You Should Interview the Interviewer, Too

Thursday, September 6, 2007

I know what you are thinking. You're thinking, "Wait a minute. Wouldn't that be somewhat presumptuous if I were to ask the interviewer questions?" No. The truth of the matter is they want to see that you have enough intelligence and business sense to ask questions requiring informative answers. Most human resource professionals and hiring managers believe having an applicant ask questions is one of the most important aspects of the interview. They are able to tell more about you by the questions you ask than the answers you give in response to their questions.
Most everybody expects to have an opportunity to ask questions. However, many assume the interviewer is expecting questions that consist of compensation matters and they don't want to appear to be focused on self centered issues. Invariably, they pass up the opportunity to delve further for more information about the job.
What they don't realize is they should be asking questions regarding what will be expected of the employee and opportunities for growth in order to learn more about the job offered. Finding the right job and finding the right applicant is a two way street. The employer is looking for somebody that can and will meet their needs. You, on the other hand, are looking for a job that will fulfill your career aspirations.
The interviewer will obviously get to question you and your abilities so they can decide if you will be a good fit for them. You need to ask the questions to determine if the position is the right fit for you and this stage of your career. They want to know that you are coming into the employer/employee relationship with them with a good understanding of the expectations on both sides. Posing your own questions also demonstrates your communication skills in addition to showing your ability to accurately assess matters at hand.
Here is a list of five questions to ask that will show them you are someone they can count on to dig deeper for more answers, especially in high pressure situations.
1. What are the top priorities of the position?
2. What are the major challenges facing the company in the next few years and how does this position contribute to overcoming them?
3. What do you believe my weaknesses to be and how do you think they will affect my performance?
4. What do you see as my strengths and how beneficial do you believe they will be for the company?
5. Does this company value employee growth and, therefore, provide opportunities to further one's training or education and career advancement?
This is another chance for you to show your willingness and desire to be prepared for the job. If asking intelligent questions of the person conducting the interview seems to put them off, it could be a clue to you that this isn't the right job for you. If you see them sit up, take notice, and answer your questions readily, it's a clue that your input as an employee will be valued and respected.
Go ahead. Now that you understand the importance of interviewing the interviewer go prepare your own list of questions. When it's your turn to pose your questions, pay as much attention to body language as you do the verbal answers. By the time you leave the meeting you will probably have a good idea whether or not the position is a good fit for you if you are offered the job.

To Get Hired or Get Promoted, Attitude Is The Key
When you're looking to get hired or get promoted, what do you think is your most important asset? Your experience? Knowledge? Skill? Talent?
While all of those are advantages that will help you achieve your goals, there's one thing that's more important than all of them combined.
Your attitude!
I attended a board meeting recently. It should've been spelled "bored." Just about everyone's eyes were glazed over or nearly closed with fatigue as one dull presentation after another was foisted upon the board members, staff and audience.
Then something changed.
Someone who had never spoken at a board meeting before got up, went to the lectern, fired up her PowerPoint presentation, and totally blew everyone away! People perked up in their seats and listened attentively to her every word. When she was done, people clapped! (If you've ever attended a public agency board meeting before, you'll know how remarkable that is!) The board president said, "I've seen hundreds of presentations. This is the first time I've ever seen one that elicited applause!"
Was this presenter more experienced, more knowledgeable, more skilled or more talented than all the others? Absolutely not. As a fairly new employee, she was actually inferior in all of those areas.
What made the difference? Her attitude. She was enthusiastic, positive, upbeat, energetic and truly excited about what she was talking about! It wasn't the quality of her presentation that impressed people, it was how she made them feel. Her enthusiasm was contagious, so the audience greatly enjoyed listening to facts and figures that, presented by someone without her energetic attitude, would've bored them to tears.
Everyone in that room will remember and think very highly of her--not the more experienced, knowledgeable, skilled or talented presenters--because of her attitude.
You know why companies conduct time-consuming, labor-intensive job interviews instead of simply hiring people based on the qualifications presented in their resumes? One of the reasons is to find someone they'll enjoy working with. This can only be conveyed in person, by your attitude.
Think of your own coworkers. Who do you enjoy working with? The smart guy who has all the answers but acts superior? The woman who's has the most experience but whines or complains whenever she's asked to do something in a new way?
Or the person who always smiles, listens to you, stays positive, friendly and supportive no matter what?
How's your attitude?

Job Interviews and The Secret of Selling Yourself
A very effective and persuasive tactic when selling something is to promote its benefits as well as its features.
Very simply, features are what something has; benefits are what those features do for you.
For example, if you're selling your used Oldsmobile, one of the features you might mention is its large trunk.
If you focus only on the feature, you'll say, "This car has a large trunk." (Yawn) But if you promote that feature with its benefit, you could say, "The trunk is huge. You can get three suitcases and your golf bag in there for a trip to Disneyland and still have plenty of room for all the souvenirs you'll want to bring home!" See how that makes a more powerful impression?
The potential buyer can visualize how this car with its large trunk can make packing for his next trip much easier. Use the same tactic for each feature of the car, and (Ka-ching!) you have a much quicker sale.
When you're preparing your resume or answering questions during an interview, you're selling yourself, so use that same tactic: sell your benefits along with your features! Here's how:
Consider these typical "features" a job applicant might mention during an interview:
• 10 Years of Experience
• Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute
• Strong Organizational Skills
• Dedicated
• Excellent Communicator
• 2004 Administrator of the Year, Acme International Inc.
Those are pretty impressive. Now let's see how you can turn those "features" into "benefits:"
• Feature: 10 Years of Experience. Benefits: "I know what to expect in this type of position; I've handled this type of work before; I won't need much training or supervision; I'll hit the ground running and will start producing right away."
• Feature: Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute. Benefits: "I can get your 10-page reports done in less than an hour; I will speed up your work flow."
• Feature: Strong Organizational Skills. Benefits: "I'll keep track of your schedule so you'll always be on time and have the materials you need; I will be able to quickly retrieve any document; I will prioritize my workload to ensure the most critical projects are don e first; I will save you time; I'll help you make your boss happy."
• Feature: Dedicated. Benefits: "I will support the company's overall mission and do whatever I can to help achieve it; I won't complain about hard work or long hours; I will faithfully do my job to the best of my ability."
• Feature: Excellent Communicator. Benefits: "I will easily be able to give you and your staff the information you and they need, whether in verbal or written form; I will be able to compose much of your correspondence, relieving you of that duty; I will save you time and effort."
• Feature: Administrator of the Year, 2003, Acme International Inc. Benefits: "I'm very good at what I do, and you don't have to take my word for it – here's proof that others have recognized my skill, professionalism, and outstanding contributions."
Even more impressive! See how that works? A "feature" is nice. But even better is answering the hiring manager's unspoken question, "So why is that important?" You do that by selling your "benefits."
Make a list of your own features and their corresponding benefits. Learn to promote these benefits to your potential employer. Do this in your cover letter, your resume, and during your interview to make a powerful impression.
You will SELL yourself into a new job!