5 Questions Job Seekers Should Ask Employers During Interviews
Typically the process for acquiring a job goes a little like this: Find a job you want, apply, get an interview, maybe have a follow-up interview, answer an array of questions, get hired, start the job. During the interview process, it’s standard to have your potential employer ask you all sorts of questions to decide if you’re the right fit for the gig.
You may be used to answering questions such as, “How do you take feedback and implement it into your job performance?” Or, “Tell us about a challenging time during work where you had to solve a problem quickly; how did you solve it?”
Gone are the days when job seekers sit and answer question after question, doing all the talking. Interviews are a two-way street and it’s time to throw some questions in the direction of your future employer.
It’s important to ask them questions to make sure the job and business is a good fit for you. What do you ask though? I’ve put together 5 questions that are important to ask potential employers during an interview. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask about the company!
1. Do You Offer Health Benefits?
If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us nothing else, it’s that we all need health insurance and you should wash your hands more often than you probably do. Asking your future employer about the health benefits that they offer is a perfectly reasonable question to ask.
If they don’t offer an insurance plan with employment, ask if they are willing to increase the salary to cover the cost of you paying out of pocket for your own insurance plan. It’s better to have it and never use it than never to have it at all.
2. Is the Pay Negotiable or Is There Room for Growth?
Most jobs offer annual or bi-annual raises along with a job performance review. You can ask your manager when reviews happen and what the raise rate is for exceeding job performance expectations. Additionally, it can be a good idea to ask about job positions that are higher up in the company and how likely it is to move up the ladder.
Asking your potential employer about growth opportunities not only shows them that you’re serious about the job but also lets you know if there’s room for growth at that company or if you’ll be stuck in the same role for the long haul.
3. What Are Your Sick and Vacation Policies?
While it may have been considered poor manners in the past to ask about time off and vacation pay right off the bat, it’s a good idea to get an idea of how the company looks at PTO. How do they handle a situation when an employee falls ill or is on vacation for at least a week? Are those absences paid and at what rate do you accrue PTO? If you already have plans put in place to go on a trip, get married, or any other activity, it’s important to let your future boss know those dates upfront in the interview.
You can simply say:
“I’m excited to start this job! However, you should know I already have a vacation booked and paid for on these dates and will need to have that time off.”
Their response will be telling of how future time off requests will go in the future; if they are reluctant to give PTO or allow time off for employees, that’s a red flag.
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4. What Is Your Employee Retention Rate?
By asking for the employee retention rate and how long most people stay in the position, you can get an idea of how desirable the position is and how likely people are to stay in it. Also asking for the reason the person previously in the role left can be a great way to gauge how much employees enjoy the job and working for the business.
If you find that there is a rapid turnover rate, it could be a warning sign that previous employees didn’t love being in the job position or had issues with management.
5. What Are Some of the Challenges of the Job and How Have They Been Troubleshooted in the Past?
Finding out how problems have been solved in the past lets you know how they handle challenges and if they’re open to new problem-solving techniques. If they’re hesitant to allow for change or new ideas when it comes to doing the job well, this could be cause for concern and mean you don’t get to innovate or bring anything new and fresh to the company scene.
Most interviews will end with the employer asking you, “Do you have any questions for me about the job?” This is your cue to speak up and have your Q’s waiting in the wings. It’s okay to have them written down on a piece of paper or on your phone too! This shows you were prepared and had given some real thought to the job position that’s available.
If you freeze up on the spot, you can give yourself an easy-out and still get to ask your questions by saying,
“I don’t have any questions right now, but I would love to send you an email to clarify things if I think of something.”
This approach still allows you the opportunity to reach out with questions or concerns about the role later on when you’re ready.
Now that you know what to ask, get yourself ready for that interview and ace it!
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Meet The Writer!
Allow me to introduce myself! My name’s Katy Duncan and I work as a freelance copywriter. I specialize in topics regarding health and wellness, fitness, and beauty, on my website, www.eudaimoniaeutopia.com. I offer an array of services including blog posts, blog management, social media management, product descriptions, press releases and editing expertise and I can be contacted through my website or on LinkedIn. When I’m not creating engaging, captivating content for my website or clients or contributing to communities of writers, I’m working on producing a fiction novel from the comforts of my quiet nook in the Pacific Northwest, where I reside with my feline friend, Merlin Magoo and many prospering house plants.
