MightyRecruiterInterviewer Prep: How to Be Ready to Answer Candidate Questions
In all likelihood, the applicants you get for an open position at your company will do a fair amount of preparation beforehand in order to answer typical interview questions adequately. However, as the employer, you need to be ready for candidates to have questions of their own. You should allot a certain amount of time at the end of the interview to allow the applicant to ask any questions he or she might have. Candidate questions should be encouraged, and as the interviewer, you need to be prepared to answer anything that might come your way.
Questions Related to the Position
Hopefully over the course of the interview, the candidate will have received enough information to have a thorough understanding of what the job would entail. In the event that something was unclear, then interviewees may ask for additional information about the job. For example, a candidate might ask about whether this position has the potential to lead to other, higher-level positions within the company. When asked something like this, you want to be completely truthful. You do not want to give the applicant the wrong impression, and then once he or she has been working for you for a while, they realize you were lying and become disheartened at the prospect of working at the company. Other questions about the specific position you might get as an interviewer include:
-How much training will this job require
-Can you tell me a little bit about my potential co-workers
-What is a typical day like for this position
-Will relocation be necessary
-Will I need to report to anyone Will anyone be reporting to me
-Did the person who had this position previously get fired or promoted
-What is the next step of the interview process
Questions Specifically About the Company
You should already have a thorough understanding of your company, and you should be ready for a job candidate to ask you how it is doing. Again, it is important to be honest because a job candidate may be able to acquire information elsewhere. If you are going through tough financial times, then say that. You can even spin that information into a positive by saying what steps the company is taking to improve its situation. As the interviewer, you should be ready to address the following questions:
-Does the company have any plans for growth in the next few years
-What do you like most about working for this company
-Have there been any major issues the company has had to face recently
-What is your philosophy when it comes to the hiring process
-Who are our biggest competitors
-How long have you been with the company What made you want to work here initially
Red Flags
Every interviewer should end the meeting by allowing the candidate to ask any questions he or she has. If you do not give the applicant the opportunity to ask questions, then they may feel like their voice or input does not matter to the organization. Naturally, you can place a cap on how long the candidate has, but a few questions are all that should be necessary. A candidate asking questions is beneficial for you as well because it gives you an extra bit of insight into the applicant’s work ethic and personality.
One major red flag that should be noted is if the candidate does not have any questions whatsoever. In the event that you give candidates an opportunity to ask questions and they say that they have nothing, you should be wary. All job applicants should prepare for interviews in depth, and that means they should have a few questions of their own to ask at the end. If they have nothing, then it might mean they are actually disinterested in the position and do not necessarily care about getting the job.
You should also be wary if the applicant only asks about salary and benefits. While those are certainly important and should be discussed before a candidate agrees to work for you, it should not be the only thing a potential worker is concerned about. You can discuss the perks of the job during the second interview or over the phone at a later date. For now, the focus should be on whether the candidate is a good fit for the organization.
Hiring new employees can be just as stressful on the interviewer as it is on the interviewee. For more help, you should check out some of the additional tools Mighty Recruiter has available.