7 Questions to Ask in an Interview

A question like this opens the door to learn and also ask follow up questions about managerial style, culture, departmental norms, and their corporate structure. It also allows you to find out how your success will be measured, how often etc.

I have asked this question in the past as clearly there are points of pain if the position is open and needing to be filled. This can help you identify and speak up about strengths that you have that may be able to solve their problem or need.

This is the glass half full side of the challenge question. Why is this position needed and important? This optimistic question opens up the door for you to be positive and share your related experience and what you may be able to bring to the table if hired.

In growing companies the position you are interviewing for, may indeed be a new one. If it is new, you will be able to then ask why it was created and what they see for the evolution of the position. If the company you are interviewing for is an established company, and the position has long been established, it is a tactful way of asking why the last person left or was let go. If someone was let go, what issues did they have? What was the problem that they couldn’t solve?

I have asked this question in an interview a few times, and it’s actually an interesting one because you turn into the interviewer. On one occasion, the interviewer said that he was unhappy with what he was currently doing, but that he enjoyed the company and aspired to change departments. After he opened up, conversations were more natural.

If you are an entry level employee this is a good question to ask as it can show that you are interested in learning and growing with the company. If you are an established worker, it shows that you want to mature in your position or learn to be a part of leadership. If you are at managerial level it can show that you want to learn to be a better manager, or are interested in helping the team you will manage grow to be successful. Never stop learning.

As a closer, it is important to know if they are keeping interviews open for a while or if they have a specific timeline. It may also give you peace of mind as to how long you may wait to hear back.

Tell the company that you like them and that you want to work for them. If you are just looking for a paycheck, I am sure that they wouldn’t be very excited to see you for 40 hours a week either.

I hope you find these tips useful on your next interview. If you are searching for a new position, send your current resume to the Brightwing website to see what opportunities we may have available for you!

Author: Elyse Lopez