Never Ask These Questions During a Job Interview
Imagine: So far your job search strategy has worked well. Your hard work and networking is paying off and you have landed a job interview in your dream company. You think you have interviewed well so far and done a pretty good job answering the questions from the interviewer.
Just before the job interview ends, the interviewer asks you a pretty simple question: Do you have any questions for us? Of course you do.
Here are six bad questions we ask in the job interview when we are nervous, anxious and trying to be honest. Trust me, I’ve heard the questions below time and time again. They can derail the entire interview and even jeopardize the job offer.
While valid concerns underly all of these questions — they unfortunately open up the opportunity for recruiters to jump to false assumptions about your values, interests, skills and abilities.
What exactly does your company do?
When job seekers ask this kind of question about the company in the job interview it demonstrates a lack of company research. As part of the preparation for job interviews, job seekers should research basic company information such as the products or services the company provides. You cannot interview well without knowing what the company does. Yet, you would be amazed about how many times this gets asked.
Who would I speak with about taking longer lunch breaks because sometimes I will need to run personal errands or take care of family issues?
I've heard this kind of question more often than I care to remember. There is nothing wrong with getting clarification about a work schedule in the job interview. In this case, however, you do not want to sound as if you will be making up your own schedule to fit your needs rather than meeting the requirements of the company. If you have concerns about the schedule of the job, consider asking broad questions about the scheduling policies to see if it’s a fit for you: How far in advance will I know my work schedule? How flexible are working hours?
How long do I have to work in this position before I can ask for a raise?
Your focus should be on getting the job offer for the position for which you are interviewing. If growth within the company is of interest to you, consider rephrasing the question. For example: What are the opportunities for advancement for employees in this position? Furthermore, remember to brush up on your salary negotiation skills so that when you do get an offer, you have a chance to ask for the pay you deserve.
Can you guarantee me that I will still have a job here by next year?
No one can guarantee that a company will exist for any specific time in the future. You should be skeptical of anyone who might attempt to make you such a guarantee. Although stability is a valid concern, try to get a sense of the organizational stability via company research, industry trends or general press or media.
What will you look for in the background screening? I am concerned about what you will find.
This question will be particularly worrisome to the recruiter if a job seeker raises it in the job interview. You can certainly ask about the next step in the hiring process, but to plant any seeds about what they may find in a background screening is not a wise move.
I did not get along with my last two supervisors, can you tell me more about my supervisor?
The age old rule is to not speak badly in the job interview about former employers or former supervisors in the job interview. Although the statement you are making may be true, it can also ruin your chances of a job offer. You don't want the recruiter to make the assumption that you are a problem employee who can’t get along with a team.
Your goal is to ask questions that will get the employer to say: We love that candidate. Let's make an offer!