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Everyone always tells you that when you’re going on an interview, you are also interviewing the hiring manager. But how? The discussion often flows in one direction and it can be difficult to gauge the hiring manager outside of her questions and presentation.
The key to interviewing the interviewer is to take advantage of the time, usually at the end of the interview, when you’re asked if you have any questions. Below are 2 essential questions that will help you understand if you want to work for the company, and for the hiring manager.
1. What’s it like to work here?
This is a great question because it takes the interview in a totally new, yet acceptable direction. The interviewer has to speak about about her own experience. And while there is, of course, room for her to fib, you can usually tell pretty quickly if someone is lying. In my experience, you can discern when a person pauses to think about how to frame something positively as opposed to when a person immediately and wholeheartedly tells you that the company is a great place to work. Focus on her facial expression for this one.
2. What’s the on-boarding process like?
This one helps you get insight into how prepared the hiring manager is, how much she’s thought about how you’ll integrate into the team, and whether or not there is an organizational structure for new employees. On-boarding looks different at each company. The point here is to start to get a sense of how your manager will be showing up for you. After all, the on-boarding process is really the first thing your manager does for you. Why not get a sense of her leadership skills before having to make the decision to take the job or not.
What are questions that you ask your interviewers? How do they help you decide if you want to accept a job offer? Share with us in the comments below.