You’ve managed to navigate your way past other tricky common interview questions. You’ve dodged the ‘Tell me about yourself,’ (please link to relevant blog article) ‘What’s your biggest weakness?’ (please link to relevant blog article) and ‘What’s your current salary?’ (please link to relevant blog article for the blog version) bullets. So why does, ‘Do you have any questions?’ uttered so casually when you’re almost at the finishing line throw you every time?
According to bestselling management author and CNBC contributor, Suzy Welch, your response will determine whether you’re considered a front-runner, an also-ran or a loser in the interview process. She recommends steering well clear of simple, obvious answers such as, ‘What would a typical day be like for me?’ This is your final opportunity to shine and you should embrace it wholeheartedly.
According to Welch, the best questions to ask a hiring manager should accomplish two things:
- Show you’ve been listening
Focus on an aspect of the job as the interviewer has just described it, to show that you’ve been paying attention. A good example could be, ‘You say part of my job would be interfacing with the operations team. I’d love to hear a little more about what that entails.’
- Show you think big
Ask a forward-looking question on an industry-related topic to show that you’re interested in the market in which the company operates. Ask about a current industry trend or refer to a thought-leadership article you recently read about the sector, for example.
However you answer the question, use the opportunity to demonstrate that you’re excited, enthusiastic and positive about the job on the table as well as its wider context.
And that’s it! You now know the gold standard of how to answer one of the most dreaded questions in the recruitment process. For more detailed advice on how to set yourself up for success at interview and source your dream job, please get in touch. With over 124
open vacancies currently on our books, and long-term relationships with more than 400 leading organisations worldwide, ABL is your go-to multilingual recruitment partner of choice. We hope to hear from you soon!
