Traditionally, it has been suggested that a job candidate should spend the last few minutes of an interview asking questions. This is a practice I highly encourage. It is important for a job seeker to fully understand what they need to know in order to make an educated assessment of the employer and if that is where they want to work. But is it the only appropriate time to pose questions?

 

A good interview is usually a give-and-take exchange between a job candidate and one or more inquisitors. It doesn’t matter if the questions are coming from someone from human resources, department heads or senior management. For the most part, the ritual of “they ask, you answer,” is how most participants on both sides of the desk expect things to go. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. In fact, I suggest you flip the script.

 

Unless an applicant is trying to take full control over the interview (not recommended!), there is nothing wrong with asking questions throughout the proceedings. The difficulty, however, lies in the candidate’s ability to ask questions in context. This is particularly true when an interviewer is posing questions in rapid succession, making it harder for the applicant to respond with questions for clarification or more detail or to interject something they believe is important to know.

 

Although it’s never a bad idea for the interviewee to have a pen and paper handy, making notes of what they want to ask later can often appear a distraction. Moreso if you use a smart phone during the interview. The interviewer sees the applicant writing something and might be concerned the person isn’t paying enough attention to what is being said. Returning to the topic later in the interview removes the context from the question making it harder for the inquisitor to backtrack and provide the information the applicant is seeking. It also cuts into the time the applicant might need to ask for additional information or pose different questions.

 

But there is another tactic an applicant can employ. Upon completion of the introductory pleasantries, what if an interviewee asked if they could ask questions at the start of the proceedings? This approach might throw off a less-seasoned interviewer, but most who have been around a while shouldn’t have any difficulty with this approach. For starters, it demonstrates the interest and curiosity of the candidate. It allows them to ask for the information that is most important to them in deciding if this is a place they want to work. For the most part, the same material will likely get covered during the interaction though not in the same order were the employer taking the lead.

 

If you’re going to flip the script, what questions should you ask?

 

A good place to start is by asking questions that may reveal things an applicant wouldn’t always come right out and ask. For example: Ask the interviewer(s): how long they’ve worked for that company and been in that position? This query can reveal subtle details about company employee turnover, and whether they promote or advance staff from within their ranks. If the interviewer(s) are “older” and state they’ve worked for that company a relatively short amount of time, it could be an indicator or high turnover.  

Another good question to ask is: How much hiring has been done in the past year? This can reveal whether the company is in growth-mode. If you’re interviewing at a large firm, and hiring has been very slow, could this be a sign of company stagnation, slow growth, financial issues or other concern? When the applicant has an answer, they can do some more research about the company’s stability or other details before making their decision if this is where they want to work.

 

Asking detailed questions about the position being sought is also a good idea. You can ask about the tools, software, and other methodologies the employer uses that you will be expected to know and use. Ask who you will be reporting to or supervising. Maybe inquire about other internal and external individuals and entities with whom you will need to interact.

 

There is lots of information an applicant can ascertain during this process. And because the queries are coming from someone who has already gotten the attention of the employer, it can be an opportunity to further demonstrate the applicant’s interest in the company and position, as well as the work to be performed. All positive considerations for the employer and their hiring team.

 

Before considering this approach to interviewing, it is important for the applicant to arrive very knowledgeable about the company and the role they hope to perform. Better information will instigate relevant questions that should keep the interviewer interested and intrigued to want to know more. Of course, the employer will still likely have questions of their own that will need addressing, but if the applicant is properly prepared for the interview, it is unlikely that anything the employer can ask at this point would be a big surprise or too hard to answer.

 

An employer may want to hire a candidate, but the decision to accept that offer of employment belongs to the applicant. Those applicants who do not ask questions, are too frequently not hired. Avoid this pitfall and take control over the process. Don’t forget to ask questions of your interviewers. Backend or front end, your choice. But if you can, take the opportunity to flip the script.

 

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