What are good questions to ask a potential employer?

I've read it before.. one should ask a lot of questions to a potential employer during interview but what are good questions? I'm throwing a wild guess that it's not "so how much vacation time should I expect the first year?". Interview experts fire away!

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RouteMyPacket

Do you not have any concerns or questions in mind? What is important to you? Why are you interviewing for the position?

Something like:

Could you perhaps explain the benefits to me? i.e. Paid Time Off, Sick Time etc. and how they can be utilized?

Tyb

I like to ask them; as an employer, what do they expect from their employees.

networker050184

As RouteMyPacket stated, ask about what you want to know. Having a bunch of BS canned questions isn't going to score you any points.

jvrlopez

Ask about the work environment (office size, number of coworkers), training opportunities (boot camps, cert reimbursement), dress code, and schedule.

Even if it's not really of interest to you, just ask so you don't seem uninterested when they ask you if you have ANY questions.

My first interview after the military tanked because I didn't ask anything (especially about certain technologies they used). I was called afterwards to come in for a second interview, with an emphasis on bringing questions.

RouteMyPacket

networker050184 wrote: »

As RouteMyPacket stated, ask about what you want to know. Having a bunch of BS canned questions isn't going to score you any points.

Big reason to ask "how can they be utilized" is because the last VAR I worked for did not allow you to use Sick time like a normal PTO which was the first time I had seen that.

I tend to stick to things important to me, if it was an Enterprise position *shudders* I would ask "Can you tell me a little about the structure of the team?".."Is it two people or will it just be myself?"..."Are responsibilities split or?"...this kind of thing.

Tom Servo

I never leave any interview without asking the following. I'm sure there is more, but this is off the top of my head. I ask a lot of questions.

What are the turnover levels?
What reasons do people cite for leaving?
How many people leave the group for different roles within the company?
Is this a new position or existing position?
What level of support is there for continuing education, certifications, etc?
Could you describe the average work week expected for this position (roles, responsibilities, hours, etc?)?
Do you have any concerns about my ability to perform the responsibilities required?
What are key skills necessary to be successful in this role and at the company?
How much autonomy would this position have?
How colloborative is the work environment? A lot of individual work, or group?

Orcrist

I like to ask what kind of things I will be expected to do the first few weeks.

SixtyCycle

Thanks for the replies. I suppose I started this thread not only for me but for those actively looking for a job in IT. Those looking for their first job in IT are most likely underqualifed in experience and as mentioned here before, showing an enthusiasm about the job can be a make or break factor. I've sat in interviews before where at the end I was asked if I have any questions. I could not think of any at the time probably due to nerves. Thinking back, I may have come off as passive because of it. Asking questions about the job is a good thing but is there a point where one can come off as somebody who asks too many questions?

@RouteMyPacket: I understand where you are coming from however in my experience things like benefits are often included in the job posting itself and most of the time when asked they often say HR can give you an in-depth explanation.

@Networker050184: It's not about asking BS canned questions to make one look smart because really I don't think you'll be fooling anyone but like I stated asking the right questions without being a PITA can be a good thing.

jvrlopez & Tom Servo: I've never asked about continuing ed/certs, thanks for that. I've often thought about asking why the previous employee left but somehow felt uneasy to ask it. Asking about any concerns about the ability to perform the job is an excellent idea. I can get a straight answer on the spot about my weakness and not be left scratching my head when they send me the email stating they have move on with other applicants without further explanation.

RouteMyPacket

You start a thread wanting to know what kind of questions to ask then follow up by basically saying you know? Oh ok, good luck to you then.

SixtyCycle

I just shared my opinion with regards to asking questions about benefits. I didn't say you are wrong. Thanks for sharing.

paul78

Your line of questioning can demonstrate any genuine interest you feel towards the prospective employer. I generally avoid questions about pto, benefits, or anything that is tied to compensation. Primarily because I believe that those items become negotiating points if an offer is actually made. In my opinion, too premature to have that discussion during an interview.

Instead if I am interested in working for a prospective employer, I usually would have done as much research into the business and my line of questioning is usually about the business. For example, I may be interested in their value proposition versus those of their competitors so if I may ask about their marketing plan relative to their competition. If I read about some new product of the prospective employer, I would generally ask about their product positioning strategy. I usually will ask about their sales and product development cycles. And if it's an early stage company, I may probe into their funding plans and exit strategy if they are willing to disclose it. For more mature companies, I will generally want to know about their revenue growth and how expense management works.

edzyyy

I usually ask

1. What's a typical day is like
2. If the position is new
3. If there is an opp for growth
4. Dress code

Bokeh

All good questions to ask.

In the past Ive asked the employer how long they have been with the company, what attracted them to leave their last position and come work for company xxx.

Russell77

What do you need the most help with?

What are your immediate expectations of someone walking in the door?

The responses to these questions give you a chance to sell yoursef based upon what they really need.

Xyro

SixtyCycle wrote: »

I suppose I started this thread not only for me but for those actively looking for a job in IT.

Appreciated!

I never know what to ask as any questions I have are usually answered by the job posting. There are some very good ideas in this thread.

SixtyCycle

Xyro wrote: »

Appreciated!

I never know what to ask as any questions I have are usually answered by the job posting. There are some very good ideas in this thread.

Same here. Most of the time I ask a couple questions but that's about it. Thanks to all who contributed. I may have to write some of these questions and bring it on the interview. I usually have a copy of the job description in front of me, might be a good idea to include this to help me think along the way.

Trifidw

Could you describe a typical day?
What would be my typical duties?
What current projects will I be involved with?
What future projects will I be involved with?
What is the size of the team?
What is the structure of the department?

Bokeh wrote: »

In the past Ive asked the employer how long they have been with the company, what attracted them to leave their last position and come work for company xxx.

That is an excellent question.

JDMurray

I'm going to echo paul78's thoughts and suggest that you make most of your questions not in your own self interests, but instead ask how you can best help the company, their customers, your manager, etc. I've interviewed people whose questions were all about what THEY would gain, what THEY would achieve, and what rewards THEY could expect if they were hired. It's a real turn-off for a hiring manager I can say. It's more subtle and classy to slip questions like that in near the end of the interview in the "do you have any more questions?" stage.

jvrlopez

Ask about PTO and if it rolls over.

j33per

I always ask about the change management process and maintenance windows. The response paints a great picture as to the checks and balances that will be encountered in the job role. It also helps you find out how they look at change management and how seriously they take it.

bugzy3188

I'm far from an expert on the matter but I like to ask questions about the I frastructure/network...assuming I'm interviewing with IT personnel. Nothing too revealing but enough to demonstrate that I have a solid understanding of how things work. This of course pertains to the support roles that I have interviewed..I'm not sure how well this would work out moving up the ladder.

Bryzey

I always ask how the interviewers got started with the company and what their background is.

What do you enjoy about working here? Judge if they are passionate and enjoy it or whether they just give a generic meh answer

Is it possible to get a tour? This allows you to see people working . Do they look motivated and enthusiastic etc

Allows you to get a good sense of the working environment imo.

Also any questions you need around pay, training etc..