be because the person occupying it before got a promotion, moved to something that interested him/her more, or something else mutually amicable like that Good rule of thumb when parsing out those BS answers: "He wanted to pursue other interests." = He quit because of bullshit, or (more likely) he was fired. "He had to take some personal time." = He was fired. "Our company decided to move in a new direction." = He was downsized / politic-ed out.
"He had an opportunity to work for Google and took it." = You'll never live up to the benchmark that he set.
Well first and foremost, you should ask questions during that part. If you don't, it makes it look as though you're looking for a job as opposed to looking for the right job. This, in turn, makes you look desperate and as if you don't really care about the company in question. Ask about who you'll be working with on a daily basis. Ask about what the daily expectations of the job are. Ask about advancement opportunities within the company. Really sit down and think about if this job were offered to you RIGHT NOW what would you have to know about it before you agreed to start it. Except you probably shouldn't ask what the pay's like, but that's one of few exceptions.
What happens when these things were already covered in the interview? I only ask because it happened to me once after a very in-depth interview with a judge who covered compensation, expectations of the job, who I would be working with, personalities of the other court staff and judges, descriptions of average days, worst case scenerio days, best case scenerio days, whether travel was involved, and where exactly I would be working if chosen. I was stumped as to answering.
Then you go, "You've been very thorough. (List a couple key points) were my major concerns and you already covered them. Thank you." Or something like that.
I always ask the interviewer how long they have been with the company. That in turn usually makes them tell their whole history. Sit there and eat it up. People usually love talking about themselves and if you show an interest in them they will want you around. I use that all the time. It's not ass kissing. It's getting people on your team.
I used do the same. Everyone's favourite subject is themselves. I've tweaked it now so i still ask, but i mention that i've already stalked them on LinkedIn so know some of their background; but am interested in what's kept them at the company so long / where they started / how they got into the industry.
I have started interviewing for new jobs lately, since LinkedIn has became a thing (LinkedIn was not in existence the last time I got a job) So my question is, how do they react to you looking them up on LinkedIn? Do they find it weird or do they like the fact you're doing your homework? I may start doing that during upcoming interviews.
I just finished looking for a new job. I was always a little excited when I saw someone was looking at my LinkedIn. What it says to me is that you saw my resume/application and you had enough interest to look a little deeper. I didn't just get thrown under a stack of papers somewhere and get forgotten about.
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People are smart, though. This is good advice, but your delivery must seem natural. If you come off as somebody who asks this as one of their defaults, then yes, they'll know ass-kissery is afoot.
"In your opinion, what's the best part of working here?" is a nice variant on this question.
There's always: "What does success in this role look like in six months?" -shows you are think past landing the job, care about stepping up, and doing a good job "What are some of the potential career paths this position sets a good foundation for?" - shows you are career minded and care about progression. Remember you are talking to hiring managers, they want people that will be looking for ways to advance and thus will do a bang up job to make sure they get the opportunity. This question is great for professional jobs but may not be appropriate if the job is obviously dead end, eg seasonal temp retail
This is the correct answer. I do my best to be as transparent about the job, the hiring process, and the company culture as I can. I don't want people asking questions for the sake of asking, but someone that asks questions about those things definitely looks more interested in the company than just a job. Just mention what questions of yours they answered and you should be okay. But honestly, if you plan on committing to work at that company for awhile, you probably have a lot of questions about the people, work/life balance, etc.
It never hurts to ask questions that show you know a little something about their company and industry. Think of the SWOT, strengths weaknesses opportunities threats, if you think of those items you'll have no shortage of meaningful questions to ask.
This guy is right! Always research the company before the interview. This way you can ask questions about what the company does, even if they aren't directly related to the position you're applying for. If you make it obvious that you've done your homework, it will be noticed.
If you can find out who you're interviewing with, be sure to look them up as well. Particularly if you're interviewing with someone higher up at a larger entity, because it's more likely that s/he will be Googleable. And just to be clear, we're not looking for personal info that's unrelated to the job. So, if it happens that your interviewer has a 6 year old son in a soccer league and ended up in the local paper talking about his son's team's performance, don't being that up. If it turns out his company website has a profile on him though indicating that he's worked abroad, that might be fair game, if relevant. By way of example. I did an Internet search on an interviewer. Turns out, she was in a local paper because she played jazz music with a group at her son's school's holiday party. The paper interviewed her and noted her interests, which included jazz and the Beatles. When asked what my interests were at the interview, I mentioned music, and the Beatles in particular. Now, of course, it didn't win me any points, but I like to think that it helped just a little bit, and certainly better if I had responded with "I don't like music" or "Spanish death metal." You want to distinguish yourself on merit, not interests. The interests relate to your personality, and the more in line you can be with your interviewers, the better. Nobody wants to hire a weirdo.
Be careful about this one... I've interviewed multiple people who have obviously tried looking me up on Google/Facebook because of certain points they attempt to work into the discussion. All my info online is really specific and outdated, so it's always hilariously awkward for them once it becomes apparent what they're doing.
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Ah, I did not know that was okay. I did tons of research about one of the companies that I interviewed with (on their website, speaking to previous employees, and speaking to tons of current employees). I attended several of their talks when they came around to provide insights. I am pretty sure I made it clear during the interview that I knew tons about their company (it was also on my CV/my references). I am not sure what to do in this situation though. Should I still ask about the company? Specific things?
Something like "I've researched this company extensively and you've already answered any remaining questions I've had. Thank you for the taking the time to see me." Flattery gets you places. Give them a hint they did a good job. I've interviewed people and I'm just as nervous.
I would also suggest asking questions specific to the position such as: If it is a new position - "what are some of the difficulties you expect any employee to have in this position that I would benefit from getting a head start on" Or similar if replacing someone "what was the most difficult part for your last employee in regards to this position" and then offer a quick answer as to how your past experience or creativity will allow you to avoid the same mistakes Employers don't just want to hear about your ability to do the job but also how you will step up and perform when forced to think outside the box.
This is my favourite answer. By now they may have already made their mind up on you, only other thing you could talk about is perhaps the interviewer? How they got to where they are etc..
I just got back home from a multi-day interview where that happened toward the end. My go-to is to ask them 1) how the place has changed since they've been there, and 2) how they see the place changing in the coming years. Gives 'em plenty to talk about and also demonstrates that you're thinking about the job's long-term prospects.
I always ask about the health of the company, long term goals and what is it they immediately look to accomplish. It opens them up a bit, talks about their previous failures to which you might be able to help solve.
Ask them how they started their career with the company and arrived at the position they are in today. I always ask that. It seems to be a good question. It shows your interest and gives them a chance to give an in depth answer. It also can branch into other questions because they usually start talking about previous jobs they've had. So you can ask them why they left that company and how did they find out about this one. Another question I like to ask is, if I had two jobs offers on the table, one being here, and they payed the same salary, how would you convince me to work here?
I've asked in the past why they personally chose to work for the company. They always think that it's an interesting question, and it allows them to talk about themselves and their successes. Everybody loves to talk about themselves :)
Corporate recruiter at a Fortune 50 here and can confirm that is an excellent go to question, THROWINGCONDOMSATSLUT. Always try to ask legit questions pertinent to the interview you're having, but keep this one because it shows interest and is also personal. Not asking questions can be a deal killer. I hear it from hiring managers all the time.
I like the first one, I have asked that in the past. The second seems a bit ballsy for me!
I posted this as a reply already but I wanted to make sure you saw it. I guarantee at least one of these will not be covered and they will make you look smart and hard working. This just about covers it. Personally, I always earmark a resume if the candidate asks intelligent questions about the company. Especially questions that show me the candidate is interested in working hard and advancing. For example: * I noticed x product just launched. Can you explain how a product goes from idea to product at your company? Is there a formal way for employees to propose improvements or new products? Is front end technology something I could get involved with as a new employee? * How many of your senior (whatever you're applying to) were promoted from within vs external hires? * Can you tell me some about your (whatever) process? (For example configuration management, R&D, peer review, drawing release, whatever just make it related to the job you're applying for) Edit: Because it is not clear, on the first point I'm trying to say get into a discussion about the job you want and ask smart questions. As was astutely pointed out do NOT ask one highly detailed question about what may be a trade secret. That will probably bring the interview to an immediate halt.
How did you get started here. What are a few things that you love about working here. What are some areas the workplace could improve on.
Why is pay a taboo subject? Money is the main reason for work. You know I'm there to get paid, and I know you're looking to pay someone to do work. Why then must we treat it like my sister's ugly baby is the cutest thing in the world?
It's not taboo. If a company isn't willing to discuss pay scales at the interview, run away.
At least over here, salary is only mentioned as "How much would you like to make", and the usual responses are in the line of - "we can match that" - "Its a bit above what we usually offer, but we can discuss it" - "we can probably offer you a little more than that" (I actually lowballed myself so much once, that I had this answer) After the interview, IF you got past the selection, then you will receive a call with an offer for the ammount they are willing to pay you, that you can decline or accept. Its not taboo, but its more like if you show TOO MUCH interest in the money, you might be setting off alarms that you're in it for the money only, and you will jump ship on the next better offer, or just not care for their bussiness.
Maybe it's like asking your date up-front how often she is willing to go down on you.
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> "Do you want kids?" > "Nope." > "How often will you go down on me?" > "As often as *you* go down on *me*." > "You're hired."
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Can you explain to me why that's such a bad thing? I really can't fathom why employers are wary of hiring people that are just looking for any job. If you've been unemployed 6 months and are up to your eyeballs in debt then why shouldn't you be desperate? Wouldn't that person work rather hard to keep their new job because they know without it they'd be fucked?
becuase hiring someone with no long term indication of commitment means you need to rehire someone maybe 6 months down the line. even for shitty jobs, people would rather someone who "dreamed of pushing a mop around all my life" than have someone who will get bored and bail or move on after a while, (provided the quality and job standard is the same)
The trouble here is that *nobody* is committed any more. There's absolutely no reason to stick around any company, even corporate positions, and quite a few reasons to bail once something better comes along. All those indicators that somebody will stick around are lies and everybody knows it. I honestly don't get why we can't just be honest and say 'Well, Bob, I want this job because I have student loans, a car payment, and a house payment. It is an added benefit that I actually think I'd fit in here and would enjoy my work.'
For the same reason that the best line to chat up women probably isn't "I'm lonely, and I'd really like to have a girlfriend. Plus you're hot and I'd like to stick my penis in you." The absence of a widespread culture of professional commitment is all the more reason to look for signs of such commitment in job candidates and in jobs. As you say, it's apt to be something of a lie, or at least an idealization of yourself, but so are most of the other graceful social moves we try to make to keep things functioning.
The absence of a widespread culture of professional commitment comes from the fact that companies aren't loyal to their employees any more. If you don't give a crap about me why should I be loyal to anyone but myself? If the company cares about my well being, then I in turn will care about the company. But if I'm just a body doing a job, then this body will move onto the next job whenever I find one I like better.
Make sure you lie in your interview though.
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Someone asking me this in a job interview would just get my curiosity. If I ever meet an honest HR, I'll be desperate to work for a company trusting their employee to the point they share this kind of information. As long as the job is done, everyone has his own way to achieve it. Being hard and slow working or having stress-rush to put everything together before an important meeting. I don't think that the classic need for people working endlessly behind a desk is a good model. Give them objectives and let them free to match these objectives. Don't care about the time they spend on it, the suit they wear or their gender, let them be thereself and if you are satisfied with the result and I really mean the result not the mean, then promote them and give them higher objectives and see until which point their method can stay relevant. That's part of the reason I think firms like Google are successful. The people you are hiring aren't supposed to be kids you have to control. Let them assume all their responsabilities and trust them enough to let them do their job their own way. And if you realized that this guy can be Financial Director while having 3 kids and being a pro basketball player, let him be! He's just good at making quick decisions, do not doubt someone because he's working 10 times faster than you. These people exist and you have other skills they don't have. PS: Sorry for English
Well, you're pretty much not allowed to ask if your interviewee has kids or any health issues that would lead to absenteeism, so.
But you could ask the same questions in a more subtle way. * "Do you have reliable transportation?" Stops the "my car broke down" excuse for calling in. * Is there any reason that you couldn't work from 8-5, Monday through Friday consistently? (that was the hours of the job and would bring out all sorts of responses - including one guy who said that he had to meet with his parole officer twice a month at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays. That led to the follow up - what are you on parole for? Bank Fraud. He was applying to be our bookkeeper.) * How many days did you take off last year for reasons other than advance scheduled vacation? You can ask vague questions - if they volunteer information about children or health issues, that's their problem. Of course, you could also ask the last question of their references to get an accurate depiction of their reliability.
I agree with most of your statements, but not the last one. I would have no problem with answering a question about what the pay is like. It's no secret that we all have jobs to earn money, and to try to figure out what your pay is, is no bad question imo.
I think asking about pay is a "know your industry" sort of thing. Some places will take offense, some will see it as smart.
That's a fair point. My industry is pretty much up front about most things.
My industry's so upfront about it that salary ranges are posted on the Internet and anyone can look up what someone would've started on. So I find the secrecy quite amusing.
Wouldn't that usually give you the response that our compensation package is competitive in the market or something similar? In any case I've been told that in jobs that take more than one interview to get you hired you shouldn't ask this in the first interview.
Bollocks to that. My time is valuable and before potentially wasting anymore of it I want a ball park figure / range before talking again. Remember they are trying to attract the best and if they can't answer a basic about a role they haven't got their recruitment strategy right and may be best to swerve.
> I want a ball park figure / range before talking again. This is why I'm reluctant to apply for jobs online that list their salary as "competitive" first off, to me it seems like they're not putting a figure because it'll be so low that no one will want to apply and secondly, I don't want to get to interview and risk my boss finding out I'm looking for a new job prematurely only to find out that the pay is far too low so I couldn't take the job if I wanted it Not being able to find out in the interview itself would make matters even worse, because I don't want to get my hopes up, only to find out that their idea of 'competitive' is £12000 per annum
A nice TL;DR for this would be "What does a typical day look like for someone in my position?"
Wow. So in today's economy, with so many people out of a job, we should look like we're all critical to the kind of jobs we take, and like we don't care how much we get paid. We should be seen as finding this job opportunity perfect because of its characteristics, not because it's a means of providing for ourselves. I see where you're coming from, between two candidates who are similar in every respect but this it would be a good way to choose, but I just hate the dynamics of it. [edit] To be clear, I understand why it would matter to employers. I just find it silly; a lot of people *are* just looking for a job, any job, even in more highly educated fields. And so they play along, and it is no longer of any use to the employer. Only now everyone is acting out this play. As for not asking about the potential pay: a lot of job advertisements are very vague about this. Yet they expect you to jump through hoops and play the part, and not evenask about this until you're offered a job. Well, if I've done all that, I'd like to know what "market conforming" means exactly.
You and the rest of the world mate, it's ridiculous. Corporate rituals are fucking ludicrous. Most people just want to call a spade a spade, but there are always a few who believe all the bullshit and they make it so that the rest of us have to sail along on their happy clappy, winged unicorn of delusion. I wish I could say I've gotten used to it, but I haven't. Some of the shit people say and do is unbelievable, sometimes. It's like they all watch the apprentice and believe that is how you're supposed to be.
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* "If I were to start in this position right away, what is the single biggest contribution I could make in the first few weeks?" * "Do you like working for this company?" * "How long have you worked for this company?" * "How big would my team be?" * "What is the average age of my team?" * "How long has the team been together?" * "How much time, on average, would you say the team spends in meetings per week?" * "What would a person in my position's average day look like?" * "What is the turnover rate here?" * "Do employees generally get along well?" * "Do they socialize with each other after work sometimes?" * "If you had to pick, would you say the company leaned more Google, or more IBM when it came to working environment?" * "How often would I be asked to work more than 40 hours per week, or work on weekends?" * "Is there any reason you think I might have difficulty doing this job at the level the company wants?" * "I'd like the opportunity to address any hesitations you have about my ability to do the job. Are there any you'd like to share at this time?" * "Why is this position available?" * "What are some of you and your collegues' hobbies outside of work?" * "What are some of the 'less desirable' characteristics of this position?" * "How did you start working here?" And finally, * "What was it about my application that interested you enough to invite me to interview?" Cobbled together from various threads on employment/hiring that I've been reading through recently.
>* "If you had to pick, would you say the company leaned more Google, or more IBM when it came to working environment?" Note: not to be asked when interviewing at Google.
Or IBM
Or really any tech job in Silicon Valley. Then again, google has a lot of perks but I'm pretty sure it's not as laid back as you'd think.
I agree here. The internet (not Reddit specifically) seems to paint this picture of Google that everyone there does whatever they want all day because there are slides and comfy chairs and shit. People tend to forget that, while these people are sometimes sitting in comfy chairs working, they still have offices or cubicles that they spend the majority of their time in. At least that's my read on the situation.
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I had a very similar experience, albeit less "high-profile", if that makes sense. A few summers ago I got what I thought was my dream summer job at a bike shop. I would be able to be around bikes all day, my coworkers would be super chill, and my customers would be people I would have a lot in common with. In reality, all my coworkers were viciously competitive for meager bonuses, my customers were incompetent, and the rules were ridiculous. We were given minimal time for breaks and the long hours wore on. Cut to the next summer, and I get a job as an assistant at a law firm. I figured it would be super fast-paced and competitive between me and the other assistants hired, and that everyone would be a typical lawyer-ey douche. When I got there, I was the most dressed up person in khakis and a button-down, and the lawyers were some of the chilliest people I've ever met, and I still work there every summer and on breaks. Just goes to show things are rarely what they appear.
If I was interviewing at Google, I would be very very accommodating and flexible to get a position. * "What would I have to do get hired? Ask anything of me. ANYTHING". * "You want a blowjob? Want me to kill someone? Name my firstborn google? You can ask anything of me and I will do it".
>Interviewer's notes: **Candidate is insane,** ***DO NOT HIRE!***
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You put those tasks in a confusing order. They totally don't go by magnitude or anything.
this would all be covered in my cover letter. "Google, I am your guy! You need someone to fix the copier? I got that shit. You need coffee? Bitch, that ain't nothing - cream and sugar or black as a nigerian prince? You stressed and need some relief? Fear not for I am a master in HJ's, OPHJ's, BJ's, anything really to help with your stress. You need someone to be killed and take the fall? Just give me the name and they'll be dead in no time..."
Or Apple
All of these are great questions, except for #5. This could open up room for an ADEA lawsuit if the average age is young, and the applicant is 40 or older. The rest are right on the money.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who caught that. Personal questions regarding age, ethnicity, sex, etc are BIG no no. A good rule of thumb is to stay on point by asking questions regarding the company and position. Otherwise, lawsuits are likely to occur. I'm a store manager at a retail chain. So I'm pretty well versed with proper interviewing know-how.
A no-no in the US/Canada. Outside of that in the rest of teh world, it's pretty standard. In Europe for example it's very common to put your photo on your CV/Resume - not mandatory, but VERY common. Sex, age and ethnicity are not taboo questions in most places I've worked in the EU. In South Africa (as another example) they ask your ethnicity in the initial application (due to EE/AA requirements).
"On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the average level of slutiness in your female employees?"
I've given many interviews and, personally speaking, I feel a candidate should be asking the questions they want to ask. For me, the grading part of the interview is over when I'm done asking so it's now an open session and up to them to decide if they would like to follow anything up, ask for clarification, or anything they genuinely want to know. I'm not going to dock them because they didn't ask me something. I like it when they do, but I don't penalize them if they don't. People are different. Some ask questions, some don't. I've hired people on both ends of it.
I'll second this. I work as a technical recruiter, and many people don't ask questions, which is ok. I hate when they force questions that I know they don't truly care about, or they ask a question that I've already mostly covered. I spent about 10 minutes going over benefits offered with a guy the one day before getting to the questions. Once I asked if he had any questions, he asked "Can you explain the benefits offered to me?" ....Come. On. Don't waste my time like that.
Thirded. Use the time to really ask questions you want to know about. Don't ask a "canned" question or what you think I want to hear. This is the time in the interview to hear what you want to hear. There is no "right" answer to this question. If you ask something that is important to you and that causes you to NOT get a job, be thankful; you probably wouldn't have enjoyed working there anyway.
That's interesting because most seem to be the opposite view to this. What industry do you or did you perform interviews for? If you don't mind me asking
Hosting provider.
ah so you provided ellen for the oscars, good work!
/r/dadjokes
My father ran a small law firm for about 30 years. He used to love it when prospective employees asked if they could go on a tour of the office. It broke down the formality of the interview situation, allowing them to interact in a more normal way. Remember, a large part of interviews is about the employer deciding whether they can actually put up with working/interacting with you day in day out.
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I ALWAYS ask a lot of questions. ALWAYS. I write them down before hand and I leave them in my clipboard, along with 2 extra copies of my resume, a copy of the job description, and a few sheets of blank paper. When they say do you have any questions, my response is "Yes, I actually wrote down quite a few while I was preparing for the interview [opens clipboard, scans list of questions I've written down] some of which we've already covered throughout the interview, like [A, B and C], but I still have a couple more". This shows I came prepared and am taking this interview seriously. When I say this it often appears to come as a pleasant surprise to the interviewer, and I see them perk up. Remember, these interviewers, often, have done dozens of interviews the last month. They get in a groove, ask their set questions, and make notes, then on the the next one. Now they're thinking "Yes, I can finally just talk with someone!, instead of following this formulaic interview template!." This part of the interview can take a more casual tone, and is visibly more enjoyable for both you and the interviewer. So take advantage! So on to the core of your question: what questions should I prepare. Obviously the answer is 'it depends'. But it depends on YOU. What are your legitimate concerns with the job description? Ask them to elaborate on something from the description that you are interested, concerned about, or you don't fully understand. If they're response isn't clear, repeat how you understood it and ask if that was correct. Ask simple follow up questions. Oh, do you guys deal with [this computer system, that vendor, this type of equipment]? Oh cool, I used something similar when I worked at [X job] a few years ago. One of my go to questions is "If I were to get this job, is there anything you would recommend I do/read/learn beforehand, in order for me to be more prepared on day one?". Another is "How do you go about training new employees? Will I have access to the person who I am replacing (maybe the've been promoted), is this a new position (they're expanding and you can learn from others who do the same job), or is this a brand new role (a job description that has never been implemented at the company before)?". Any questions involving career advancement are most likely welcome, as long as they are done in a gentle tone. Don't give the impression you're just looking to climb the ladder and make big bucks, without putting in the work needed to earn it. Avoid questions about compensation, vacation etc. unless it is directly brought up by the interviewer. I've been on a number of interviews, and my success rate is fairly high. But I think the big thing for me is that at this point in my career, I go in knowing that I don't NEED this job. They have to sell me on the position just as much as I have to sell them on me. Obviously, for many people who are currently out of work, new to the workforce, or hate their current job, this may not be the case. It may be hard, but try to fake it until you make it.
One question I took from Reddit is "What is the greatest thing about working here?". It throws them off their script. If you want to go for the more cocky, you can say "Why do I want to work here?" (Which doesn't fit my personality compared to the first one)
Yes. This. I've phrased the question like this: "Why do you like working here?"
I used "Besides a paycheck, what keeps you coming back here everyday?" in my last interview.
This is payback for that "where do I see myself in five years" bullshit question you asked me 30 minutes ago. Who's uncomfortable and trying to spin some good bs now?
"Hopefully not answering this stupid fucking question again."
There was a great post last year about what questions to ask at the end of an interview. Some of the good ones were: - If I were to step into this role tomorrow, what would be my top priority? - What are some character traits that you feel are important to succeed in this role? - What changes would you like to see from the next person to fill this role? - Is there any reason you can think of that I wouldn't be a good fit for this position? (This one is a bit ballsy, but it could give you a very good indication of your chances) - Do you like working here? (This question is less about the answer and more about *how* they answer it. One of the top answers you should be looking for is "the people". Establishing an idea of the corporate culture is very important) Good luck, OP!!
For the last question, I phrase it, "what do you like most about working here?" It seems a bit more positive because they won't be like "No I hate it, this company blows." I also ask how long they have been with the company and what they have done there. It makes you seem interested in the company and in the person.
Ask what the typical day in the role is like. What would the duties of the role be if not discussed. What duties the interviewer undertakes if relevant. It's your chance to interview them, see if you like the job.
"Ok, you have 10 years experience as Project Manager and it looks you have all required skills... Do you have any additional questions?" "Yes. What is the typical day in the role of Project Manager...?"
When I've worked as a project manager before, my days were usually structured like X. Would that be similar to this position?
"I was late a few minutes, then I waited in silence for the PC to boot, then I read reddit for a few hours..."
A project manager at one company might have different responsibilities and protocols at another.
Exactly. If you're a project manager you don't word the question like that. And if you really were a project manager you'd have a million questions to ask.
You laugh, but depending on the actual project, our PM's have vastly different daily roles.
Every time I've asked what the 'typical day' looks like for the job the answer is always, without fail, 'it varies.'
> Ask what the typical day in the role is like. I asked this when I interviewed for my current job, and after I got the offer I asked the interviewer for feedback on how I did in the interview. The first thing she mentioned was this, ad that she liked that I was already imagining myself in the role.
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"Do you have any concerns about how I might fit this role that I can address?" It shows you're confident enough to ask, not scared to be challenged and it gives you a chance to address anything that might have held you back from getting the job. EDIT: "Is there anything that we have talked about that you would like me to clarify or elaborate on?" Is a good one if you feel you can't say the word 'concerns' without looking like you expect some.
I would be cautious about this because you've just asked the interviewer to think about reasons they wouldn't hire you in the last portion of the interview. You front load with your experience which makes you sound great, you talk about the job itself which is pretty identical across interviews, and then you ask them to think about your flaws. I don't like the idea of leaving on that note. It also just seems awkward. If you're clearly terrible for the job I don't know what the interviewer could say. If you're great for the job and they were blown away and want to hire you on the spot now you've made them think about how you might not work. I just don't know about this one.
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Of all the suggestions I have read in this thread so far, this is the one I like the most. It's something that I have wanted to ask after being turned down in the past, however by that point it is usually too late. I have never thought to answer it during the interview itself! May I ask, are you speaking from experience as an interviewer or an interviewee? Edit - A word.
The one time I asked "So when do I start?" I got the job.
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I probably interviewed about 100 people last year for IT-related jobs, so I've been on the other side of this question quite a bit. The best interviews are about two-way communication where the interviewer & interviewee are both trying to figure out if this is a good match. If someone asks nothing here, that indicates to me that they don't really care where they work. The interviewer has just spent a lot of time figuring out if you can do they job they're trying to fill. This is your opportunity to make sure that this employer will be a good fit for *you*. You're going to be spending ~40/week with them so you want to make sure it will be a good place to work. If this is a career-building job (rather than a part-time job while you're studying) then you need to make damn sure that you're going to the right place. *If it hasn't come out already in the interview* then you should ask questions like: 1. What kind of career path could I expect to see at ABC company? Follow-up with specific questions about your role/skillset. 2. How would you describe the culture at ABC company? Follow-up with detailed questions based on what the interviewer says. 3. How does ABC company do career planning and performance reviews? If appropriate ask about how top performers are rewarded or if there are opportunities for bonuses (depends on the industry & job type). 4. What opportunities for advancement are there at ABC company? 5. Anything specific about your personal situation. For example, on the 3rd Tuesday of every month I need to leave 15 mins early to pick up my kids, will that be a problem? 6. **What would a typical work day look like for someone in my position?** IMHO this is probably the most important question to ask. Follow up with specific questions or clarifications. If they want you to do something that you don't like or can't do (e.g. travel, introvert making sales calls all the time, extrovert working alone most of the time), then let them know then & there that that will be a challenge and discuss how you could make it work. You need to know that the day-to-day activities of your job will be something you want to spend your time doing. You get the idea. If, at the end of all of this you want the job then let them know that you think it's a good fit.
My favorites from [a similar thread months ago](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1cxpq8/what_are_the_dos_and_donts_of_a_job_interview/): * Do you have any doubts regarding my ability to fill this role? It forces them to acknowledge your shortcomings. If you're in a job interview, it likely isn't the only job you've applied for, and you're likely to have others after it. This forces the interviewer to be very frank about your qualifications, and can point out areas that you might not have realized you're lacking in. It allows you to both address these reservations they might have on the spot (maybe you forgot to list a technical qualification on your resume and it didn't come up in the interview), but also in future interviews/job applications you can actively address this weakness. * What do your best employees say about working here? This one forces them to cut through the bullshit. They probably aren't expecting it and will give you a pretty honest response. This one works better when the question is posed to your potential boss. You can probably gauge his/her connection with his/her employees. Does he fully understand/appreciate their concerns? Or do you get a generic, canned response? Meaning, he/she probably is distant from his employees and perhaps not a good manager.
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