Tory Johnson from abcnews.com has a helpful article titled Turn the Tables in a Job Interview. She discusses what candidates should ask in an interview when the interviewer asks, “What questions do you have?” I’m always perplexed by candidates who simply state “None.” That response is always a red flag.
Volumes of information are readily available with the Internet. Today’s candidate should have a general understanding of the hiring company’s business model, markets and corporate structure (privately held, subsidiary, etc.). Due diligence is easily completed with today’s technological tools.
Back to the article – this question can and should be asked by every serious candidate:
What are the biggest challenges you see in this position?
This shows an interviewer that you’re interested in going beyond the basics and that you are inquisitive and thoughtful. It also shows that you’re not adverse to overcoming challenges and tackling them with gusto.
This question does show a desire to understand the position at a deeper level and implies that the candidate is consciously determining if their skills are enough to overcome the typical challenges in the position.
The question we always like to hear from a strong sales candidate:
What are the next steps in the hiring process?
This question is important for sales candidates since it shows us a qualifying mindset. In our hiring process, we indirectly mimic sales situations as much as possible. We want to see the candidates in action. Sales candidates who attempt to qualify the next step in the process are showing skills (qualifying the decision-making process) that are needed once they are on your payroll and selling your product or service.