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Did you make it to the next round in the interview process?
› 9) Are there any team meet-ups outside of the workplace?
Preparing for that coveted interview with the hiring manager?
Stop fretting. Let us give you a widely known tip that most candidates either fail to use or use ineffectively to stand out in the eyes of the recruiter — Asking Questions.
Yes, you read that right.
Once you’re done answering the interviewer’s questions, don’t shy away from donning the questioner’s hat. Contrary to popular belief, most of the hiring managers or human resources personnel actually want you to ask questions. However, it is equally important to ask the right questions.
Before you start scratching your head about what to ask, read this article.
We’ve prepared a list of thoughtful questions to ask hiring managers, boosting your chances of landing that offer letter. It will not only help you make a better impression but will also enable the recruiters to set the right perception about you. Read on to find out what’s and how’s!
» Top 10 Questions to Ask Hiring Manager During Interview
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› 1) How would you describe your ideal candidate for this role?
An interview with a hiring manager typically implies that your candidature fits the job’s requirements well. But that doesn’t mean you should stop being proactive. The hiring manager is interested in knowing you more than they already do through the previous rounds & recruiting software, after all.
Asking the manager about what makes up their ideal candidate can provide insights into the technical aspects of the role inside out. Details that may not have been shared with you earlier. It can open up an interesting conversation about the required level of skills, tools, processes, and training for the job.
The answers will help you assess where you stand and what you need to prepare for.
At the same time, it conveys to the hiring manager your interest in not just doing the job but doing it well.
› 2) Can you define the long-term and immediate priorities for me to succeed in this role?
When you ask about the long-term and immediate priorities this role has to offer, you’ll get to know if it aligns with your career goals. It unveils whether the role offers the kind of growth and opportunities you are looking for.
The hiring manager, on the other hand, will perceive this question from you positively. The question would tell them that you have both the aptitude and intent to excel at this role. And that you’re eyeing the trophy and want to know which goals to set to put in your best efforts.
The best part? Asking this question will subtly indicate that you are in for a marathon, not a sprint.
› 3) What do you think would be the roadblocks I could face while managing my role responsibilities?
A question of this kind sends a positive signal to the hiring manager about your attitude toward your role. It tells the recruiter that you’re already seeing yourself in the position and aren’t afraid of the challenges that it might throw at you. It will also showcase your proactive approach towards identifying roadblocks and doing your bit to resolve them successfully.
For you, finding out the roadblocks of your new role during the interview can bring more clarity. You’ll get to know about stuff no one really talks about before joining a company, such as internal politics or flaws in the process, for instance.
It will help you ascertain if these kinds of challenges are worth your time, skills, and interest. It can help set the right expectations about your duties, right from the beginning, should you decide to join the company.
› 4) What are the challenges the team I’m about to join faces? Any major challenges in the past quarter or year I should know about?
Being curious about the struggles the team has faced in the past or is currently going through takes you beyond a pretty picture. You can go deeper into the work culture and problems your potential colleagues have encountered. Moreover, it allows you to explore the level of complexities of the work the team handles, day in and day out.
The hiring manager facing this question may find your eagerness to uncover what goes behind the scenes as a penchant for problem-solving. They may appreciate your practical and realistic approach to work. This question would also subtly indicate to the hiring manager that you’re already counting yourself as a part of the team.
› 5) What do you and the team as a whole do to ensure seamless collaboration?
Enquiring about ways the team you’re supposed to join collaborates indirectly discloses your team spirit attitude. The hiring manager would see you as a strong team player. Someone who would be a great addition to the team, making things smoother for everyone. Someone who knows it takes teamwork to achieve desired results.
Meanwhile, answers to this question would let you experience how the team comes together to get the work done on a day-to-day basis. That, as a result, will help you understand what it would take for you to fit in with this setup and take the right call.
Recommended: Why Businesses Should Consider Using Team Collaboration Tools?
› 6) Can you chart out a learning curve for new entrants to the team?
Even when you come with a plethora of experience as a professional, there will still be a learning curve when you join a new company. And when you ask a question addressing the same, the hiring manager will see you as someone who’s keen to learn. A candidate who’s open to embracing not only his lines of duties and processes but also the new culture and environment as a whole.
For you, this question would give you a more thorough understanding of the path to settling into this new opportunity. It can help you determine if the pace of the learning curve aligns with your expectations.
It would also allow you to authenticate the relevance and plan the journey accordingly.
› 7) What would be the metrics used for measuring success in my role?
This question is a simple way to show the hiring manager that you’re focused without spelling it out. It tells the hiring manager that you are a goal-oriented professional. And you are not only keen to chase these goals but also up to take accountability for the same.
Furthermore, the question would encourage the hiring manager to be transparent about the employee evaluation process. As a result, you would get vital information on the assessment process and a fair idea of how your work/contribution is going to be valued.
Listen to what the manager has to say carefully as this answer can become a strong foundation for you to accept the offer.
› 8) How do you maintain a work-life balance?
A question such as this can uncover the realistic demands of your potential role at the organization. You can get to know what measures the authority of the team does to help their colleagues have a healthy balance between their work and life. It can also unveil whether a work-life balance is valued at all through the answer.
With this question, the hiring manager can gauge that you value your personal life as much as your work. They would know that you don’t want to compromise on either of them and believe in giving your best in both your professional & personal life.
› 9) Are there any team meet-ups outside of the workplace?
Asking this question to the hiring manager can reveal the bond people on the team share with each other. It can let you know if they only keep working with their heads down. Or they also make efforts to let their hair down together. It can give you a more casual idea of the work culture and the people involved.
It can open up a light-hearted conversation, discovering new & common interests and ways of bonding with your potential teammates.
The question can position you as someone who intends to gel well with the team in the eyes of the hiring manager.
› 10) What is your way of conveying a negative feedback?
There will always be certain tasks or goals that you or your team might fail to achieve in spite of your best efforts. Asking your hiring manager this question will enable you to gauge the response and treatment when such situations arise.
It will convey whether there would be adequate support, acceptance, and encouragement. It will also bring to light the way the team receives any kind of feedback, helping you decide if you’d like to join the organization.
On the other hand, the hiring manager would take this question as your openness towards feedback. They’d think of you as a practical professional who knows no job is devoid of negative reviews and failures. That, in turn, helps strengthen your candidature further, boosting your chances of getting hired.
Apart from the list above, here are some more questions to ask the hiring manager during your interview:
- How does our team support the overall goals of the organization?
- What does flexibility mean for this team?
- What made you choose your role at this company?
- How do you stay motivated?
- What has made you stick to this organization?
These questions would help start meaningful conversations and build a good rapport, putting you in a better spot than other applicants.
» Conclusion
An interview with the hiring manager is a critical turning point in your job application journey. It can completely make or break your chances of getting the offer letter. It’s comparatively easy to stand out with a strong CV in an applicant tracking software system. However, it is difficult to impress the recruiters in a one-on-one conversation during the interview.
One of the best ways to delight the HR/hiring managers is to ask meaningful, relevant questions when they give you a chance. It not only helps you better understand the role and the organization but also allows them to know you beyond your qualifications and skills.
Thus, before you appear for that next interview, do your research and prepare some questions for them. Start from this list, and keep building your own.
