How Many Questions Should You Ask in An Interview?
During an interview session, a job recruiter usually asks a candidate a question like, “do you have any questions for me?”. As a job candidate, you have to prepare your list of questions before the interview to ask the interviewer. In preparing this list of questions; you have to take note of the number of questions you will ask a job recruiter. If for instance, you have twelve questions; screen out some questions that are not pertinent. Every interview has a duration, and you don’t want to extend the interview process by asking too many questions.
How Many Questions Should a Candidate Ask During an Interview?
This solely depends on the interview that is conducted. If it is a phone interview; a job candidate can ask fewer than five, while most it is a face-to-face interview a job candidate can ask more questions. There is no specific law about the number of questions to ask during an interview. A job candidate should ask questions that showcase his/ her level of interest in the job to impress the interviewer. For instance, a candidate should not ask a question like, “how did you start working here”?. It is not a bad question, but it will not add any meaningful information to the candidate’s job interest.
A candidate should be conscious of the interviewer’s time. If you notice the interviewer is in haste to end the interview, you can say, “I have a few questions for you, but I don’t know if there is enough time?”. If you get the feeling that the interviewer wants to end the interview session, you can say “I don’t have any more questions”.
Question asked in an interview should be about purpose and not the number of questions asked. Your questions should help you determine if the employer and position are right for you. As a job candidate, you should have a goal in mind when asking a question to fit perfectly into the organization when employed.
Have it in mind that all your questions cannot be asked during an interview session. You can ask more questions if you are invited for another interview session, or before you assume duty in the organization. Most employers want job seekers to be very clear with a job position, so they are always eager to answer questions. Any interviewer that doesn’t want to answer questions is not giving a good sign at all.
Avoid questions that have to do with wages, allowances, and holidays. You will know the answer to this question once you accept the job offer. Do not ask questions that you can easily get answers to from the company website.
Five Relevant Questions a Candidate can ask During an Interview
Can you tell me more about my daily responsibilities for the role?
This is one of the most relevant questions to ask in an interview. The question will give you an insight into the role and what it requires. This question will help you determine if this role is suitable for you or not. This question will open your eyes to the daily realities of the job position you will be facing. Once you assume duty; there will be nothing that will baffle you.
Can you enlighten me more about the working culture of the organization?
The response to this question will help you analyze the working environment of the organization and whether you fit in or not. The recruiter’s response will help you determine if there is work-life balance in the organizational culture and also employee benefits. The job recruiter response will show if the company value employees’ happiness or not.
Where do you think the Company will be in the next five years to come?
This question will give you an insight into the company’s plans and the progression of your career. It will also give insight into the future project the company plans to embark on and its placement in the market. Asking about the future of the company shows you believe in the company’s vision, and you are committed to making it be a reality.
How can I impress you in the next three months?
This is an incredible question to ask because it shows your potential employer that you have enthusiasm towards the job and you want to contribute positively to the growth of the organization.
Give rapt attention as the interviewer answers the question; this will help you to know the areas you should focus on once you assume the duty, and how you can impress your potential employer tremendously.
Can you enlighten me more about the team and department I will be working with?
This will help you identify the various departments and units that are in the company and where you will be placed. You will also identify the people you will be working closely with and your boss. The working method and the dynamic nature of the team will also be highlighted by the potential employer.
You can use this as an opportunity to talk about your experience in teamwork and how you tackled the challenges you encountered. Tell the employer how you will fit in if you get the job.
You can ask follow-up questions in this segment like:
- Challenges facing the department
- Performance appraisal
- Departmental Campaigns or project.
Finally, wrap up your question by asking the interviewer the next step and when next you can hear from them.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, an Interview is an assessment of a job candidate, and the question asked by the job candidate can be used to assess him/her. Do not ask just any question because you want to impress the interview; ask questions that are relevant to the job placement. Considering the number of questions to ask is very crucial because of the duration of the interview. You can ask fewer than five for a phone interview and more for a face-to-face interview. Remember the purpose of the question asked is more important than the number of questions. Follow the guidelines above to ask the required number of questions in an interview.