At a job interview, it’s important to remember that it’s not just them choosing you, you need to choose them, too.
Following the pandemic, we’ve entered a phase called ‘The Great Resignation’. In the UK, a record-breaking 4.5 million people quit their jobs in November of 2021. The two years of lockdowns and WFH have shown a lot of people what they actually want out of their lives and careers. With more people than ever leaving their jobs as well as higher numbers requesting raises and changes in work conditions, more bargaining power than ever is in the hands of interviewees.
It’s pretty inevitable that at the end of your interview, the team will ask you if you have any questions for them. It can be tempting to say that you don’t, thinking that you’re coming across as very polite and obliging. However, asking a couple of interesting and hard-hitting questions can actually prove that you’re proactive and attentive – qualities they’ll definitely be looking for.
Here are a selection of questions you might want to ask the next time you’re invited to an interview
Questions that show you’re a team player:
- What is the work culture like?
- How has the team size developed since you started the company and what do you think this shows about the business’ core values?
- What opportunities are there to foster good working relationships?
Questions that prove you want this specific role:
- What would the average day look like in this role?
- Who would my primary contacts be in this role, what are they like?
- What would you say the hardest element of this role is?
- The job description mentioned this specific quality, how would someone best demonstrate that?
Questions that demonstrate your long-term commitment to the company:
- How would you like this role to have developed in 6 months?
- How could I best show that I had excelled after a year?
- What room is there for advancing in the company?
- How do you see the company developing in the next 5 years?
Questions that show off your best qualities:
- I work best in this way, ____ – do you think that pairs well with this role?
- In my last position I found ____ element difficult – how might this role suit me better?
- For someone highly ____ motivated – how is this accommodated for in this company?
Questions that let you know what you’re getting in for:
- How do you deal with staff conflict?
- What is the attitude in the company to pastoral care?
- What is your staff turnover rate and what is being done to retain employees?
- Is this a new role? If so, why is this role something your company needs right now? If not, why did they leave the company?
Questions that show you’re amenable:
- Is there anything I can do or provide at this point to help you with your decision?
- Is there anything you’d like clarified on my CV?
- What is the next stage in your decision-making for this role?
Questions for art-specific organisations:
- Who is your favourite artist that you’ve worked with?
- What artistic influences / genres that you don’t currently cover do you think might be interesting to incorporate into the business?
- Why do you think art is important to society and how does this influence the company?
- What does the company do to make art more accessible? How can I promote that in this role?
Author: Verity Babbs
