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List of Interview Questions
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Look at these examples of the type of interview questions you should avoid asking in your interview. Questions about company benefits give the impression that the candidate is more interested in what the company can provide rather than the job. Interviewers seek candidates who view things in terms of what the successful candidate can contribute to the organization. |
Avoid the following type of interview questions around company benefits:
"How many weeks leave do I get?"
"How long is the lunch break?"
"Are the working hours flexible?"
"What type of health insurance does the company offer?"
Company benefits are important but the job interview is not the time to focus on them, rather ask the interviewer:
"Where can I get details about the employment conditions relating to this position. Perhaps you have an employee handbook I could go through later? I don't want to waste time now going through the small print!"
This indicates to the interviewer that this sort of information is of secondary importance to the job itself . Your focus is on the position and the company and the other details can be looked at later.
Pay is another difficult issue. Interview questions about what you will earn are usually included in the list of interview questions not to ask!
Some employers expect the candidates to bring it up but others regard it inappropriate at this point in the interview process. The general rule is that it is best to wait until you are further along in the job offer process before you bring up the subject of pay.
The interviewers themselves may ask questions about pay, you can go to handling difficult questions to get advice on how to deal with direct questions about salary.
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Avoid asking job interview questions that raise red flags, for example: "How much overtime would I have to work?" These questions imply that you are reluctant to put in the extra hours or are unavailable for certain job requirements. |
Avoid asking questions about only one topic. The list of interview questions that you prepare should cover a variety of topics or you run the risk of appearing to lack the strategic ability to see the position in its entire context. For example, avoid only asking questions about the job tasks. Use the recommended examples in the table above to focus on the strategic aspects of the position, the company, the department and management.
Prepare about ten questions to ask in the job interview in advance. Some of your potential questions may be answered during the course of the interview, and others may become irrelevant once you gain more information. Discard these questions or you will give the impression that you have not been listening or have not understood what has been discussed during the interview.
Thoughtful and insightful interview questions will distinguish you from other job candidates, but as important as it is to ask good questions, avoiding bad questions is even more so. You can completely unravel the positive impression you have made during your job interview by asking inappropriate and ill-informed questions.
The right list of interview questions will help you get the information you need to make the best job choice and is sure to impress the interviewer!
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