After applying for a role and accepting an invite from your prospective employer, it’s crucial you know how to prepare for the interview. It's estimated that in the UK, the job interview process takes 27.5 days from start to finish, and each interview costs the candidate around £58. With this in mind, you have a very limited amount of time to make a great impression and demonstrate your compatibility.
It's always worth keeping front of mind that interviews are not a one sided format. It’s important to engage with your interviewer for three main reasons:
1. Demonstrate interest and engagement
2. Gain insights into the company and role
3. Showcase your relevant experience
So what interview questions should you ask on the day?
This article will explore the best questions to ask at an interview to ensure you impress the interviewer with your knowledge and prove you are the right person for the role.
Top 10 questions to ask in a job interview:
Here are some good questions to ask at interviews to fully prepare you for the road ahead.
1. what is your favourite part about working here?
While you want to give it your all in your interview, you also want to guarantee that the organisation is a good fit for you and what you’re looking for in a job. Asking this question also allows you to get to know the interviewer and foster a friendly relationship, leaving a lasting impression in their mind while giving you essential insight into the work environment.
2. what does daily working life look like?
Asking this question is crucial to understand what your work life will become if you are accepted for the position. Ask for specific details about your day-to-day responsibilities and employer expectations to learn as much about the role as possible. This question prepares you for your future working experience–or shows that the role might not suit you.
3. what opportunities for growth are available?
Ask your interviewer about the potential for growth and development should you take the position. This question is also effective because it shows the interviewer your dedication to work and that you strive to do your best in your career.
4. where do you see the organisation in the next five years?
The traditional “next five years” question isn’t only for interviewers to ask you–you can switch the script and ask the interviewer questions about the organisation’s prospects. Understanding the future outlook will help you learn about its place in the industry and provide insights into job security. If the interviewer responds with plans for the organisation or teams, the business will likely have a positive future ahead and isn’t struggling to remain afloat.
5. what would a successful first 2-3 months look like for me?
Asking this question will encourage the hiring manager to give you an idea about the type of work you will be undertaking initially, removing any surprises around key projects and tasks upon starting. It will also help you gain a better understanding of the manager’s expectations, how achievable or realistic they may be, while also highlighting some of the key milestones to aim for, should you take the role.
6. how do the leadership team set up workers for success?
You don’t want to work for an organisation that hires you and leaves you to your own devices without any guidance. Any job requires a learning curve, and if the interviewer can’t give you a reasonable response to this question, it’s unlikely that you’ll have enough training resources and opportunities to hone your skills and thrive in this environment. This question also helps you determine whether the organisation’s leaders are helpful and value employee success or if support isn’t part of the culture. 56% of workers told us that they wouldn’t accept a job if they didn’t trust the organisation’s leadership team, further reinforcing the importance of this question.
7. what is the working culture like?
Asking the interviewer what you can anticipate from the working culture is vital to prepare you for the position if you are hired. This question shows that you’re invested in the business and learning more about daily life as an employee while helping you determine where you’ll fit in once you join the team.
Asking about the working culture also helps determine employee well-being and whether the organisation promotes a healthy work-life balance for its dedicated workers.
8. what is the team I’m working with like?
Ensuring that you’re on the same page with the team you’re working with is critical for a productive work environment. Asking about your team shows the interviewer that you value collaboration while giving you information about the structure.
9. why is this position still open?
Getting hired means that you’re the best of the best out of the candidates interviewed–but if you’re filling a position that’s been open for a while, you should bring this up when it’s question time. Asking this question gives you essential information, such as whether the position is new or existed previously.
This question is also vital because you can gather information about why the previous employee left, while offering insights into the organisation’s expectations and any strict requirements you’ll need to meet.
10. how is my performance assessed?
You can’t deliver an excellent job performance if you are unaware of how your work is assessed daily. Ask about performance indicators, as this will give you a better idea of what to anticipate from your role and whether you’ll have ample opportunities to grow in the business. Asking this question also ensures that you meet employer expectations and bring value.
secure your next interview.
If you’re fortunate enough to have your next interview lined up, Randstad has all of the interview preparation resources you need to ensure you can be the best version of yourself on the day.
As the world’s largest recruitment company, Randstad’s specialist consultants across the UK are experts in their local markets. Working across over 70 branches in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland our teams are focused on matching the right candidate with the right workplace, for more than 60 years.
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